Tyla RodriguesIn just a couple of weeks, the eyes of the Australian country music scene should find themselves pointed towards Canada. Not just because of the amazing in-roads our locals are making in the Great White North, but because of the upcoming Canadian Country Music Awards.
While Canadian acts such as Cameron Whitcomb, Josh Ross, Owen Riegling, and the James Barker Band fight it out over the likes of Entertainer Of The Year and the Album Of The Year award, Australians will be keeping a close eye on the International Industry Person Of The Year category.
Why might that be? Well, alongside American names such as Seth England and the UK-based Baylen Leonard appearing next to Germany's Sina Hall, so too does Australia get a look-in thanks to Frank Varasso and Justin Thomson.
While Varasso has been an industry figure for decades, the last 17 years have seen him heading up the eponymous Varasso PR, looking after myriad talented names in the genre, including Casey Barnes, Sarah Grace Buckley, and the Wolfe Brothers, just to name a few.
Thomson, meanwhile, has been a staple of the Australian country broadcasting landscape for decades, currently holding down the role of Music Director and presenter at iHeartCountry Australia.
Needless to say, they're both deserving names, and when the awards are handed out on September 19th, local country fans will be waiting with bated breath to see if (hopefully) a local comes out on top.
In the meantime, however, Countrytown caught up with both Varasso and Thomson to see how they're feeling about the awards, what even a nomination means to them, and what edge the other might have over each of them.
Countrytown: Firstly, a massive congrats on the nomination. This is a huge deal for local music on the international scene, but what does being nominated for an award like this mean to you?
Frank Varasso: Thanks it means a great deal, though I'd be lying if I said it felt like it belonged to me alone. Recognition like this is really a reflection of the artists, teams and collaborators I've been lucky enough to work alongside – you don't build anything meaningful in this industry on your own.
What makes it special is the international nature of it: for the Canadian country community to look outward and include an Australian voice in the conversation says something hopeful about where the genre is heading. It's a reminder that good music and good work travel, no matter which corner of the world they come from.
Justin Thomson: It means a lot to be nominated in Canada. I've supported Canadian country music for a decade here on Australian country radio and to get that call saying I've been nominated for a Canadian Award is wild!
CT: How does it feel to be recognised by an event such as this, out of all the other figures on the local music scene?
JT: To be recognised at the Canadian Country Music Awards is a huge honour. This will be my fourth time attending the CCMAs and I've built friendships as well as working relationships over the years in Canada.
Regardless of the outcome, I know it's going to be an exciting get together of industry peers to celebrate a great year so far.
FV: Humbling is the honest answer. I know the calibre of people working across the Australian scene, many of them quietly and without much fanfare, and I could name a dozen who'd be just as deserving of a moment like this.
So I try to hold it lightly – I see it less as being singled out and more as a bit of light being shone on the work our whole community does. If anything, it makes me want to make sure that light gets passed around.
CT: What would a win for an award such as this mean for you and the Australian music industry?
JT: Country Music is global and to bring an Award like this home would mean a lot to me of course, but mainly to demonstrate to the Australian industry that what we're doing here in Australia is being seen and acknowledged around the world.
FV: Personally, it would be an enormous honour, but the part that excites me most is what it signals. A win would say that Australian country music – and the people working behind the scenes to champion it – belong on the world stage, not as a curiosity but as genuine peers.
Australia and Canada have a lot in common: both are vibrant country markets thriving in their own right outside the shadow of Nashville.
Anything that strengthens the bridge between us opens real doors for Australian artists looking to break into North America, and that ripple effect matters far more to me than any trophy.
CT: Frank, if Justin takes out the award, or Justin, if Frank takes home the honour, what do you think would be the deciding factor that gave him an edge over yourself?
FV: Ha – if Justin Thomson walks away with it, I'll be the first one applauding, and probably buying him a drink afterwards. The truth is this is a field where you could make a compelling case for anyone; the standard is ridiculous.
If Justin gets the edge, it'll be because he's earned it through the kind of consistent, thoughtful work that this industry runs on but rarely celebrates. I'd consider it a privilege just to have my name listed alongside his — and I mean that.
JT: Frank deserves the award! The communication, dedication, time, effort, and relationship building Frank puts in behind the scenes with Canada should 100% be awarded. Frank is a master connector. I just hope he thanks me in his speech, haha.
CT: Of all the achievements and the goals you've kicked over the past year, what are you most proud of?
FV: Honestly, the accolades come and go, so the thing I'm proudest of is helping artists land their first radio breakthrough or their first sync deal, or even their first TV interview/performance. Helping an artist receive the cut-through they deserved is the most satisfying.
Moments like these — where you get to see an artist you believe in reach people who'd never have heard them otherwise — are the whole reason I do this. That's the win that actually keeps me up at night in a good way.
JT: I'm the most proud when I see an artist or song doing great things if I've been even just a tiny part of it.
CT: What is the one thing about the Australian country music scene you would like international markets such as Canada to become familiar with?
JT: We have a great collection of country acts here in Australia, some killer songwriters, and talented record producers. I'd love for Canadian radio to recognise some of the rising talent here and be a platform for our Aussie acts to start paving their path in Canada.
FV: The depth and the authenticity of the storytelling. Australian country has its own distinct voice – shaped by our landscape, our humour and our slightly larrikin refusal to take ourselves too seriously – and it holds up against anything coming out of the traditional heartlands.
We also have a remarkably robust live and grassroots circuit; artists here cut their teeth playing to real rooms of real people, and it shows in the songwriting.
I'd love international audiences to discover that the Australian scene isn't a smaller version of anyone else's – it's its own thing, and it's very, very good.
CT: Who is the biggest unsung hero in the Australian country scene (be it an artist, industry individual, etc.) that the world will be paying attention to next?
JT: Tyla Rodrigues is a superstar waiting to happen in my opinion.
FV: Honestly, this is the hardest question you could ask me, because the Australian country scene right now is stacked with people quietly doing extraordinary work – and picking one feels like choosing a favourite child. I have the wonderful pleasure of working with some of the most creative people in the country, and having them allow me to work with their music is a blessing.
But if you're going to make me point, I'll point at Tyler Rodrigues too. She has spent years building something genuinely special without ever chasing the spotlight, letting the work speak louder than the noise. The rest of the world hasn't caught on yet, but they will. What I love about the Australian Country music scene is that it's full of people like that: doing the work for the love of it, not the credit.
So if a question like this gives me one chance to shine a light on someone who deserves it, that's the best possible use of it.
The Canadian Country Music Awards are handed out on September 19th.
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
