Travis Collins, Sara Storer, score major wins at Golden Guitars

Travis Collins finally broke his drought at the Golden Guitars country music awards in Tamworth on Saturday night.

He had been nominated no less than 20 times for a Golden Guitar over the years. Finally breaking the hex, he went on to achieve three wins before the packed crowd at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.

The 32-year-old, who grew up in western Sydney’s Macquarie Fields before moving to the Hunter Valley, had been attending the Tamworth country music festival since he was eleven. He finally won the Toyota Star Maker Quest in 2004, which is where Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys and James Blundell got their start.

Nominated for six awards, Collins got Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for Call Me Crazy (which he co-wrote with Damien Leith) and Single of the Year for Just Another Girl. Both tracks were from his current Hard Light album through ABC Music.

An emotional speech followed: “I’ve always said that I had three parents growing up; there was mum, there was dad and there was country music.

“Some of the greatest things I’ve learnt in my life about ethics, values and family haven’t only come from my family but they’ve come from the songs that have raised me as well.”

Sara Storer, also an ABC Music signing, took home Female Artist of the Year and Bush Ballad of the Year for Amazing Night which the Victorian singer-songwriter said was inspired by campfire sessions in Darwin when she was growing up. This now brings her overall Golden Guitar tally to 21.

Just one day before the ceremony, Storer was inducted into the Galaxy of Stars as part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Troy Cassar-Daley took Album of the Year for the second year in a row with Things I Carry Around. On his 36th appearance at the festival, he was also elevated to the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown for the way he captured “the hearts of Australians with his wonderful, engaging personality”. Cassar-Daley started out busking as a teenager at the festival on the Boulevard of Dreams.

Other Golden Guitar 2017 winners included:

Alternative Country Album of the Year: Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart – self-titled.

Group or Duo of the Year: Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart.

Vocal Collaboration of the Year: Catherine Britt with Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Lyn Bowtell, Josh Pyke, Wes Carr and Wendy Matthews – F U Cancer.

Heritage Song of the Year: Luke O’Shea – Old Mans Shed.

Video Clip of the Year: Luke O’Shea – The Truth Walks Slowly (In the Countryside), directed by Mark O’Shea.

Instrumental of the Year: Song for Manaia – Stuie French.

Bluegrass Recording of the Year: Kristy Cox – Another Weary Mile.

New Talent of the Year: Fanny Lumsden, Land Of Gold.

It was a triumphant night for ABC Music, Aside from its five Golden Guitar wins, its other artists also made their presence felt.

Adam Brand performed his new single Get On Your Feet, while sets from Caitlyn Shadbolt, The Wolfe Brothers and Lee Kernaghan wrapped up the night, with Kernaghan performing his new single Outback Club Reunion which highlighted the 25th anniversary of his album The Outback Club.