AUSTRALIAN country music veterans Lee Kernaghan, Keith Urban and Adam Brand were the big winners at tonight's CMC Music Awards in Brisbane.

Brand took out the top award of the night, CMC Oz Artist of the Year, while Kernaghan took home three awards for his hit album Spirit of the Anzacs.

It's a big year for Brand, who is currently touring the country with his newly formed supergroup The Outlaws.

"You go out every night on tour and on the road and every night you play your heart out and you want to touch people," Brand told APN.

"You want to move them somehow and I suppose this is a result of that. If they think enough of you to turn the computer on and press the button that's a pretty amazing thing."

Kernaghan was clearly surprised by this trifecta of awards.

"One of the greatest things about these awards is they're voted by the fans," he said.

"My heart is swelling with gratitude to those people for supporting me not only this year but the past 24 years."

Keith Urban was named CMC International Artist of the Year and won International Video of the Year for his duet with Eric Church.

Currently shooting American Idol, Urban thanked his fans via a video acceptance speech while his mother Mary Ann Urban watched from the audience.

"Thank you so much for this award and to everyone who voted. Also to Eric Church, we had a blast shooting this video," Urban said.

"Right now I am wrapping up the record and getting it all done so we can come and play. I am just dying to come back and play and that is the plan right now.

"It feels strange to me to be considered an international artist in Queensland but thank you very much for the support; it means the world to me."

Gympie singer Caitlyn Shadbolt was named New Oz Artist of the Year less than two months after missing out on a similar award at the Golden Guitars to Christie Lamb.

Shadbolt's career has gone from strength to strength since she was a finalist on the 2014 season of The X Factor.

The sixth annual awards, held on the eve of the three-day CMC Rocks music festival, also featured performances by the festival's headliners Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and Kelsea Ballerini, who co-hosted the evening with Morgan Evans.

The sold-out CMC Rocks festival starts today at Willowbank near Ipswich.

CMC Music Award winners

CMC Oz Artist of the Year

Adam Brand

CMC International Artist of the Year

Keith Urban

CMC Male Oz Artist of the Year

Lee Kernaghan

CMC Female Oz Artist of the Year

Amber Lawrence

CMC New Oz Artist of the Year

Caitlyn Shadbolt

CMC Group or Duo of the Year

The Wolfe Brothers

CMC Australian Video of the Year

Lee Kernaghan - Spirit of the Anzacs

CMC International Video of the Year

Keith Urban and Eric Church - Raise 'em Up

ARIA Highest Selling Australian Album

Lee Kernaghan - Spirit of the Anzacs

ARIA Highest Selling International Album

Alan Jackson - Angels and Alcohol