Graeme Connors


Graeme Connors is an Australian country music singer, songwriter, and performer. Connors has released seventeen studio albums and has received fourteen Golden Guitar awards among other prestige Australian country music awards.
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, Graeme Connors was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for his role as an "Influential Artists".
In 2016, Connors was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown.

Career

1965-1987: Early career

Connors attended school St. Patricks in Mackay. Connors commenced his music career in the mid-1970s doing support vocals for many well-known acts of the day.
In 1974, at the age of 18, Connors opened for American singer/songwriter, Kris Kristofferson during his Australian tour. Kristofferson was so impressed with young Connors, that he took him into the recording studio to produce his 1976 debut album And When Morning Comes.
From the late 1970s through to the late 1980s, Connors wrote songs that became big hits for Slim Dusty, John Denver and Jon English.
Connors spent the first half of the 1980s writing songs based on truck driving which became hits for Slim Dusty such as "I'm Married to My Bulldog Mack" and "Dieseline Dreams".

The 1987-present

In 1988, Connors had recorded and released the breakthrough single "A Little Further North", featured on his first album on the Australian ABC Records label, North. Subsequent singles followed with the releases of "Let the Canefields Burn", "Cyclone Season", "Sicilian Born" and "A Heartache ".
In 1995, Connors released the album The Here and Now and won three golden guitars at the CMAA Awards, including Album of the Year.
In 1995, Connors won MO Award for Male Country Performer of the Year and was Inducted into the Hands of Fame.
In 1998, Connors wrote the Cowboys Theme song "The Cowboys are my Team".
In 2000, Connors performed at both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2000 Paralympics and he wrote their theme song "Being Here".
In 2011, Connors was awarded Album of the Year at the 2011 Tamworth Country Music Festival for Still Walking.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Charted singles

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. Lewis has won three awards from seven nominations.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Connors has won one award from four nominations.

Country Music Awards (CMAA)

Connors has won fourteen Golden guitar awards at the Tamworth Country Music Awards of Australia and was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown.
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards, were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Graeme Connors won two awards in that time.

Tamworth Songwriters Awards

The Tamworth Songwriters Association is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. They commenced in 1986. Graeme Connors won nine awards in that time.

Other Awards

  • 1975 American Song Festival Award
  • 1976 American Song Festival Award
  • 2000 Victorian Country Music Awards - Song of the Year "These Uncertain Times"
  • 2005 Victorian Country Music Awards - Song of the Year "Hard Decisions"
  • 2009 Q150 Queensland Icon Award
  • 2011 WARP Gold Medallion Award