Five acts score first-time Golden Guitars

Luke O’Shea and Kasey Chambers shone at the Toyota Golden Guitars country music awards. They were held on the weekend at the 5,100-capacity Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre during the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

O’Shea won three, including Male of the Year while Three Brothers (The Great War), written about the Australian soldiers who died in World War I, took Song of the Year and, for his third year in a row, Heritage Song of the Year. He now has a tally of six Golden Guitar bronze trophies.

Kasey Chambers took her tally to 22 with two fresh wins, with the Nick Didia-produced Bittersweet taking Album of the Year and the title track (a vocal duet with Bernard Fanning) gonged for Single of the Year.

But the highlight of the night was that five winners were first time Golden Guitar recipients.

One time Qantas accountant Amber Lawrence (pictured), whose fourth album Superheroes debuted at #3 on the ARIA Country Chart last September, took out Female Artist of the Year. “The best night of my musical life!” she stated, after wearing a gold dress specially designed by her sister as “a good omen” for her first win in an 11-year career.

Lyn Bowtell won Alternative Country Album of the Year for Heart Of Sorrow, produced by Shane Nicholson.

The three-guitar attack Adam Eckersley Band capped off a strong 12 months, including a deal with Universal Music, with the New Talent trophy. Mustered Courage, signed last year to Lost Highway/Universal Music, won Instrumental of the Yea for Candle Creek. The new category of Bluegrass Recording of the Year went to Kristy Cox for One Heartbreak Away.

The McClymonts won Group of the Year (taking it from Brooke McClymont's husband Adam Eckersley and his band who were also nominated) and the previously announced Top Selling Australian Album of the Year for Here's To You And I…

Another multiple winner was Dean Perrett for Bush Ballad of the Year for Bloodwood Clover (written by Ian Quinn) and Vocal Collaboration with Troy Cassar-Daley for My Country My Land.

Last year’s Female Artist winner Sara Storer took home Video Clip of the Year for Canoe, which was directed by Duncan Toombs. Dolly Parton’s Blue Smoke was recipient of the previously announced Top Selling International Album.

A television special on the 2015 Toyota Golden Guitars will be broadcast on the Southern Cross Ten Network with a date to be announced shortly.

The 10-day festival wound up on Sunday and drew 55,000.

Luke O’Shea also scored at the People’s Choice Awards at the Capitol Theatre. His duet with Aleyce Simmonds on Truckstop Flowers won the Vocal Event category while Brothers3 of last year’s X Factor won Best Group. Full list on the awards’ website. Lauded in the two country music broadcasting categories were Jane Kellaway of Radio 2MCR Campbelltown (Sydney) named Most Popular Country Music DJ, and Today’s Country 94.1 on the NSW Central Coast named Most Popular Country Music Radio Station.

Mickey Pye from Bathurst NSW was named Toyota Star Maker 2015. Star Maker is a country music talent quest set up in 1979, and which helped launch the careers of Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, Sam McClymont, Grand Junction, Lyn Bowtell, Kylie Sackley and Tanya Self.

Pyke’s $100,000 prize pack includes the use of a Toyota vehicle for 12 months and the recording of a studio album. The 2015 quest received 200 applications with finalists Dana Hassall from Kingsthorpe (Qld) and Gretta Ziller from Oakleigh (Vic).

South Australia’s Tanya Cornish and New Zealand’s Joseph Balfe were named overall winners of the 2015 National Talent Quest in Tamworth.