Country Music In Turmoil Over Golden Guitars Dispute

13 December 2013 | 9:36 am | Staff Writer

Favourites Troy Cassar-Daley and Adam Harvey withdraw their album

The Australian country music scene is in turmoil as a dispute about the direction of the scene's Country Music Awards – the Golden Guitars – threatens to split the industry.

The Awards are run by the Country Music Association of Australia [CMAA] on Australia Day in Tamworth and were thrown into the spotlight when veteran musician John Williamson quit as CMAA President earlier this week over the 'American' direction of the awards.

Making mention of Troy Cassar-Daley & Adam Harvey's The Great Country Songbook album – a collection of covers, featuring many American tracks – it has prompted the duo to withdraw their album, which was nominated six times and a favourite for Album Of The Year, from the awards.

“Our reasons for withdrawing our nominations are clear and have been done with the utmost respect to our industry and our peers and the Golden Guitars are far too dear to me to have controversy surround them,” Cassar-Daley said in a statement on social media.

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The move has prompted CMAA's new President Dobe Newton to issue a statement on behalf of the Association. Supportive of Cassar-Daley and Harvey, it is scathing of Williamson.

"At a time when I've been honoured to accept the CMAA's invitation to accept the presidency of our peak body, I'm saddened by the very public debate inspired by comments from the past President,” Newton said.

“While Troy Cassar-Daley and Adam Harvey's decision to withdraw their album from the 2014 Golden Guitar Awards may be seen as a drastic move, it is perfectly understandable given the unnecessary media attention that's been generated. How disappointing that a wonderfully received and commercially successful product should be 'tarnished' at a time when it should be celebrated.”

He added, “If anyone has a comment or a suggestion on that process, we would encourage them to contact us, so that a full and informed debate can take place, rather than the unedifying sound-byte exchanges we're now witnessing. To draw Keith Urban [who Williamson also mentioned] into the 'debate', just makes it all the more unfortunate.”

In his comments Williamson – one of the country's most respected country musicians – told The Australian, “It seems to be getting less Australian every year. When that album came out of mainly covers, I'm not blaming Troy and Adam, but it's ended up being a finalist for the album of the year. The fact that it was even nominated blows me away.

“I feel that the organisation has got the wrong message and I don't want to be a part of it. I don't want to have my name at the top of it because there are a lot of people out there who don't believe what's happening. It has to be looked at.”

The 68-year-old added of Keith Urban, Australia's most famous American export, “Maybe we could give him an international award, but I don't think that should be recognised as Australian country music. There has always been some embarrassment about the real Aussie stuff and I don't think it should be that way. The young kids, they'll all end up wanting to be Keith Urbans.”