Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley surprised with International Artist Achievement honors

May 8, 12:19 AMCountry Music ExaminerLisa L. Rollins

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Country Music Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The 2008 CMA International Artists Achievement Award was presented back stage at Sydney's Acer Arena during the Brooks & Dunn and Dierks Bentley concert Wednesday, May 6, 2009. From left, Sydney radio presenter Ray Hadley, Ronnie Dunn, Kix Brooks, Dierks Bentley and CMA International Director Rob Potts. Photo credit: Dean Turnbull.

Backstage at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, was the place where country music's Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, the talent behind country super-duo Brooks & Dunn, and country-rocker Dierks Bentley became the newest recipients of CMA International Artist Achievement Awards for their contributions to country music overseas.

Presented May 6 by CMA Board member Rob Potts, CEO of Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, and Ray Hadley from Australia's Radio 2GB, the globe-shaped trophies came on the final evening of the musicians' hugely successful Australian tour.

Formerly the International Touring Artist Award, the CMA International Artist Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of country music outside of the United States. (Prior recipients include Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban and Dwight Yoakam, among others.)

"Ronnie, Kix and Dierks have all impacted and expanded the international market place for country music," said Tammy Genovese, CEO for the CMA. "As representatives for country music on a global scale, they are all very deserving of this prestigious award."

Moreover, noted Hadley, who's currently Australia's No. 1-ranked broadcaster, "It's fantastic that artists like Brooks & Dunn and Dierks make the effort to travel half way around the world to play to their Australian fans, They bring huge excitement to this market."

Nearly two decades after their music career began, the biggest recording duo in country music history arrived in Australia for the first time in February 2008. Back again in 2009, with opening act Bentley, the high-octane Brooks & Dunn Australian tour played packed venues in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Per presenter Potts, "To have Brooks & Dunn back here twice inside two years is a great boost to country music in the country and it is very fitting that they and Dierks are recognized by the CMA board for helping grow our genre of music around the world."

Regarding the duo's across-the-globe tour and all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into such an endeavor, Brooks said, "Halfway around the world, it is easy to say, but it takes an amazing amount of coordination and commitment from so many people to pull it off, and ultimately, and most importantly, the support from the fans," Brooks said.

"As usual, we get to just walk out on stage and do our thing, but it's hard not to stand there in Sydney, or wherever, and go, 'Wow, how did this happen?!' Thanks so much to everyone who shared this experience with us!"

Down Under with Dierks

Arizona native Bentley, meanwhile, began his international career in 2006 when he participated in CMA's "New From Nashville" tour performing in Dublin, Glasgow and London. He's also taken his live show on the road to play at the Country Rendez-vous Festival in Craponne, France; the Seljord Country Festival in Norway; The Borderlinin London; and performed at the Country Gold Festival in Japan.

"It's fantastic to be recognized by the CMA after all my international touring in Japan, Europe and now Australia--this is very cool," said a surprised Bentley following his receipt of the international prize.

"I can't think of any more deserving U.S. artists to win this award," Potts observed, referring to Brooks, Dunn and Bentley, respectively. "Their tour here has had a huge impact on the profile of country music in this territory and it's fantastic that we were able to present the awards to them in Australia. It's also terrific to have a former CMA International Broadcaster of the Year and Australia's No. 1 rating radio presenter, Ray Hadley, here to help us surprise the guys with their awards."