Morgan Evans, The McClymonts among 2021 APRA Music Awards nominees

Nashville-based but Australian-born singer-songwriter Morgan Evans will square off with The McClymonts, Brad Cox, and others for ‘Most Performed Country Work’ at the 2021 APRA Awards, slated to take place April 28 in Sydney.

If Evans takes home the gong for his latest single Diamonds, it will be his fourth consecutive win in the category. He previously took home the awards in 2020 with Chris DeStefano and Joshua Kear for his track, Young Again; in 2019 with DeStefano and Lindy Robbins for Day Drunk; and again in 2018 with debut US single, Kiss Somebody. Evans was also nominated in 2019 for I Do and in 2015 with One Eye for an Eye. Apart from the latter, all four singles appear on his 2018 self-titled EP and his ARIA Award-winning second studio album, Things That We Drink To.

The McClymonts are also previous nominees and winners. They last took home the award in 2013 for Piece Of Me from their ARIA Award winning third studio album, Two Worlds Collide. Previous nominations include their double nominations in 2018 with Don’t Wish It All Away and House, and in 2015 with Going Under (Didn’t Have To) and Here’s To You and I. The sister trio were also nominated in 2011 with the second single Wrapped Up Good off their ARIA winning album of the same name. This year they will compete with their first single I Got This, off their Golden Guitar winning, sixth studio album, Mayhem To Madness.

Also nominated is first time nominees, Casey Barnes, Cox, and Melanie Dyer. Barnes is nominated for his catchy single, A Little More; four-time Golden Guitar nominee, Cox with the rock-tinged Give Me Tonight (which has amassed over 4 million global streams); and Dyer with the pop-embellished country bop, Memphis T-Shirt.

Started in 1982, the APRA Music Awards celebrate excellence in contemporary music, honouring songwriters and publishers that have achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields. The nominees in the ‘Most Performed Country Work’ category (previously titled ‘Country Work of the Year’) is compiled from the Country Tracks Top 40 and The Music Network Country Music chart, based on radio airplay of tracks released in Australia throughout the relevant period. ARIA Top 20 Australian Country Albums chart is also used to cross reference with Country Tracks chart.

The 2021 APRA Music Awards will be hosted by Julia Zemiro, Ziggy Ramo and Georgia Mooney with musical director PJ Harding, and held at the International Convention Centre Grand Ballroom at Darling Harbour on Wednesday, April 28.

Most Performed Country Work

Title: A Little More
Artist: Casey Barnes
Writers: Casey Barnes / Michael Delorenzis / Michael Paynter
Publisher: Mushroom Music

Title: Diamonds
Artist: Morgan Evans
Writers: Morgan Evans / Evan Bogart / Chris de Stefano
Publishers: Warner Chappell Music / Kobalt Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing

Title: Give Me Tonight
Artist: Brad Cox
Writers: Brad Cox / Joseph Mungovan
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing

Title: I Got This
Artist: The McClymonts
Writers: Brooke McClymont / Mollie McClymont / Samantha McClymont / Andy Mak
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Native Tongue Music Publishing

Title: Memphis T-Shirt
Artist: Melanie Dyer
Writers: Melanie Dyer / Emma-Lee / Karen Kosowski
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing

See the full list of 2021 Award nominations here.

For more breaking news from CountryTown, check out here.
Image: Supplied