Saturday 16 March 2019

CMA Visits C2C2019 Country To Country Festival: Ward Thomas & Baylen Leonard presented with CMA Awards


The Country Music Association visited Europe and the U.K. last week with stops in Berlin, Amsterdam and London as part of C2C: Country to Country festival, bringing CMA’s new international artist-focused touring series, Introducing Nashville, to fans in Berlin and Amsterdam, followed by a return CMA Songwriters Series performance in London.

As part of CMA’s international expansion initiatives, Introducing Nashville provides a platform to introduce artists to new audiences around the globe. The touring series brought Lindsay Ell, Lauren Jenkins and Logan Mize to European fans for the first time, opening the mainstage at C2C Berlin at the Verti Arena Berlin on Saturday, March 2 in addition to performing as part of C2C Amsterdam at AFAS Amsterdam on Monday, March 4. Introducing Nashville brings the unique Nashville-style songwriter’s round to each city, with artists appearing on stage together in an acoustic lineup, introducing their songs and sharing highlights of their careers and personal stories.

 (L-R) Jimmie Allen, Travis Denning, Cam, Laura Veltz and Ross Copperman perform at the sold-out CMA Songwriters Series show Thursday, March 7 at London’s indigo at The O2. Photo Credit: Luke Dyson/CMA

Fans in Berlin were captivated with this songwriter’s round type of experience, completely engaged and clapping along, getting to know the artists through their stories.

Following stops in Berlin and Amsterdam, CMA’s critically acclaimed CMA Songwriters Series returned to London’s indigo at The O2 Thursday, March 7, kicking off C2C London with a sold-out performance. Hosted by Cam, the lineup included hit Nashville songwriters and artists including Jimmie Allen, Ross Copperman, Travis Denning and Laura Veltz. Cam hosted what became a spirited, humorous and at times moving songwriters round, with each artist openly sharing their songs’ meanings and inspirations. Both Denning and Veltz made their first-ever international appearances. The performance marked the sixth London appearance and third consecutive sold-out CMA Songwriters Series during C2C.

JEFF WALKER GLOBAL COUNTRY ARTIST AWARD
While in London, CMA presented two awards in recognition of individuals for their efforts in spreading the Country genre internationally. 

 British Country duo Ward Thomas received the CMA Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award during the CMA Songwriters Series show, as Cam surprised both artists with the award before the other songwriters on stage urged them to perform their song “Cartwheels.”

CLICK to ENLARGE: British Country duo Ward Thomas is presented with the CMA Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award during the sold-out CMA Songwriters Series show Thursday, March 7 at London’s indigo at The O2. (L-R): Damon Whiteside, CMA Chief Marketing Officer, Roland Hill, WTW Music, co-manager of Ward Thomas, Catherine Ward Thomas and Lizzy Ward Thomas of Ward Thomas, and Milly Olykan, CMA Vice President, International Relations and Development. 

Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award Nominees

 Travis Collins, Australia
Ilse DeLange, The Netherlands
James Barker Band, Canada
Jill Johnson, Sweden
Ward Thomas, U.K.  * WINNER *
This award recognizes outstanding achievements by a Country Music artist originally signed outside of the United States.


This huge honour makes the Hampshire native duo only the second ever UK act to be given the award following in the footsteps of fellow Brit Country frontrunners; The Shires who picked up the award back in 2017 at the same event making them the first ever British act to do so.

RESTLESS MINDS, the third album by Ward Thomas (twins Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas, non-identical 24-year-old twins from Hampshire) made a debut at No.8 on the Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (Week Ending 21 Feb 2019)
sales of 7,095 copies.
The contemporary country duo logged the fifth biggest sales debut for an album tagged country.
In its second week it fell 8-86 (1,345 sales; down 81%) and by chart dated 7 March 2019) it had fallen off the Top 100 (estimated sales 800; 3-week estimated total 9,240). 
Its first four weeks at retail (including pre-orders) gave it a #6 position in the listing of The UK’s biggest country albums of the last 12 months.

The album is currently #29 on the UK Country iTunes Chart (#671 UK all -genres) and on Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,456 (#76 in Digital Music Country).

UK country music duo performed to a huge crowd during their slot at the CMC Rocks Festival in Australia in early 2017 and as far as we can tell that was their last performance outside of the UK in the last 3 years.

Lives Dates
(2nd Leg RESTLESS MINDS TOUR)
Mon 1 April 2019 - O2 Institute Birmingham, Birmingham (16-18 Horsefair, Bristol Street, B1 1DB | Capacity: 3,000)
Tue 2 April 2019 - O2 Guildhall Southampton, Southampton (Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LP)
Wed 3 April 2019 - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London (Shepherds Bush Green, W12 8TT)
Tickets available from Ticketmaster UK
  
“Thank you for supporting country music in the UK as well” – Catherine 
“HOLY Shit!” - Lizzy



INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY BROADCASTER AWARD
BBC Radio 2 Radio Host Baylen Leonard was presented with the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award by Bob Shennan, BBC Director, Radio & Music and CMA Board member, during CMA’s U.K. Task Force meeting in London on Friday, March 8.
This award recognises outstanding achievement by a radio broadcaster or syndicated radio reporter outside the United States who has made important contributions for the development of Country Music in his/her country.  

Stuart Banford, Downtown Radio, Northern Ireland
Casey Clarke, Casey Clarke Productions, Canada
Paul Jackson, NOVA Entertainment, Australia
Baylen Leonard, BBC Radio 2, U.K.  * WINNER *
Trevor Smith, Aloha Media, Australia

CLICK to Enlarge: BBC Radio 2’s Baylen Leonard receives the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award during CMA’s U.K. Task Force meeting in London on Friday, March 8. (L-R): Damon Whiteside, CMA Chief Marketing Officer, Bob Shennan, BBC Director, Radio & Music and CMA Board member, Baylen Leonard, BBC Radio 2 Radio Host, and Milly Olykan, CMA Vice President, International Relations and Development. Photo Credit: Luke Dyson/CMA



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