National Country Music Awards 2012 AND the Winners Are.....

Aly Cook, Trevor V Stevens, The Heartleys, Jody Direen and Kiwi legend Peter Posa took home the awards for this year’s National Country Music Awards (NCMA) held at Founders Theatre in Hamilton on Saturday night, 11th August.

In front of a capacity crowd, Nelson musician, Aly Cook received the award for Best Female Country Artist and Auckland’s Trevor V Stevens won Best Male.  The Best Group Award was taken out by Southland duo The Heartleys, Taylor Cairns and Kayla Martin.

Horizon Award winner Jody Direen from Wanaka was presented with a Fender guitar and will go on to guest in one of the heats at the Telstra Road to Discovery in Australia and will also guest at the Global Artist Awards in Nashville USA, which is sponsored by the Kiwi Pro-Am Country Music Organisation.

Dennis Marsh gave a moving tribute to musician Peter Posa who received the Legend Award.  During the 1960s and early 1970s, the prolific Posa released 28 singles, 15 EP's, 23 albums and in the US he brushed shoulders with stars such as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Chet Atkins, Herb Ellis.  Posa, now 70 and living in Te Awamutu, has just put out a new best of album - White Rabbit: The Very Best Of Peter Posa – which now sits at the very top of the NZ Music Charts some five decades after his original multi-platinum selling debut album White Rabbit was released (in Australasia, the US, Canada, Mexico and the Pacific Islands) in 1963. 

Special guest performers at the Awards included Tom Sharplin, Shane, Australian Telstra Award Winner Andrew Redford, 2011 Horizon Award Winner Vickie Evans, Jenny Blackadder and Joy Adams.

Organizers Kiwi Pro-Am Country Music Organisation president Bernie Eva said that feedback had been great on the quality of the show and it has been hailed as "the best one yet". 

AND the Winners Are….
Best Female - Aly Cook
Best Male - Trevor V Stevens
Best Duo/Group - The Heartleys
The Horizon winner - Jody Direen
Legend Award - Peter Posa

For artist interviews please contact - Leesa on phone 09-3766-868, 021-243-6899 or email publicity-machine@clear.net.nz

The National Country Music Awards are NZ country music’s most prestigious event and double as an important industry showcase for promoters and international booking agents.

For more information see - www.kiwiproamcountrymusic.co.nz