CMA Honors Justin Thomson With 2024 International Country Broadcaster Award
Justin Thomson. Photo: Maclay Heriot
CMA presented its International Country Broadcaster Award to Justin Thomson at CMC Rocks during a backstage reception at the CMA Bar on March 22 for industry attendees hailing from Australia, New Zealand and North America.
Natalie Waller (Head of ABC Music and Events, Chair of ARIA and CMA Board member) presented Thomson (National Content Director, KIX Country Radio and iHeart Radio Australia) with the award, honoring exceptional achievement by a radio broadcaster or syndicated radio reporter outside the U.S. who has made significant contributions to the development of country music in their country.
Thomson has routinely been acknowledged by the international country music industry as a pivotal figure in broadening the genre’s presence in Australia. In 2023, he brought KIX Country to Nashville for CMA Fest, offering 30 hours of coverage with over 50 artists, while also promoting the genre through KIX’s broadcasts of the CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas. He returned to CMA Fest last year, creating more content opportunities for U.S. artists looking to expand their reach into Australia. Additionally, Thomson has traveled to Canada to cover the CCMA Awards and to the U.K. for C2C.
