Tommy Emanuel Wins Another Award

Tommy Emanuel CGP Award…

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In Nashville in 1999, Tommy was honored by his mentor, Chet Atkins with the title of "Certified Guitar Player" for his contribution to fingerstyle guitar, a rare distinction shared by only three other people in the world (Jerry Reed, Steve Wariner and John Knowles).

In 1980 Emmanuel made a trip to the United States and finally met and got to play with his hero, Chet Atkins, in Nashville. From that magical moment forward, the Tennessee master guitarist and producer took the twenty-something Australian ace under his wing and began introducing him to other guitar legends. Tommy speaks of his mentor with the love and gratitude of a son and Atkins' influences are evident throughout his music and personal philosophy. Emmanuel's technical precision, his virtuosic improvisations and his unusually broad repertoire - which encompasses not only country and bluegrass, but pop, jazz, blues, gospel, even classical, flamenco, and aboriginal styles - bespeak Chet Atkins' legacy.

Emmanuel got his solo instrumental career off the ground with the release of the gentle and textural Up from Down Under album in 1988. In the 90's his efforts blossomed and began to be recognized and rewarded by the Australian music industry and media. Sales of his albums set records that have yet to be broken.

His versatility has taken Emmanuel from international Jazz Festivals to shows with the Sydney Philharmonic, The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and performances for the Masai people in remote areas of Kenya. Tommy's dream of recording with Chet Atkins came true in 1996 when the pair made an album titled The Day the Finger Pickers Took Over the World, for which Emmanuel received his first Grammy award nomination.

Tommy was well-known in Australia, Asia, and Europe long before his presence was felt in the U.S. However, in 1997 his album Midnight Drive was in the top five for 16 weeks, which made him the "most added artist" on the NAC radio charts that year. In Nashville in 1999, Tommy was honored by his mentor, Chet Atkins with the title of "Certified Guitar Player" for his contribution to fingerstyle guitar, a rare distinction shared by only three other people in the world (Jerry Reed, Steve Wariner and John Knowles). It was a crowning moment for Emmanuel and a title the self-proclaimed "humble, uneducated, country kid" from Down Under takes very seriously.