Casey Barnes is an Australian country rock singer-songwriter from Tasmania, Australia, who is best known as a contestant on the seventh season of ''

Australian Idol ''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program '' Pop Id ...

'' in 2009. Barnes won the

ARIA Award for Best Country Album In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompaniment, normally part of a larger ...

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

. Barnes has played alongside

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

and

Lady A Lady A, known until 2020 as Lady Antebellum, is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar ...

Music career

Barnes started his singing career in his state of birth of Tasmania, before relocating to the Gold Coast.

2004–2008: ''Say What You Feel'' and ''Casey Barnes''

In 2004, Barnes, who had been performing around the country for a few years, recorded his first album, titled ''Say What You Feel''. Barnes was selected to open for Bryan Adams on his 2005 tour for ''A Day On the Green''. Following his set, the demand for his independently released album at the merchandising tent was overwhelming, with over 200 copies selling out. In April 2006, Barnes released "What The Hell Are You Waiting for?", the lead single from his self-titled album, ''Casey Barnes'', which was released in August 2007. The album featured "honest, passionate music with a rock/pop edge". In November 2007, Barnes released a duet with Connor Maclean, titled "How Good It Would Be", through

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

. The song was featured on Maclean's

Christmas album Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of carols, may employ lyrics about the nativity of Je ...

with all proceeds of the single and album going towards Westmead's Children's Hospital. In 2008, Australian DJ-producer Marco Demark released a version of

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

's "

Tiny Dancer "Tiny Dancer" is a song written by English musician and composer Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on John's 1971 album ''Madman Across the Water'' as its opening track, and was later produ ...

" featuring Barnes. The track peaked at number 66 in Australia.

2009: Australian Idol

In 2009, Barnes entered the seventh series of ''

''. He auditioned at the

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

auditions and made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated but received a wildcard into the top 12. In the live shows, he performed "

(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" (also known simply as "On My Mind") is the first single from the fifth studio album by Powderfinger. It was released as a single on 16 June 2003 and reached 9 on the Australian Singles Chart, the band's third-hi ...

" and "I'm Not Over" but was eliminated after week two in September, placing eleventh.

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

In May 2010, Barnes released an EP titled ''Red Lion Motel''. and lead single "I Promise". In January 2011, Barnes released "Never Break You" which became an anthem after the devastating Queensland floods and

Cyclone Yasi Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi () was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that made landfall in northern Queensland, Australia in early 2011, causing major damage to the affected areas. Originating as a tropical low near Fiji on 26 Janu ...

. The song became his first to enter the ARIA top 50. Barnes donated all proceeds to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. In September 2012, Barnes released ''Jet Trails'' which he wrote in

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

with

Rick Price Roderick Allan Joseph Stewart (born 6 July 1961) known as Rick Price, is an Australian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. His debut album, '' Heaven Knows'', was released in July 1992, and peaked at No. 3 on the ...

and promoted the album with shows in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. He also performed around Australia, including the main stage of the Caloundra Music Festival. In June 2014, Barnes released a second EP titled ''Flesh & Bone'' which was produced by Price and mixed by Grammy Award winner Jason Leaning. The EP saw the release of four singles, "Valentine", "Flesh and Bone", "Waiting on the Day" and "Hard Times". The tracks received radio airplay nationwide. The track "Waiting on the Day" touched on the sensitive subject of the loss of a child. Drawing on personal experience Barnes said "'Waiting on the Day' is a tribute to every parent who has endured the loss of a child whether that be before or after birth and the strength to face life again. This song is also for our baby Grace who we lost two years ago and will forever be in our hearts". Later in 2014, Barnes reached the finals of two prestigious US based competitions; International Songwriting Competition and Unsigned Only.

2016–2018: ''Live as One'' and ''The Good Life''

In July 2016, it was confirmed that Barnes had signed with

Social Family Records Social Family Records is an independent record label in Australia. All Social Family Records releases are distributed in Australia by EMI Music Australia/Universal Music Australia and internationally by The Orchard.Social Family Records is ful ...

. Barnes said, "I couldn't be more thrilled to be signing on with Social Family Records…one of the most exciting labels in the country with a strong roster of artists and their finger well and truly on the pulse with where the music industry is headed. With a brand new album coming out the timing couldn't be more perfect and I can't wait for everyone to hear what I think is my best release yet." Barnes' fourth studio album, ''Live as One'' was released in August 2016. The album included song written with Rick Price, Michael Paynter and Michael Delorenzis. Three songs featuring his wife, Michelle Barnes. The album's title track had a video featuring well-known Australians along with national and international sporting identities holding up #LiveAsOne signs. The album's second single "Just like Magic" was released in December 2016 peaked at No. 1 on the Top 40 Country Tracks Chart and the Australian Country Radio Charts. In June 2017, Barnes released "The Way We Ride" which became a radio favourite and peaked at No. 1 position on the Top 40 Country Tracks for 4 weeks. This song also saw Barnes nominated for his first Golden Guitar Award for Best New Talent. "Keep Me Coming Back" was released in August 2017 and also peaked at No. 1 on the Australian Top 40 Country Tracks. Barnes supported the track with the "Keep Me Coming Back Tour". In February 2018, Barnes released "Ain't Coming Home", the third single from his fourth studio album ''The Good Life'', which was released in March 2018. In 2017, Barnes was a finalist for Australian Male Artist of the Year and won the Media Impact Award at the Planet Country Music for a New Generation Awards. In 2018, Barnes won Australian Male Artist of the Year at the Planet Country Music for a New Generation Awards.

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

In August 2019 Barnes confirmed he had signed with Chugg Music. Barnes' first album with the label was '' Town of a Million Dreams'' which peaked at number 16 on the ARIA Charts. In February 2022, Barnes released '' Light It Up'' which won him his first

ARIA Music Award The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austra ...

and Country Music Award. In December 2023, Barnes' "Never Give Up On a Good Time" was used on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

' New Year's Eve broadcast.

2024: ''Mayday''

In April 2024, Barnes announced his eighth album ''

Mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiz ...

'', preceded by the singles "Summer Nights", "Miracles", "Never Give Up on a Good Time", "Boys Like Me" and "Mayday". It was released on 31 May 2024.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Charted or certified singles

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (known colloquially as the

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at Blacket Hot ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. ! , - ,

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, ''Town of a Million Dreams'' , Best Independent Country Album or EP , , , - ,

, "God Took His Time On You" , Independent Song of the Year , , , - ,

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, ''Light It Up'' , Best Independent Country Album or EP , , , -

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia by the

Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...

(APRA) to recognise composing and song writing skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. ! , - ,

, "A Little More" , Most Performed Country Work , , , - ,

, "Come Turn Me On" , rowspan="2", Most Performed Country Work of the Year , , , - ,

, "God Took His Time on You" , ,
, - ,

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, rowspan="1", "Summer Nights" , rowspan="1", Most Performed Country Work of the Year , , rowspan="1", , - , scope="row" rowspan="1",

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, rowspan="1", "Mayday" , rowspan="1", Most Performed Country Work of the Year , , rowspan="1", , -

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. ! , - ,

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, ''Town of a Million Dreams'' , rowspan="3",

Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Country Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the country music ge ...

, , , - ,

, ''Light It Up'' , , , - ,

, ''Mayday'' , ,

Country Music Awards of Australia

The

Country Music Awards of Australia The Country Music Awards of Australia also known as the Golden Guitar Awards (originally named Australasian Country Music Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wale ...

is an annual awards night held in January during the

Tamworth Country Music Festival The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales, Tamworth, New South Wales. The f ...

. Celebrating recording excellence in the

Australian country music Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. There is a broad range of styles, from bluegrass, to yodeling to folk to the more popular. The genre has been influenced by Celtic and English folk music, the Australian bush balla ...

industry. They commenced in 1973. ! , - , 2018 , Casey Barnes , Best New Talent , , , - , 2020 , Casey Barnes ("A Little More") , Best New Talent , , , - , rowspan="4", 2021 , rowspan="2", ''Town of a Million Dreams'' , Album of the Year , , rowspan="4", , - , 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", , - , 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 , , , - , rowspan="3", 2024 , , "Summer Nights" , , Single of the Year , , , , rowspan="3", , - , "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", , - , Contemporary Country Album of the Year , , , - , Male Artist of the Year , , Casey Barnes , , , -

Gold Coast Music Awards

The Gold Coast Music Awards are an annual awards ceremony that recognises musicians from the Gold Coast area. ! , - , 2015 , , People's Choice , , , - , 2020 , rowspan="4", Casey Barnes , rowspan="3", Artist of the year , , , - , 2021 , , , - , rowspan="2", 2022 , , rowspan="2", , - , Hall of Fame , , -

Queensland Music Awards

The

Queensland Music Awards The Queensland Music Awards (commonly known as QMA and known as the Q Song Awards from 2006 to 2010) are annual awards celebrating Queensland's emerging artists. They commenced in 2006. Each year, the QMA Song of the Year is immortalised in ...

(previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating

Queensland, Australia Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...

's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006. (wins only) ! , - ! scope="row", 2022 , "God Took His Time On You" , Country Song of the Year , , rowspan="2",

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Casey 1978 births APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Australian male singer-songwriters Australian singer-songwriters Australian Idol participants Living people Musicians from the Gold Coast, Queensland Musicians from Tasmania