country routes news: The HOTDISC Country Music Awards 2016

THE HOTDISC COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS 2016:

Hotdisc Awards 2016 Winners Announced!

Kaitlyn Baker snags the HOTDISC Top 40 Year-End Song

The HOTDISC Most Popular Songs of 2016 revealed

Best of British & Irish Country CD drops with Special Offer!

The inaugural Hotdisc Awards for 2016 on Monday 2nd January was broadcast across the UK on Sky TV's "Keep It Country" channel, with eight awards given out to acts based on genuine success over the last 12 months using data from the Hotdisc Top 40 which is compiled each week by the cream of Europe's country music DJs.

Hotdisc is proud of the transparency of its Awards which were totally free from public votes which are open to manipulation. The recipients of the attractive laser-etched trophies can be satisfied that their achievements have come from their peers on merit.

The Hotdisc Awards show, presented by former BBC2 TV and Radio 2 country presenter David Allan, featured the Top 10 most popular songs of 2016 as voted for by the European DJs who receive Hotdisc's CD packed with new releases from Britain and Overseas each month.

The programme repeated on Thursday 5th January at 4pm and also in the very early hours of Saturday 7th January 2017 at 1am.

Hotdisc has been operating for 18 years with the sole aim to promote new music to its network of DJs mainly in Europe, who support the venture which began in 1998. Hotdisc is open to all acts from Britain and Overseas to take part.

The Most Successful International act of the year, who received the most chart points than any other act, was the prolific American singer-songwriter David Starr, who enjoyed success with four Top 10 singles in 2016.

The most successful Overseas single went to newcomer Brenda Burch with her six-week chart-topper "Sparks Will Fly." She also walked off with the Horizon Award for the most successful International act from all those appearing for the first time on Hotdisc in 2016.

2017 Kicks Off with a BOOM

Brenda Burch

An excited Brenda Burch shared this with her fans: Happy New Year!!! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your year is off to a great start. I received some very exciting news that kicked off 2017 with a boom! In late December, I was nominated by DJs all across Europe in 2 categories for the Hotdisc Country Music Awards: Most Successful International Newcomer and Best International Single. The award show aired, and to my surprise, I won BOTH awards!!

It's been 24 hours, and I still can hardly believe it happened! I was the only artist to win 2 awards! My mind...blown! If that's not enough, I also just learned that the DJs in Europe voted to create a list of the Top 30 Most Popular Songs in 2016. Guess what landed at #1? Sparks Will Fly!!! My other song, "Nowhere Else" rounded out the list at #30! What an honor to have 2 of my songs bookend the Top 30 radio show countdown.

My heart is filled with gratitude for you and your support, for the talented musicians, producers and co-writers who helped bring my music to life, and for all the DJs who played my music on their stations and voted for my songs. I feel so blessed, and I have all of you to thank for it.

This year is going to be great! We're gearing up to release a new music video for "Sugar Fix," and Country radio in Europe will be releasing the song to listeners shortly. Exciting times!

The Best Video was tightly fought with Denny Strickland just getting the nod from a panel of Hotdisc's European DJs for his Hotdisc Number 1 single, "Get A Grip."

In the British section, the late Jackie Storrar, who sadly died this year following a brave battle with cancer, was the most successful homegrown act with both her singles reaching Number 1 in 2016 and gaining the most chart points.

Kathy Crinion's "Rock n Roll Banjo" landed the Most Successful Single award with her 8-week Number 1 song while the Horizon Newcomer Award went the way of Irish singer Kerry Fearon.

The Best Video was won by Scottish duo Raintown for the song "Nineteen Again."

Raintown shared on Facebook: Great way to start 2017! Just found out that 'Nineteen Again' has won 'Best British & Irish Video' in the Hotdisc Top 40 Country Music Awards. Grateful for the award and to the team who put it together including Philip Heywood (80Eight Productions), Sarah Hutchison (actress), Jenny Ross (MUA), Brian Hughes (Songwriter), Roulette Retreat and all the Band! Also congratulations to the forever missed Jackie Storrar for her 'Most Successful British & Irish Act Award.'

Thank you always and let's do this 2017!

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES WITH WINNERS IN CAPITALS FOR BRITISH & IRISH HOTDISC AWARDS:

MOST SUCCESSFUL SINGLE:
Clint Bradley - Riding After Midnight
KATHY CRINION - ROCK 'N' ROLL BANJO
George Inglis - Missing You
Raintown - Nineteen Again

Kathy Crinion Album ART

HORIZON AWARD FOR MOST SUCCESSFUL NEWCOMER:
Rett Russell
KERRY FEARON
Noel Flynn
Kathy Crinion

Kerry Fearon

MOST SUCCESSFUL ACT OF 2016:
JACKIE STORRAR
Rob Allen
The Diablos
Mexican Joe Walker

The late Jackie Storrar

BEST VIDEO (Voted by a panel of country music experts):

RAINTOWN - NINETEEN AGAIN
Luke & Mel - Bad Habit
Penny Jayne Black - California
The Diablos - You're In There Somewhere

Raintown's Award!

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES WITH WINNERS IN CAPITALS FOR INTERNATIONAL HOTDISC AWARDS:

MOST SUCCESSFUL SINGLE:
Billy Yates - Three Tequila Floor
BRENDA BURCH - SPARKS WILL FLY
Hicks - Stomp A Little Louder
Leslie Cours Mather - That Was The Whiskey

HORIZON AWARD FOR MOST SUCCESSFUL NEWCOMER:
Donovan Lee
BRENDA BURCH
Josh Goodlett
Aaron Watson

MOST SUCCESSFUL ACT OF 2016:
DAVID STARR
Billy Yates
Lynne Taylor Donovan
Vince Hatfield

BEST VIDEO (Voted by a panel of country music experts):
Leslie Cours Mather - That Was The Whiskey
Matt Stillwell - Hey Dad
Shantel Adams - Modern Woman
DENNY STRICKLAND - GET A GRIP

Denny Strickland

Related BLOG POST: THE HOTDISC AWARDS 2016:

Hotdisc Managing Director Stuart Cameron, who was honoured with the special "Services to Country Music Award" by the CMA in 2002, is delighted that Hotdisc goes from strength to strength.

"We've now produced an incredible 216 editions - that's one every month without a break for 18 years - of Hotdisc and we're delighted to continue servicing DJs in Europe with brand new music for their shows. We have been delighted to work with some of the biggest names in America including Alabama, Lonestar, Shania Twain, Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton and The Bellamy Brothers but we also are proud to have introduced many homegrown acts to a new audience and we are still working with clients who were on the very first edition, which is a testament to the way we work in the business, providing an excellent value promotional service to everyone, and also investing in homegrown talent. This year we invested £4000 to give British and Irish acts a chance to use Hotdisc and we will continue to put talent before financial gain to enable us to help give acts a boost in this industry, generating airplay for them as well as introducing them to new markets and new fans.

"This year we started the Hotdisc Top 20 TV show which is hosted by Phil Mack's innovative 'Keep It Country' channel and it has proved to be very popular with clients and country music fans alike. We look forward to offering our clients more opportunities in the future."

THE HOTDISC TOP 40 Year-End #1 Song

Kaitlyn Baker with her gorgeous Shania-esque ballad “To Pieces" continued her reign at the top of the Hotdisc chart with her ballad "To Pieces" snagging a second week atop the Hotdisc Top 40. Due to the Christmas break there no chart at the 2016 Year-End so she inherited a third week by default.

HEARTBREAK: On Jan 1, 2017 Kaitlyn tweeted: My heart is broken. Last night my guitar player, my best friend was killed in a car wreck.

New Year’s crash claims life of young musician

I am honored that my "To Pieces" is #1 for a third week on Europe's @HotdiscTop40! Check out the Hotdisc TV show! https://t.co/4rFo7uRa7f! pic.twitter.com/F65DtxaGci
— Kaitlyn Baker (@kaitlynabaker) 4 January 2017

HOTDISC TOP 30 MOST POPULAR SONGS OF 2016

Listen to edited version of the Top 5 Hotdisc Top 40 songs in 2016 first broadcast on CMR Nashville on Sunday Jan 1, 2017

After spending 6 weeks at the top of the Hotdisc Top 40 beginning Aug 7, 2016 US singer/songwriter with her self penned “Sparks Will Fly” (BrendyBlu Music) bagged Hotdisc honours for Most Popular Song Of 2016 having acculated more points than any other act. Songs are ranked on a scale 1-10 by over 500 DJs and Media across Europe

#1 Sparks Will Fly BRENDA BURCH (Aug 7 | 6 weeks at #1)

#2 Stomp A Little Louder HICKS (Nov 13 | 5 weeks at #1)

#3 That Was The Whiskey LESLIE COURS MATHER (Apr 10 | 4 weeks at #1)

#4 Three Tequila Floor BILLY YATES (Feb 14 | 4 weeks at #1)

#5 Rock 'n' Roll Banjo KATHY CRINION (Mar 13 | 4 weeks at #1)

#6 Riding After Midnight CLINT BRADLEY (Sept 18 | 4 weeks at #1)

#7 Hey Dad MATT STILLWELL (May 29 | 4 weeks at #1)

#8 Getaway Truck AARON WATSON (Jan 10 | 3 weeks at #1)

#9 Strong One LYNNE TAYLOR DONOVAN (May 8 | 3 weeks at #1)

#10 Moody Blue HOLLY NORMAN (Oct 16 | 3 weeks at #1)

#11 To Pieces KAITLYN BAKER (Dec 18 | 3 weeks at #1)

#12 Rewind SOUTHERN HALO (July 24 | 2 weeks at #1)

#13 Wasn't Through Loving You Yet ALABAMA (Jan 31 | 2 weeks at #1)

#14 Never Enders LONESTAR (June 26 | 2 weeks at #1)

#15 How That Feels JAMES ROBERT WEBB (July 10 | 2 weeks at #1)

#16 Get A Grip DENNY STRICKLAND (Nov 1 | 1 week at #1)

#17 Alibi DAVE & WHITNEY

#18 Nineteen Again RAINTOWN (May 8 | 8 weeks British & Irish Hotdisc #1)

#19 Echo RITA BOLLAND

#20 Am I Dreaming LYNNE TAYLOR DONOVAN

21 Ready For The Times To Get Better CRYSTAL GAYLE & LORRAINE JORDAN

22 Home Again TANYA DAVIS

23 Home Made Lovin' LUK NICHOLS

24 Gotta Have You RISA BINDER

25 Sure Feels Good To Me NEILLYRICH

26 A Better Place RICHARD LYNCH

27 Message In A Cloud ALY COOK

28 A Little Less Beautiful DAVE GIBSON

29 One More Sorry KIMBER SPARKS

30 Nowhere Else BRENDA BURCH (3 weeks at #3)

THE HOTDISC BRITISH & IRISH TOP 10 OF 2016

#1 Rock 'n' Roll Banjo KATHY CRINION (Mar 6 | 8 weeks at #1)

#2 Nineteen Again RAINTOWN (May 8 | 8 weeks at #1)

#3 Riding After Midnight CLINT BRADLEY (Sept 11 | 5 weeks at #1)

#4 Missing You GEORGE INGLIS (July 3 | 5 weeks at #1)

#5 One Night At A Time JACKIE STORRAR (Aug 7 | 4 weeks at #1)

#6 Ace of Spades JACKIE STORRAR (Feb 14 | 3 weeks at #1)

#7 Where We Are Tonight HOLLOWAY ROAD (Oct 16/ Nov 6 | 2 weeks at #1)

#8 Feels Like Home CHLOE CHADWICK (Oct 30/ Nov 13 | 2 weeks at #1)

#9 Bad Habit LUKE & MEL (Oct 23/ Nov 20 | 2 weeks at #1)

#10 Love In UR Life CHARLOTTE BLACK (Nov 27 | 2 weeks at #1)

HOTDISC: BEST OF BRITISH & IRISH COUNTRY 2016

The most successful British songs each year are put together on a special "Best of British & Irish Country" CD and edition number 18 in the long-running series covering the cream of the 2016 tracks has just been released. This year among the acts appearing on the 22-track album are Luke & Mel, Holloway Road, Raintown, Jackie Storrar and George Inglis - all of them enjoying number 1 status on the Hotdisc British and Irish chart this year. In fact of the 22 songs, 15 of them topped the British & Irish Hotdisc chart.

The CD, priced £9.99 is available at www.hotdisc.co.uk (22 Tracks) and also available to download from iTunes (26 Tracks released Dec 20, 2016) and Amazon for £7.99.