Ray Hadley, Presenter, Radio 2GB Sydney (l) and CMA Board member Rob Potts, CEO, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge (r) present CMA International Artist Achievement Awards to Ronnie Dunn, Kix Brooks and Dierks Bentley backstage at the Acer Arena in Sydney on May 6. Photo credit: Dean Turnball.

By Scott Stem

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

On the final stop of their hugely successful Australian tour, duo Brooks & Dunn (Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn) and Dierks Bentley were both surprised with CMA International Artist Achievement Awards for their contributions to Country Music overseas.

CMA Board member Rob Potts, CEO, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, and Ray Hadley, Presenter, Radio 2GB Sydney, presented the Awards backstage at the Acer Arena in Sydney.

“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,” said Brooks. “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.”

“It’s fantastic to be recognized by CMA after all my international touring in Japan, Europe and now Australia,” said Bentley. “This is very cool.”

Dierks Bentley photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

“I can’t think of any more deserving U.S. artists to win this award,” Potts said. “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.”

“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,” said Hadley. “They bring huge excitement to this market.”

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

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.