Country and city met today when the 2011 Jayco Tamworth Country Music Festival and the 39th Jayco Country Music Awards of Australia were together officially launched at The Mint on Macquarie Street, Sydney.

Hosted by multi award winning singer-songwriter Felicity Urquhart, the star studded event welcomed the announcement of the finalists for the 39th Jayco Country Music Awards of Australia. The awards recognise the best product releases from the country music genre in the past twelve months.

Also announced was radio personality Ray Hadley and Australia’s country music ‘poster girl’ Beccy Cole as the confirmed hosts of the industry’s night of nights.

Hadley, a long time supporter of the music genre said, “I am honoured to be hosting the 39th Country Music Awards of Australia, each year I listen out to hear who has picked up a Golden Guitar trophy. To be asked to be involved in the 2011 presentation will give me the chance to share in the excitement of the night. Having my mate and country music star Beccy Cole join me as co-host will make the night even more memorable. Tamworth in January 2011, that’s where I’ll be”.

The Tamworth Country Music Festival and Country Music Awards of Australia capture the heart and soul of the nation and is an iconic regional event on the NSW Master Events Calendar developed by Events NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.

The Golden Guitar trophies will be awarded to the winners in each category on Saturday, 22nd January, 2011 in Tamworth, Australia’s Country Music Capital.

Leading the tally at the event was Kasey Chambers scooping the pool with a total of seven nods for her Little Bird album release. Chambers received finalist placing in Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Heritage Song of the Year, Video Clip of the Year, APRA Song of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year for her duet with Kevin Bennett.

Closely following was Lee Kernaghan with his Planet Country album earning him six finalist places including Album of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Heritage Song of the Year, Single of the Year, APRA Song of the Year and Video Clip of the Year.

Having recently picked up their first ARIA Award, The McClymonts secured four finalist announcements for their Wrapped Up Good album. The girls proudly received placing in Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Group or Duo of the Year and Video Clip of the Year, and scored their fifth finalist placement for Vocal Collaboration of the Year with Adam Harvey from his album Both Sides Now.

Other notable multi-finalists announced at the event included Graeme Connors with four finalist placings alongside debut album finalist and 2010 Toyota Star Maker winner Luke Austen. 2008 Female Artist of the Year Dianna Corcoran scored three placings as did duo McAlister Kemp.

The 2011 Jayco Tamworth Country Music Festival will take place 14th-23rd January 2011. The 39th Jayco Country Music Awards of Australia will take place at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre on Saturday, 22nd January, 2011.

The full list of finalists for the 2011 Jayco Country Music Awards of Australia:

Album of the Year
Keep Breathing - Dianna Corcoran, produced by Rebecca Lyn Howard (USA) & Elisha Hoffman (USA)
Little Bird - Kasey Chambers, produced by Kasey Chambers & the Millionaires
Planet Country - Lee Kernaghan, produced by Garth Porter
Still Walking - Graeme Connors, produced by Matt Fell
Wrapped Up Good - The McClymonts, produced by Nath Chapman (USA) & Adam Anders (USA)

Male Artist of the Year
Luke Austen - She's So You
Adam Brand - It's Gonna Be OK
Graeme Connors - A Good Life
Lee Kernaghan - Planet Country
Markus Meier - A Different Land

Female Artist of the Year
Catherine Britt - Can't Change A Thing
Kasey Chambers - Little Bird
Dianna Corcoran - Thank You For Cheating On Me
Tracy Killeen - Brave
Melinda Schneider - The Deadwood Stage

Maton New Talent of the Year
Luke Austen - She's So You
Tracy Killeen - Brave
McAlister Kemp - All Kinds Of Tough
Markus Meier - A Different Land
Peter McWhirter - I Will Stand By You

Group or Duo of the Year
The Bostocks - Not By A Long Shot
Jonah's Road - End Of The World
McAlister Kemp - All Kinds Of Tough
The McClymonts - Wrapped Up Good
The Sunny Cowgirls - Summer

Vocal Collaboration of the Year
Both Sides Now - Adam Harvey & The McClymonts
Here We Are - Anne Kirkpatrick & Bill Chambers
Love Like A Hurricane - Kasey Chambers & Kevin Bennett
Seven Spanish Angels - Adam Harvey & Troy Cassar-Daley
Sing Me Home - McAlister Kemp & Adam Brand

Toyota Heritage Song of the Year
Angels Without Halos - written & recorded by Graham Rodger
Australian Boy - written by Lee Kernaghan, Col Buchanan & Garth Porter, recorded by Lee Kernaghan
Children Of The Gurindji - written by Sara Storer, recorded by Sara Storer & Kev Carmody
Nullarbor (The Biggest Backyard) - written & recorded by Kasey Chambers
Sacred Bones - written by Luke Austen & Troy Cassar-Daley, recorded by Luke Austen

Fender Instrumental of the Year
Badl Bounce - Steve Passfield
Dixie Breakdown - Ian Simpson & John Kane
Optimystical - Michael Fix
Pronto Tonto - Brendan Radford
Run And Hide - The Bostocks

APRA Song of the Year
All The Money's Gone - written by Graeme Connors
Better Than This - written by Rod McCormack & Adam Harvey
It Don't Buy You Love - written by Drew McAlister & Mike Carr
Little Bird - written by Kasey Chambers
Planet Country - written by Lee Kernaghan, Matt Scullion, Garth Porter, Colin Buchanan

Video Clip of the Year
Australian Boy - Lee Kernaghan, directed by Jesse Frazer
Calling Me Home - Sara Storer, directed by Duncan Toombs
Girl In The Mall - Felicity Urquhart, directed by Erica Davis
Little Bird - Kasey Chambers, directed by Gemma Lee, Blackberry Films
Wrapped Up Good - The McClymonts, directed by Myles Conti

Single of the Year
A Beach House In The Blue Mountains - Graeme Connors
Little Bird - Kasey Chambers
Planet Country - Lee Kernaghan
Thank You For Cheating On Me - Dianna Corcoran
Wrapped Up Good - The McClymonts

Bush Ballad of the Year
The Battered Billy Tin - written by Shaza Leigh & Ben Jacobs, recorded by Brian Letton
The Cooper Coming Down - written & recorded by Graham Rodger
Every Time He Travels Through Cloncurry - written by Peter Denahy, recorded by Luke Austen
Kings Without A Crown - written by Ray Rose, recorded by Tom Maxwell
Say G'Day From Me - written & recorded by Ian Quinn