In 1998 The Rotary Club of Galston, the organisers of the highly successful Galston Country Music Festival, agreed to support the presentation of an annual award by the Festival Patron Mr Frank Ifield.

It was envisaged initially that this was an encouragement award to be presented to whomever the Patron selected as his choice for the best new Independent Australian Country Music performer each year. The criteria for selection was simply based on the strength of a recording judged by Mr Ifield to be of a high standard and indicating further potential as determined by him.

Later the focus centred on the potential global appeal of the recording, the artist's individual style and professionalism of performance both on and off the stage. This international appeal became critical, as a significant component of the award is the release to international airplay (particularly the UK & Europe) on Mr Ifield's recommendation and the further use of Mr Ifield's worldly expertise and experience to assist in promoting Australian talent overseas.

First known as the 'Frank Ifield Award' 1998: Colin Greatorix 1999: Melinda Schneider and Michael Carr 2000: Wayne Horsburgh - The once only special 'Millennium Award' Name change to the 'Frank Ifield International Spur Award' 2001: Karen O'Shea 2002: Wayne Law 2003: Donna Boyd 2004: Graham G Toole 2005: Stacey Morris 2006: Travis Collins 2007: Karen Lynne 2008: Kirsty Lee Akers 2009: Nicki Gillis

Karen O'Shea, Wayne Law and Donna Boyd each have, as a result enjoyed significant success in the European radio play-list charts including top 10 hits. Donna Boyd's tour of the UK and Eire in 2004 was the most extensive schedule ever undertaken by an independent Australian artist and Wayne Law has toured Europe since his award.

Subject to a suitable recipient, Mr Ifield on behalf of the Rotary Club of Galston and the Galston Country Music Festival presents this unique Award each year at Bob Howe's 'Canterbury Country' show held on the second Thursday in March on the main stage at the Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club.

Sources & further information:
www.frankifield.com
www.galstonfestival.com
www.shownet.com.au
The Rotary Club of Galston - PO Box 103 Galston NSW 2159 -

The Frank Ifield International Spur Award 2009

FRANK IFIELD and RICHARD YOUNG (Galston Rotary) present the 2009 FRANK IFIELD INTERNATIONAL SPUR AWARD to NICKI GILLIS (Photo by Terry Phillpot - Eyegraphics)

From Frank: "My announcement of this years winner of the 'International Spur Award' proved to be a very popular choice indeed. Such is the public acceptance and wide appreciation for the talent of Nicki Gillis. Nicki is a towering talent who has an abundance of charisma both on and off the stage. Her song Watch The Wildflowers Grow has already impacted the overseas market having reached #8 in the UK and European Country Chart and this will be followed up by a UK tour this coming July. I know that Nicki will be a credit to Australian Country Music and will once more prove how worthy we are to strut the world stage."

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The song I chose to promote her on over 800 radio stations throughout the UK & Europe is the title track of her debut album released by Compass Brothers called Little Things. At the end of the first week of March it had made its debut appearance in the European Country Music Top 20 at #13 and reached #9 in the Independent Artists UK Radio chart; we expect even bigger things for her over the next few months."

Thursday 13th March, at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club, Frank Ifield (right) presents his
2008 International Spur Award to Kirsty Lee Akers (centre) along with Tony Page (left)
of The Rotary Club of Galston . Photo by Bob Howe of 'Canterbury Country'.

People have affectionately referred to Kirsty the 'Pocket Rocket' and at little more than 4'10" in high heels, she certainly is living proof of the adage 'good things come in small packages'. When first I saw this pretty young blonde from Kurri Kurri NSW, she was just seventeen years old performing at the Grand Final of the 2004 'Music & Arts Talent Search' (MATS) of which I am proudly the Patron. Not only was she a winner of the contest, but went on to take out my '2005 Patrons Choice Award'. Then she surprised us all by gaining an American Song Writers Award for her self-penned song Bashed Up, Beaten, Battered, Broken Heart.

However, the icing on the cake was when she became the winner of the coveted 'Toyota Star Maker Award' in January 2007 joining the ranks of previous outstanding Australian winners such as Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole and Travis Collins. Then in January 2008, she added another string to her bow by achieving a life-long ambition being crowned Best New Talent at the awards ceremony in Australia's country music capital -Tamworth and by winning her first Golden Guitar, Kirsty has claimed her place as one of Australian Country Music's brightest young stars.

Go Get 'em Kirsty! - Frank Ifield

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The Frank Ifield International Spur Award 2007

FRANK IFIELD and RICHARD YOUNG (chairman of the Galston Country Music Festival)
present the 2007 FRANK IFIELD INTERNATIONAL SPUR AWARD to KAREN LYNNE

The award includes a release for international airplay and Frank had prearranged that the track 'Blue Mountain Rain' be distributed to coincide with the award presentation. He was delighted to surprise Karen with the news that the following day the track had entered a UK and European Chart at number 3 and was number 1 in the corresponding Independent Top Ten!

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FRANK IFIELD presents his 2006 INTERNATIONAL SPUR AWARD to TRAVIS COLLINS

It was a packed house at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club in Sydney on March 10th for a concert featuring previous winners of the FRANK IFIELD INTERNATIONAL SPUR AWARD. Stacey Morris, Wayne Law, Donna Boyd, Mike Carr and Wayne Horsburgh all paid tribute to Frank who presents the award each year in conjunction with The Galston Country Music Festival.

The highlight of the night was the presentation of the 2006 award which went to a stunned TRAVIS COLLINS. Although no stranger to awards and national recognition, Travis was delighted to learn that this award will ensure significant airplay and promotion in the U.K. and Europe for his music.

Frank Ifield said of his choice; "What the world of Country Music needs is a new direction to capture the imagination of a whole new generation. We have the answer in Travis Collins. When Travis hits the stage the world takes a breath, then within minutes the whole world erupts. This charismatic young man has all the pizzazz of youth, bursting with talent and I am convinced he will take Country Music forward in his own direction. His direction? The World!"

TONY PAGE (Galston Country Music Festival), TRAVIS COLLINS and FRANK IFIELD

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Frank handed over the trophy (along with last year's winner
GRAHAM G. TOOLE, pictured with Stacey and Frank), which is given in conjunction with The Galston Country Music Festival, saying "...the first time I heard Stacey sing, it was listening to the album Borders and Boundaries. I was bowled sideways by the emotional quality of her voice." The award will see Stacey gain increased recognition overseas, as did former winners DONNA BOYD and WAYNE LAW, who have recently achieved chart and touring success in the UK and Europe.

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It was a gala night at Rooty Hill RSL Club in Sydney on March 18th when the winner of the 2004 Frank Ifield International Spur Award was announced. The award, which FRANK IFIELD presents in conjunction with Galston Country Music Festival, is an encouragement award with a focus on aspiring talent.

Frank explains, "...I first became aware of GRAHAM G TOOLE at Bob Howe's Canterbury Country Show last year. He impressed me as a highly professional performer with an excellent choice of songs. This prompted me to ask him for copy of his CD and I was surprised to find he had not released an album at the time. However, he did give me a copy of six tracks he had recorded, produced by Rod McCormack, with a view to completing an album sometime in the future. After playing the songs, I became more aware of Graham's overall talent which led to my making him the choice for this year's 'International Spur Award'. As part of the award, I released his song That's What Friends Are For in the UK and Europe where it instantly entered their play-list chart at number 20. Hopefully this will inspire him to complete the album so we can enjoy more great songs from this exceptional Australian talent."

The concert that night featured previous Spur award-winners WAYNE LAW (2002), WAYNE HORSBURGH (2000 Millennium Achievement Award) and last year's recipient DONNA BOYD and her band. Donna is about to embark on a U.K. tour to follow up on her recent European chart success where she reached Number 2 with Look Who's Talking Now.

Frank and Graham with Galston Country Music Festival executives Tony & Vikki Page

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Later that night, the show's host Bob Howe also introduced KAREN O'SHEA who won the 2001 International Spur award and went on to reach #7 on the European Country Music Top 40, and WAYNE HORSBURGH, winner of the 2000 Millennium Achievement Spur Award.

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The Frank Ifield Awards 2001/2000

The Rotary Club of Galston, in conjunction with its annual Galston Festival, has developed the Frank Ifield Award as an encouragement award with a focus on new talent. The inscription on the awards reads "...In recognition of artistic talent with the desire to promote and achieve excellence in the entertainment profession..." The 2001 awards were presented in Sydney on March 8th by Frank Ifield himself, in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, midway through the monthly 'Canterbury Country' show. Best New Male Performer 2001 went to Michael G. Carr (pictured above left) and Best New Female Performer 2001 to Karen O'Shea (pictured above right). Karen was in Darwin at the time, however she would have been able to see photos from the presentation that same night via the Internet! Galston Country Music Festival executives Tony & Vikki Page (pictured above centre) accepted the award on her behalf. A special 2000 Millennium Achievement Award was also presented to a very surprised and delighted Wayne Horsburgh (pictured above centre), "for exemplary professionalism both on and off stage, and having successfully made a career both in Australia and the United States". "Wayne is an excellent ambassador for Australia and as such is a perfect role model for aspiring new talent," said Frank during the presentations.

 

Later that year, at the Galston Country Music Festival, Frank got a chance to catch up with Karen O'Shea who was performing there.

Photo of Frank above by Eyeball Photoimages.
All other pix by Bob Howe.

More on Karen O'Shea and Wayne Horsburgh...

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The Frank Ifield Awards 1999

Presented during the live radio broadcast of the Frank Ifield Sunday Special at the 2KY Racing Radio Charity Day, Rooty Hill RSL - 17th October 1999. Held in aid of the Australian Quadriplegic Association

Left: Melinda Schneider receives the Frank Ifield Award for Best New Female Artist. Right: Colin Greatorix receives the Best New Male Artist from Carole and Frank Ifield.

Left: Darcy LeYear and Frank. Right: Melinda and 2KY personality Donnie Sutherland.

Wayne Horsburgh sings and chats with Frank.

Left: Frank with some fans wearing 2KY hats. Right: Southern Cross Linedancers in full flight.

Left: Frank entertains the crowd. Right: Webmaster Bob Howe chats with Frank.

Real Audio greeting from Wayne, Melinda and Frank!  

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