Ringers Western Country Music Showdown
Ringers Western Country Music Showdown will be held on Saturday 19 August at XXXX Stockmen's Bar and Grill and will offer more than $15,000 in cash and prizes.
Musicians aged 12 years and over will have the ultimate music experience, performing two songs to Ekka crowds backed by Brisbane based live band, Southwest.
Up for grabs are a Taramalin Sound Recording Package and $1,500 cash prize for competitors in the Open Category (18 years and older) and an Ekka scholarship to the Tamworth Academy of Country Music 2020 for those in the Junior Category (12 to 17 years).
New in 2019
- Extra performance opportunity for Junior Category entrants, with the winner also performing the National Anthem in the Main Arena during EkkaNITES
- Digital heats, with entrants selected via video submissions
- Age category change - with Open Category now open to musicians 18 years and older
Entries open early May, so warm up those vocal chords and start rehearsing!
For those entering the Junior Category, the National Anthem backing track is available for download below.
For more information, please check out the Information Guide and Terms & Conditions below, and subscribe to our mailing list.
Meet our Judges
 | Dan BiddleChairman, Country Music Association of AustraliaSydney based artist manager; Dan Biddle currently oversees the careers of some of Australia’s top country artists including The McClymonts, Adam Eckersley & Brooke McClymont, Adam Eckersley Band, and Fanny Lumsden. Dan currently holds the position of Chairman of the Country Music Association of Australia. In January 2014 he formed TCO Artists, an artist management and services company and his roster has produced five ARIA #1 country albums to date and received numerous awards. |
 | Johnno KeetelsPR & Media Manager, Universal Music AustraliaJohnno Keetels landed a full-time job with Triple M Brisbane in 2001 and worked in a variety of roles across the station before landing a role on-air. In 2011 he started a new role and a career change as the QLD Media Manager at Warner Music Australia. After working on media and marketing campaigns for artists like Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Illy, Grouplove and Michael Buble, Johnno was offered a new opportunity with the worlds’ largest record label, Universal Music Group. Johnno made the move to Universal Music Australia in 2013 and has since moved into a national role as PR & Media Manager for the iconic label. |
 | Jess AndersonFounder & Director, Hometown FestJess Anderson is founder and director of Hometown Fest, a two-day music festival that will be launching at Brisbane Showgrounds in November 2019. Jess’s love of music stems from a trip she took with her dad in 2015, where she experienced her first ever CMA Fest in Nashville. She has been returning to Nashville every year since, drawing a lot of inspiration from a number of US festivals she has since attended for the Hometown Fest event. In addition to founding Hometown Fest, Jess is also the Managing Director of Music Tracks Travel, a travel agency specialising in music festival holiday packages and also known for their reviews of local concerts and rumoured tours. |
 | Alethea BeetsonArtist & ProducerAlethea Beetson (kabi kabi + wiradjuri) has worked extensively with Indigenous communities across multiple art forms to inspire new works responding to societal issues, cultural heritage and colonisation. More recently she worked as the Indigenous Engagement Coordinator at the Queensland Museum and was the Curator of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program for Festival 2018 Brisbane. Her research explores the function of ritual, resistance and resurgence in the creative development |
 | Casey BarnesCountry Music ArtistGolden Guitar Finalist Casey Barnes is making a monumental impression on the Australian country music scene. He’s had hits in Europe, recorded and toured in America, appeared in a top-rating TV show in Australia and performed alongside many international stars including Mariah Carey, Lady Antebellum and Bryan Adams. Casey is gearing up for an exciting and massive start to 2019 with his association with PBR continuing, this time internationally with performances locked in as part of the USA major event ‘Unleash The Beast Tour’. This will see Casey performing at arena events in Kansas City, Missouri and two events in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the first quarter of this year. |
Top Prizes
- Taramalin Sound Recording Package
- $1,500 cash prize for Open Category winner
- Ekka scholarship to the Tamworth Academy of Country Music 2020 for Junior Category winner
Check out the Info Guide for a detailed list of all prizes
