The Country Music Association Presents 2019 CMA International Awards During Visit To Australia 

While in Australia this week for CMA's touring series, Introducing Nashville and the CMC Rocks music festival, a selection of Country artists and music industry executives received international awards on behalf of the Country Music Association.

Country artist Ashley McBryde and CMA Vice President of International Relations and Development, Milly Olykan, presented Chugg Entertainment Managing Director Susan Heymann with the CMA J. Walker Meador International Award backstage at CMC Rocks with the entire festival team in attendance, including Co-Director of CMC Rocks & CEO of Potts Entertainment Jeremy Dylan, who is the son of the festival's founder and former CMA Board member, the late Rob Potts. The CMA J. Walker Meador International Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual advocating and supporting Country Music's marketing development in territories outside the United States.

Luke Combs and Cam presented Australian Country artist Travis Collins with the CMA Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award backstage at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney prior to Comb's show on his sold-out Australian tour. The CMA Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award recognizes outstanding achievements by a Country Music artist signed outside of the United States who has furthered the popularity of Country Music as well as brought attention to the Country Music format in their foreign based territory. Collins also opened for Combs in Sydney. This year, the award was presented to two acts, the other recipient being British Country duo Ward Thomas, who received their award from Cam earlier this month while she was in London for a CMA Songwriters Series show during the C2C: Country to Country festival.

Additional 2019 CMA International Award recipients include BBC Radio 2 Radio Host Baylen Leonard, who was presented the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award earlier in March by Bob Shennan, BBC Director, Radio & Music and CMA Board member, during CMA's U.K. Task Force meeting in London. CMA also awarded Kacey Musgraves with the International Artist Achievement Award prior to her performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

The CMA International Awards honor industry executives and artists who have supported and made a difference towards the growth and promotion of Country Music in the international market place. Nominees are recognized in five categories acknowledging their dedication and efforts in growing opportunities for Country Music in their local territories.

Photo credit: Lachlan Douglas/CMA