One of the top accolades in Country Music in New Zealand has been won by country-rock newcomer, Cam Scott.

On Saturday night at the Founders Theatre in Hamilton, Cam took home the 2015 Male Artist of the Year Award alongside Jody Direen (Female Artist of the Year) and Neilly Rich (Duo of the Year).

“I’m stoked to take home this award and I’m looking forward to releasing more music and playing more international festivals. The growth in demand for country music just in the past 12 months has been massive. It’s an exciting time for our genre,” explains Cam.

Over the weekend the line-up of Australia’s largest international country music festival, CMC Rocks QLD 2016 was also announced featuring Cam Scott, Kaylee Bell and Jody Direen who will perform alongside US artists such as Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Lee Brice and Kelsea Ballerini in Queensland, Australia in March next year.

“Cam Scott has alot of unrecognised potential and I can see him being a big part of New Zealand’s future of country music,” explains CMA Global Board Member and CMC Rocks QLD Festival Director, Rob Potts.

Cam Scott has also recently been appointed as the Festival Music Manager for The Branding Music Festival near Wanaka.

“Cam is the best representation of the modern country male artist our young audience love. He also offers so much back to the industry, supporting emerging artists and is a great partner in assisting us with putting together this years two day line-up,” explains Sarah Perriam, The Branding Music Festival Director.

Cam released his debut single ‘Something Bout a Girl’ in November 2014 off his up-and-coming EP which was No. 1 in the NZ iTunes Country Charts and No. 12 in the NZ Top 20 mainstream charts. His second single ‘Praying Rain’ is due for release in August.

The recently re-branded CMANZ awards ceremony recognises the achievement of New Zealand’s best country music artists.

Cam Scott is what modern country is all about. He’s a lot rural, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and he’s as at home driving a tractor as he is playing guitar. He’s also a great performer, something the world found out this week when his first video, Something ‘Bout A Girl dropped. Filmed at Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, it’s bound to turn the heads of country fans and industry insiders, not to mention a fair few female viewers as well.

Cam recently won the ‘Horizon Award’ at the 2013 National Country Music Awards (Jody Direen is a previous recipient), and in June of this year he performed at the CMA festival in, yes, Nashville, world headquarters for country music.

He’ll be headlining at Rural TV presents The Branding this New Year’s Eve at the Lake Hawea Hotel, and it was in anticipation of this local gig that we thought we’d give him a call. Turns out he’s a Jimmy Barnes fan and there’s been some Facebook chat about his mullet.

You work a 320-hectare farm near Timaru with your family, running dairy stock and cropping, as well as managing your music career, which looks like it’s heating up. Would you ever leave the farm for good to pursue music full-time?

That seems a long way away. But if it got to that point, you’d have to have a good long look at it.

How old were you when you first picked up a guitar?

Probably about 12 or 13. I was actually classically trained vocally at school; I did a lot of classical and then got into country at 15 or 16. Having that training when I was younger has been good as time has gone on, especially for longer gigs when you do need to use the right techniques or you lose your voice.

You played at The Branding last year, what was your highlight?

Firstly it was being able to showcase my music. But even more important was seeing that there is a market in New Zealand for country music, and how much the audience wanted that new modern sound. It’s just going to grow and grow. It was a great night, surrounded by like-minded people—and country people are good people.

We heard they auctioned off some fellows, was one of them you?

They auctioned off a guy from Shortland Street!

Hot on the heels of Garth Brooks launching his global come-back tour, New Zealand’s own farm boy is set to make his debut in the global country music scene, and he’s managing it from the seat of a tractor in Cave, South Canterbury.

Cam brings a rock-inspired vibrance to the New Zealand modern country genre, with high-energy performances, he brings the party wherever he goes

In November 2014, Cam Scott releases his first studio single, SOMETHIN BOUT A GIRL. His debut onto the international country music scene follows his long list of accomplishments in New Zealand and Australia signalling his bright future as a talented artist.

He has already won the NZ Gold Guitar Senior Male Section, Senior Overall at the NZ Southern Alp Awards and the latest which is the pathway to the country music capital of the world, the Horizon Award at the 2013 NCMA which saw him have the opportunity to perform on the Global Artist Stage at the 2014 CMA Fest, the world’s biggest country music event.

He has also been involved in the Australian country music scene attending the Australian College Of Country Music in Tamworth, NSW, in 2011 and then performing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival where he won the 2012 ‘Aristocrat Entertainer of the Year’ and Male Section of the CCMA Awards.

He had originally planned to move to Australia to pursue his music dream, but has faith in the ground-swell of popularity in the ‘Nashville’ sound right here in New Zealand.

SOMETHIN BOUT A GIRL will be released on the 3rd November 2014 with the music video.