“And the winner of the award is…” announces the host to a silent hall of hopeful faces. Several artists sit on the edge of their seats. Western boots, stetsons, and buckled belts dominate the city of Marshall, Texas.
While the excitement is certainly contagious – it can only be the Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards.
History of Texas Sounds International Music Awards
It all started in East Texas in 2014. The worldwide country music competition, Texas Sounds, was born. As the birthplace of several country genres, there are very few destinations that would make a more suited home for a highly commended International Country Music Award show than Texas, USA. And that first year saw top performers from eight nations come to compete to win an award at the new, up-and-coming event.
But over the following years, Texas Sounds has significantly flourished. Today, the event attracts some of the best country musicians across the globe, swiftly becoming a hub for country music fans to celebrate the diverse talent that graces the stage.
Texas Sounds, October 2023
While leaves began to fall from the trees, and autumnal colours washed over the city, the October event was anything but a breeze. Bands, duos, and solo artists flooded from 14 nations across four continents to compete and unveil their talents at the Memorial City Hall Performance Centre in Marshall, Texas.
Setting the scene for an exciting few days ahead was a parade of flags which graces the streets of Marshall to welcome all of the attending nations. There was one flag for each attending country, which were then placed outside the Memorial City Hall Performance Centre to gracefully wave in the breeze.
This celebration was followed by a flood of limousines and classic, traditional cars. A first glance of each performing artist saw plenty of exclusive and show-stopping arrivals. The artists all strutted and posed down an elegantly bold red carpet, that was rolled out just for them, as they entered the city hall.
Performances
Over four evenings, the event took place. A unique line-up of five to seven guests took centre stage each night – all hoping to win one of the prestigious awards while entertaining the crowds.
Night one
The first evening took the audience on a trip across several continents, with performances by artists from Mexico, Eswatini, Brazil, France and Sweden.
Highlights of the evening include Cleopatra Methula’s performance as she sang her own single, Find a Way, while she celebrated her second visit to Texas Sounds. Another memorable act was the truly international band, Hillbilly Rockers, who knew how to work the crowd with covers of songs such as Ho Hey by The Lumineers and Sutter’s Mill by Dan Fogleberg.
Night two
Following an exciting opening night, the rest of the weekend continued with Friday’s performers travelling from the USA, Norway, Canada, Germany, and Sweden; followed by Saturday’s closing night with acts from Mexico, Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada and the UK.
Country music enthusiasts in the audience were truly spoilt with the show that commenced. Norway’s Daniel Borge’s exceptionally breathtaking performance was a clear stand-out, as well as Sophie Hanson, originally from Sweden, whose beautiful talent closed the night’s show.
Night three
Boxes, the UK band who travelled all the way from Manchester, England, left a mark during their first debut at the Texas Sounds awards on the Saturday evening. The Mancunian band put on an unmissable performance, showcasing their unique sounds with their single, Devil in the Distance, as well as boasting their talents with a Morgan Wallen cover.
Awards
The event’s activities were eventually consecrated after the worldly audience enjoyed three spectacular evenings of talent. Despite the indisputable brilliance within each performance, the international artists were also working hard to cover their nerves and excitement that was to come on Sunday evening – the awards ceremony.
An exclusive awards reception saw all participants and VIP ticket holders indulge in a lavish champagne brunch before being invited back into the Memorial City Hall Performance Centre to await the results of the 2023 Texas Sounds Awards.
The evening saw a mixture of anticipated silence followed by roaring cheers throughout the ceremony, as nine category winners were announced. The proud winners were as follows:
- Entertainer of the Year – Pamela Rooney, Canada
- Male Vocalist of the Year – Don Redmon, Sweden
- Female Vocalist of the Year – Cicci Landen, Sweden
- Original song of the Year – Texas Bound by Antoinette Hommerson, Netherlands
- Band of the Year – Boxes, UK
- Duo/Trio of the Year – Tofte Family, Norway
- Texas Balladeer of the Year – Daniel Borge, Norway
- Performance of the Year – Suzi Kory, Canada
- Producer’s Choice of the Year – The Hillbilly Rockers Band, France
Texas Sounds International Music Awards 2024
Although the international country music fun is over for 2023, we expect the 2024 event will come back bigger and better than ever before.
Expect plenty more stetsons and buckled belts, along with incredible talent, rising stars and some familiar faces in the 2024 event, and keep up to date on the Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards website to see what’s to come.
