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Casey Barnes

From Alfawiki
Casey Barnes
Born
Tasmania, Australia
Occupation(s)Country rock artist, songwriter
Years activeEarly 2000s–present
Known for2009 Australian Idol contestant; 2022 ARIA Award for Best Country Album winner

Casey Barnes is a country rock artist and songwriter from Tasmania, Australia, recognized primarily for his participation in the 2009 seventh season of Australian Idol. In 2022, he earned the ARIA Award for Best Country Album.

Throughout his career, Barnes has shared the stage with notable performers such as Bryan Adams, Diesel, Mariah Carey, and Lady A.

Early life

Originally from Tasmania, Barnes relocated to the Gold Coast during his teenage years. He cultivated interests in both music and Australian rules football, playing for the Southport Sharks reserves team that won the 1999 QAFL premiership, alongside future AFL player Nick Riewoldt. In his early twenties, Barnes chose to leave football behind to pursue a career in music, performing regularly on the Gold Coast from the early 2000s onward. Two of his cousins, Lachie Weller and Maverick Weller, are professional athletes who have played for the Gold Coast Suns.

2004–2008: Say What You Feel and Casey Barnes

Barnes recorded his first album, Say What You Feel, in 2004. The following year, he supported Bryan Adams during the A Day On the Green tour, where his independently produced album sold over 200 copies at merchandise booths.

In April 2006, he released "What The Hell Are You Waiting For?" as the lead single from his self-titled album Casey Barnes, which came out in August 2007. This album was noted for its "sincere and passionate sound blending rock and pop elements."

In November 2007, Barnes teamed up with Connor Maclean for the duet "How Good It Would Be," issued by Sony BMG with proceeds benefiting Westmead Children's Hospital. In 2008, DJ and producer Marco Demark featured Barnes on a rendition of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," which reached number 66 on Australian charts.

2009: Australian Idol

Barnes participated in the seventh season of Australian Idol in 2009. After auditioning in Brisbane, he advanced to the semi-finals and secured a wildcard spot in the top 12. He performed "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" and "I'm Not Over" before being eliminated in the second week, finishing in eleventh place.

2010–2015: Red Lion Motel, Jet Trails and Flesh & Bone

In May 2010, Barnes released an EP titled Red Lion Motel, featuring the lead track "I Promise".

January 2011 saw the release of "Never Break You", an inspirational song responding to the Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi. This single marked Barnes's first entry into the ARIA top 50 charts. All proceeds were donated to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.

The album Jet Trails was released in September 2012, co-written with Rick Price during sessions in Nashville. Barnes supported this release with performances across New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, and Australia, including a headline slot at the Caloundra Music Festival.

In June 2014, he unveiled his second EP Flesh & Bone, produced by Rick Price and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Jason Leaning. It included four singles—"Valentine", "Flesh and Bone", "Waiting on the Day", and "Hard Times"—which received widespread radio play across Australia. The track "Waiting on the Day" was inspired by personal experience and addressed themes of child loss. Later that year, Barnes earned finalist positions in two prestigious US songwriting contests: the International Songwriting Competition and Unsigned Only.

2016–2018: Live as One and The Good Life

In July 2016, Barnes entered into a contract with Social Family Records, expressing enthusiasm about joining a label known for its impressive artist lineup and deep industry expertise.

His fourth studio release, Live as One, arrived in August 2016 and included collaborations with Rick Price, Michael Paynter, and Michael Delorenzis, along with three songs featuring his wife, Michelle Barnes. The music video for the album’s title track showcased well-known Australian personalities holding signs displaying #LiveAsOne. The follow-up single, "Just like Magic," achieved the No. 1 spot on both the Top 40 Country Tracks Chart and Australian Country Radio Charts.

By June 2017, "The Way We Ride" had become a staple on radio playlists, maintaining the No. 1 position on the Top 40 Country Tracks for four consecutive weeks and securing Barnes his inaugural Golden Guitar Award nomination for Best New Talent. The August 2017 release "Keep Me Coming Back" also climbed to No. 1 on the Australian Top 40 Country Tracks and was supported by a nationwide tour.

In February 2018, Barnes unveiled "Ain't Coming Home," the third single from his fourth studio album titled The Good Life, which was officially released in March 2018.

Barnes earned a finalist spot for Australian Male Artist of the Year in 2017 and received the Media Impact Award at the Planet Country Music for a New Generation Awards. The following year, he won Australian Male Artist of the Year at the same ceremony.

2019–2023: Town of a Million Dreams and Light It Up

August 2019 marked Barnes’ signing with Chugg Music. His debut album under this label, Town of a Million Dreams, peaked at number 16 on the ARIA Charts.

In February 2022, Barnes released Light It Up, which garnered him his first ARIA Music Award as well as a Country Music Award.

His song "Never Give Up On a Good Time" was featured during CBS' New Year's Eve broadcast in December 2023.

2024: Mayday

In April 2024, Barnes announced the arrival of his eighth studio album, Mayday, preceded by singles such as "Summer Nights" and "Mayday". The full album was released on 31 May 2024.

Studio albums

Title Details Peak positions
AUS
Say What You Feel
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Fantastic Ideas
  • Format: CD
 —
Casey Barnes
  • Released: 1 August 2007
  • Label: Casey Barnes Music
  • Format: CD, Digital download
 —
Jet Trails
  • Released: 21 September 2012
  • Label: Casey Barnes Music
  • Format: CD, Digital download
 —
Live as One
  • Released: 26 August 2016
  • Label: Social Family Records
  • Format: Digital download
 97
The Good Life
  • Released: 9 March 2018
  • Label: Casey Barnes (CBS1801)
  • Format: Digital download
 —
Town of a Million Dreams
  • Released: 17 April 2020
  • Label: Chugg Music (CHG021)
  • Format: Digital download, CD, streaming
 16
Light It Up
  • Released: 25 February 2022
  • Label: Chugg Music (CHG029)
  • Format: Digital download, CD, streaming, LP
 17
Mayday
  • Released: 31 May 2024
  • Label: Chugg Music (CHG035)
  • Format: Digital download, CD, streaming, LP
 11

Extended plays

Title Information
Red Lion Motel
  • Date of release: May 2010
  • Record label: Casey Barnes
  • Available formats: CD, digital download
Flesh & Bone
  • Date of release: June 2014
  • Record label: Casey Barnes
  • Available formats: CD, digital download

Singles with chart positions or certifications

Year Title Highest chart position Certification Album
AUS (ARIA)
2008 "Tiny Dancer"
(Marco Demark featuring Casey Barnes) 		66 Standalone single
2011 "Never Break You" 47 Jet Trails
2021 "God Took His Time on You" —
  • ARIA: Gold
 Light It Up

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate and promote achievements within Australia's independent music industry each year.

Year Work Category Outcome Reference
2021 Town of a Million Dreams Best Independent Country Album or EP Nominated
2022 "God Took His Time On You" Independent Song of the Year Nominated
2023 Light It Up Best Independent Country Album or EP Nominated

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are annual events hosted by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), honoring excellence in songwriting, composition, sales, and radio play.

! |- | 2021 | "A Little More" | Most Performed Country Work | | [1] |- | 2022 | "Come Turn Me On" | rowspan="2"| Most Performed Country Work of the Year | | [2] |- | 2023 | "God Took His Time on You" | | [3]
[4] |- | 2024 | "Summer Nights" | Most Performed Country Work of the Year | | [5] |- | 2025 | "Mayday" | Most Performed Country Work of the Year | | [6] |-


ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards annually recognize outstanding achievement and innovation within various Australian music genres.[7][8]


! |- | 2020 | Town of a Million Dreams | rowspan="3"| Best Country Album | | [7] |- | 2022 | Light It Up | | [9][10] |- | 2024 | Mayday | | [11]

Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia is an annual ceremony held every January as part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, celebrating outstanding achievements within the Australian country music scene since its inception in 1973.

! |- | 2018 | Casey Barnes | Best New Talent | | [12][13] |- | 2020 | Casey Barnes ("A Little More") | Best New Talent | | [14] |- |rowspan="4"| 2021 | rowspan="2"| Town of a Million Dreams | Album of the Year | |rowspan="4"| [15] |- | Contemporary Country Album of the Year | |- | Casey Barnes | Male Artist of the Year | |- | "No Other You" (with Missy Lancaste) | Vocal Collaboration of the Year | |- |rowspan="2"| 2022 | "God Took His Time On You" | Single of the Year | | |- | Casey Barnes | Male Artist of the Year | |- |rowspan="6"| 2023 |rowspan="2"| "Get to Know Ya" | Single of the Year | |rowspan="5"| [16][17] |- | Song of the Year | |- | Casey Barnes | Male Artist of the Year | |- | rowspan="3"| Light It Up | Contemporary Country Album of the Year | |- | Album of the Year | |- | Top Selling Album of the Year | | [18] |} |-rowspan="3"| 2024 || "Summer Nights" || Single of the Year || ||rowspan="3"| [19][20] |} |- "Boys Like Me" || Song of the Year || |} |- Casey Barnes || Male Artist of the Year || |} |-rowspan="3"| 2025 || rowspan="2"| Mayday || Album of the Year || || rowspan="3"| [21][22] |} |- Contemporary Country Album of the Year || |} |- Male Artist of the Year || Casey Barnes || |}


Gold Coast Music Awards

The Gold Coast Music Awards are held yearly to honor outstanding musical talent originating from the Gold Coast area.


! |- | 2015 | | People's Choice Award | | [23] |- | 2020 | rowspan="4"| Casey Barnes | rowspan="3"| Artist of the Year Award | | [24] |- | 2021 | | [25] |- | rowspan="2"| 2022 | | rowspan="2"|Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name |- | Inducted into Hall of Fame | |-


Queensland Music Awards

Since 2006, the Queensland Music Awards (previously known as the Q Song Awards) have annually recognized both emerging and established musicians from Queensland. 

(only wins listed)

! |- ! scope="row"| 2022 | "God Took His Time On You" | Country Song of the Year Award | | rowspan="2"| Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name |}

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