Cowboys In Cybersp@ce - July 1999

"It's an honour just to be nominated...."

The Internet is a great place to find out who has won awards, anywhere in the world, and we have our fair share of gongs right here in Australia. The Australian Entertainment ‘MO’ Awards are Australia's Premier Awards for excellence in live performance. This years' winners were announced at the Annual Awards Ceremony on 22 June 1999, and if you weren't there, the 'MO' Web site was the first place to find out who picked up the statues in the Country category. Making an extra special impact this year, Troy Cassar-Daley was also nominated in the "Australian Performer of the Year" category, alongside the likes of Natalie Imbruglia, Todd McKenney (Boy From Oz) and The Main Event (Anthony Warlow, John Farnham & Olivia Newton-John.

Cowboys In Cybersp@ce has been nominated for an ONYA award, and voting has now closed. The ONYA Awards are the inaugural Australian Online Music Awards and they honour innovation, pioneering and excellence in the creation, presentation, delivery and commerce of music and music technology via the Internet. Cowboys In Cybersp@ce is a Top Ten finalist in the Best Music Print Media Website category. Other nominees in various categories include Brielle, Frank Ifield, Troy Cassar-Daley, the CMAA, and the Country Music Store.

The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) has been nominated for an ONYA in the Best Industry Association category. Their own APRA Awards were announced via their Web site in May. The APRA site is a great resource for Australian songwriters. Members can submit their new works and complete live performance returns via the Internet. Non-members can search the APRA database to find out who wrote particular songs. Details of upcoming songwriting events and competitions are also published on the site.

The Sydney Morning Herald has a computer supplement each Saturday, called ICON. It contains a great combination of computer fun and technological information. If your newsagent doesn't have it, you can always find ICON on-line. While they haven't quite been handing out awards, they did recently publish my top picks for Australian Country Music Web sites. What were they? Find out at the ICON My Web archive.

• The Gina Jeffreys' Fan Club have a Web site full of information and pictures. Check out Gold Guitar and 'MO' Award winner Gina's biography, discography and Gig Guide. "Gina's Photo Album" includes shots from the Tamworth Festival, including a photos of her Mum and Dad, and a group picture of the belles of Australian Country Music: Gina, Rosemary Rae, Beccy Cole, Carol Young, and Kasey Chambers.

• Speaking of Kasey Chambers, her Web site is now on-line. Read Kasey's biography and a selection of articles and reviews of "The Captain". Hear "Cry Like A Baby", and watch out for the much-awaited tour dates. The site will no doubt receive a great number of inquisitive visitors as Kasey's video airs on CMT International. Kasey was also nominated for a 'MO' Award, and her much acclaimed debut album is heading for the top of the local Country charts.

• Pru Clearwater can also be found in cyberspace - lots of info about her likes and influences, music samples, and even the dance steps to her debut single - Kiss Me Stupid! presented by The Country Dance Company. Ms Pru promises lots more stuff, real soon. Sign her guestbook when you drop by.

• Webmaster Steve Wainwright warned me to wear my sunglasses when I visited the new Web page of Brooke Schubert. Before you even get to read that her favourite colours are Blue and Mauve, you can pretty much guess! Brooke is 12 years old, lives in a small town in the central highlands of Queensland. Winning 1st prize at the inaugural Junior Talent Search at the Gympie Muster is surely just the start of big things for her.

• Country Music broadcaster Robyn Skinner presents a 2 hour program over 2RRR on the FM band in Sydney, every Sunday morning 8 to 10am. Robyn's Web page will tell you what artists you are likely to hear on her show, and gives you the chance to E-mail your requests in, ahead of time.
  
  Kim Cheshire, Bill and Audrey and Keith Glass
  Photos by cyberBob from a recent 2RRR-FM Country Music Benefit night
  

• Deborah Minter has signed with the Cannon Music Co. Her second single from her Innocent Days CD, is the rocky good-time memories title track. Deborah's Web site has grown considerably since I first checked it out. Join her "Inlaws and Outlaws" (family, friends and fan club) for newsletters and special discounts on merchandise.

• As Gold Guitar winner Sherrié Austin's new single "Never Been Kissed" flies up the charts, check out her very own Web site. There are some nice touches, like the Australian postage stamp for the E-mail icon. Read the interview to find out how Sherrié explains what Australia is like to the Americans, and have a look under the "Bookmarks" section to discover four poems she wrote as a high school student!

• British Country Music star Sue James has been nominated for Best Female Vocalist in the UK. Sue, along with co-writer, Lorna Flowers, has steadily built a solid reputation on her home turf, and Sue's debut CD "Five Stars and the Moon" only enhances her standing as one of the great hopes for the future of British country. Read about their exploits at home and in Nashville on their Web Page.

Don't forget to listen out for Cowboys in Cybersp@ce each month on the radio waves with Belinda Miller of Murri Country , 4AAA –FM (98.9 in Brisbane).
If you want to share the location of an interesting site you’ve seen or request a topic for discussion in future columns, why not E-mail me. Until next month, happy surfing.

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