Morgan Evans (singer)

Evans was born on 25 April 1985 in Newcastle.[1] He has a younger sister, Jane, and a younger brother, Tom, who is also a musician playing bass guitar.[2] At the age of 13, Evans performed his first gig.[3] Whilst attending Warners Bay High School he was in a local rock trio, Extortion, which won a state high school band competition, Youthrock, in 2002.[2]

Extortion were later renamed Solver.[2] As of 2006 Evans provided lead vocals and guitar in that group, Tom was on bass guitar and a friend, Nicholas Cook, was the drummer.[2] The band won Artist of the Year and Best Rock Act at the MusicOZ Awards of 2006.[3]

In 2007 Evans won the Road to Tamworth competition and for his prize he flew to Nashville to record a single.[3] He was signed to Sony BMG and released his debut extended play (EP), Big Skies, in September 2007.[4] The title track received airplay on Australian country music radio stations.[3]

In January 2012 Evans released his second EP, Live Each Day, through Warner Music Australasia. This was followed in August of that year by a third EP, While We're Young. Evans supported Taylor Swift and Thirsty Merc on their Australian tours. He was named the New Oz Artist of the Year at the 2013 CMC Music Awards.[5]

Evans released a self-titled debut studio album in March 2014, which peaked at number 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[6] At the 2014 CMC Music Awards he won the Oz Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year and Best Australian Video of the Year.[7] His track, "Like a Tornado", was short-listed for the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition of 2014.[8]

He hosted the CMC Music Awards for three consecutive years, from 2015 to 2017.[9] He is the 2016 Country Music Association Global Artist of the Year and has won five fan voted Country Music Channel Awards, including Male Artist of the Year.

Following his relocation to Nashville, Evans signed with Warner Music Nashville in May 2017, which led to the release of his debut US single, "Kiss Somebody".[10]

Evans released a single, "I Do", on 8 December 2017. He explained via Instagram that it was written, "about his girlfriend, recorded it about my fiancée, releasing it about my wife" Kelsea Ballerini, whom he married on 2 December 2017 in Mexico.[11] In August, Evans released his fourth EP titled, Morgan Evans EP. Evan's second studio album, Things That We Drink To was released in October 2018.[12]

On 8 November 2019, Evans released a new single titled "Diamonds" which he says is a love song written for Ballerini.[13] At the global APRA Awards in March 2020, Evans won Outstanding International Achievement Award.[14]

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the Australian music industry. Evens has won a trophy from two nominations.[42][43]

Since 1982 the APRA Awards are run by Australian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973.[50]

• Note: wins only

The Country Music Association Awards (America) are the premier country music awards show which is held in Nashville every year. Winners and nominees are chosen for by members of the Country Music Association.

The CMC Awards are awarded annually by Country Music Channel Australia.[51][52]

The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association awarded 'Excellence in subscription television in production, programming and talent' from 2003–15.[53]