Keith Urban - Escape Together World Tour - 2009 Australian Tour Dates

Keith Urban's Escape Together World Tour began on May 7 2009 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. American reviews have been positive and this is said to be one of Urban's most successful Shows.

It is not surprising that Keith Urban has scheduled the Australian leg of his 2009 Escape Together World Tour for the end of the year. Not only does he come "home to Australia" for most Christmases with Aussie-born wife Nicole Kidman and baby Sunday Rose, Keith is in the celebrity line-up to perform at the Australian Record Industry Association Awards (ARIAS) on November 26 at the Sydney Acer Arena. In addition to performing his hit song Kiss a Girl, Keith's latest album, Defying Gravity, has been nominated for Best Country Album for the 2009 ARIA Awards.

There will be a live red carpet broadcast of the ARIA Awards on MTV from 7.30pm on Thursday, 26 November on Australia's Nine Network. An encore screening will also go to air on Friday, 27 November - red carpet at 4.30pm and 2009 ARIA Awards at 5.30pm.

Before Keith heads down-under, he has two big performances in the US:

The 2009 Country Music Association Awards televised live from Nashville on Wednesday, 11 November at 8 pm. ET on ABC.

The 2009 American Music Awards. The show will be broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. live on Sunday, 22 November (8:00-11:00 .m. ET/PT) on ABC.

Keith Urban's early life
Born in Whangarie, New Zealand, Keith Urban spent most of his formative years in Caboolture, Queensland Australia on a 12 acre farm property. His early country music influences included Don Williams, Glen Campbell, and Charley Pride.

From humble beginnings, since moving to the US in 1982, Urban has gradually become one of the biggest stars of Country music in the USA.

Awards
1977 - CCMA Best Solo Act(Junior)
1978 - CCMA Special Encouragement Award (10 Years & under)
1980 - CCMA Best Junior Guitarist
1981 - CCMA Best Gospel Singer
1982 - CCMA Best Duet
1982 - CCMA Best Junior Guitarist
1983 - CCMA Junior Male Vocalist
1990 - CMAA Star Maker Award
1991 - CMAA Golden Guitar
1991 - CMAA Best New Talent
1992 - CMAA Golden Guitar
1992 - CMAA Male Vocalist
1992 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
1997 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
1998 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
2001 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
2001 - ACM Top New Male Vocalist
2001 - CMA Horizon Award (first non-American)
2001 - ARIA Outstanding Achievement Award
2001 - VMA Male Vocalist Award
2001 - Mo Australian Show Business Ambassador of the Year
2003 - ARIA Country Album of the Year (Golden Road)
2003 - Country Weekly Fan Favorite Award for Favorite New Artist
2003 - BMI Song of the Year Category for "Somebody Like You"
2003 - TCMA Video Clip of the Year - "Somebody Like You"
2004 - CMA Male Vocalist of the Year (first non-American)
2004 - FCMA Best Foreign Music
2005 - Voted Country Music's Hottest Bachelor by Country Weekly
2005 - #6 on OK! Magazine's Hollywood's Hottest Bachelor list
2005 - CMT Music Awards Video of the Year - "Days Go By"
2005 - ACM Album of the Year - "Be Here"
2005 - ACM Top Male Vocalist
2005 - French Association of County Music Artist of the Year
2005 - ARIA Country Album of the Year (Be Here)
2005 - CMA International Artist of the Year!
2005 - CMA Male Vocalist of the Year (Second year in a row)
2005 - CMA Entertainer of the Year (first non-American male. First non-American was Shania Twain in 1999)
2005 - Radio Music Awards Artist of the Year
2005 - Billboard Music Award: Top-selling Pop Catalog Album of the Year "Golden Road"
2006 - XM Country Artist of the Year
2006 - XM "So You Wanna Be a Movie Star?" Artists We'd Like to See Crossover to Films
2006 - Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "You'll Think Of Me"
2006 - CMT Music Awards Video of The Year - "Better Life"
2006 - ACM Top Male Vocalist of the Year (Second year in a row)
2006 - Voted Country Music's Sexiest Man by Country Weekly.
2006 - ASCAP'S Most-Performed Country Songs of 2006 "Better Life" written by Richard Marx and Keith Urban, "Tonight I Wanna Cry" written by Monty Powell and Keith Urban and "Making Memories of Us" written by Rodney Crowell (3 out of 56)
2006 - CMA Male Vocalist of the Year (Third year in a row - matching George Strait who won in 1996 through 1998)
2006 - French Association of Country Music Award for Best Live Performance (this is his 4th FACM award)
2006 - Voted #1 on CMT's 20 Sexiest Men
2006 - Country Music Association of Australia award for Outstanding Achievement
2006 - GAC Network's Artist of The Month for July
2006 - ARIA Country Album of the Year (Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing)
2008 - Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Stupid Boy"

Keith Urban discography
To view Keith Urban's discography - CLICK HERE.

Australian tour dates
12 December 2009 - Melbourne - Rod Laver Arena
14 December 2009 - Wollongong - WIN Entertainment Centre
16 December 2009- Sydney - Entertainment Centre
18 December 2009 - Brisbane - Entertainment Centre

Sources:
http://www.keithurban.net/
http://www.tcmf.com.au/
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/urban_keith/albums.jhtml
http://www.brisent.com.au/default.asp?PageID=261
http://www.worldwideticketing.com/concerts/keith-urban-concert.htm