The nominees of the 53rd Golden Guitar Awards were announced in Sydney this week, shining a light on the talent of the New England region and beyond.
Tamworth artists feature heavily with multi-Golden Guitar winner Ashleigh Dallas nominated in three categories while Lane Pittman and Jayne Denham are dual nominees.
Five-time Golden Guitar winner Ashleigh is nominated in Female Artist of the Year, Traditional Album of the Year and Album of the Year.
“You’re never quite sure whether your name is going to be amongst it when the industry is what it is and there is so much music out there that is great and today feels more emotional hearing it read out,” she said.
“There is a lot of heart in this album, so there’s been a few happy tears and a few emotional ones – especially for dad, Brett, who produced the record. It’s really special to get this album nominated so we will be sitting in it and feeling it all.
“When you’re here in the room and see everyone who could have been in (those categories), so when you have the opportunity to be one of the five, you feel grateful for it.
“I just love what I do and be a singer -songwriter as an actual job and to have a bit of recognition there from your peers and amongst names you’ve worked with, collaborated with and looked up to, and to see so much new talent that is among the finalist, it’s exciting.”
Teenage artist Lane says he was shocked to be announced as a finalist in Male Artist of the Year and New Talent of the Year.
“I’m stoked, we’ve had a fun year,” he said.
“At the end of the day, I just love playing music, so to get two nods is beyond amazing for me. There are so many people there that I’ve looked up to and been inspired by for so many years, so to be in that conversation is crazy.
“I’m making fun music. This industry is so welcoming, I’ve come in relatively out of nowhere in the last couple of years and to be welcomed in with such grace is something that still amazes me. Three years ago I was a kid sitting out the front at all these artists’ shows, and to now be considered a friend and colleague to them is such an amazing thing for me.”
Jayne Denham is a nominee in Contemporary Country Album of the Year – her first nomination as a Tamworth resident and her sixth nomination overall.
“I always do something a bit left of field and I like albums – that’s my thing, I like to create something a bit artistic and I never know which genre to put it in, and I think Moonshine was contemporary because it has Colt Ford rapping on it,” she said.
“It’s great to be here and part of it. We all do what we do because we love it and this has been my biggest touring year, so to have this is a bit of a cherry on top. (Previous album) Wanted struck a chord with people, they liked that country meets era of music and Moonshine is country rock meets an era of country music – I’m glad people liked it because it takes a lot of research to be honest, we dived into the history of country music in the moonshine era and put an Australian twist on it.”
Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) Chairman Dobe Newton (who is a nominee in one category with his legendary band The Bushwackers) said the awards celebrated and recognised esteemed artists, writers, musicians, performers, and their creativity.
“We are particularly pleased with the depth and diversity of this year’s line-up,” Dobe said.
“The results highlight both first-time contributors and young achievers such as Tamworth-based 18-year-old Lane Pittman, alongside some of our most experienced and enduring talents, including 97-year-old song writing legend Kelly Dixon of Slim Dusty’s Leave Him In The Longyard fame. The CMAA congratulates all those named today and extends its gratitude to each entrant in the awards, who contributed to a highly competitive field.”
The most nominated artist is 40-time Golden Guitar winner Troy Cassar-Daley with a total of six nominations. This includes Alt/Americana Country Album of the Year and Toyota Album of the Year for his latest album Between The Fires. His song Let’s Ride is up for Single of the Year, Some Days, written in collaboration with Kevin Bennett is in the running for Song of the Year, while Windradyne is nominated for Heritage Song of the Year. Troy is also a nominee for Male Artist of the Year.
Victorian singer-songwriter Michael Waugh has a tally of five nominations including Male Artist of the Year, Alt/Americana Country Album of the Year and Toyota Album of the Year for Beauty & Truth produced by Shane Nicholson, Heritage Song of the Year for Father’s Day and Vocal Collaboration with Colin Buchanan for their song Sing Me The Land.
Colin Buchanan, James Johnston, Kasey Chambers, Kingswood and Lee Kernaghan have all received four nominations.
Toyota Golden Guitar Awards Executive Producer, Mr. Peter Ross said this year’s list of nominees was a true reflection on the diversity of Australia’s country music industry.
“The 2025 awards will recognise the hard work and creativity of artists right across the nation,” he said.
“Today’s celebration in Sydney has been an exciting snippet of what is to come in January. On behalf of Tamworth Regional Council, I would like to congratulate all the nominees in the Toyota 53rd Golden Guitar Awards.”.
Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, shares his excitement for the 2025 nominees, calling them a standout lineup of Australian country music talent.
“We’re thrilled to support Australia’s iconic country music awards, celebrating the heart and soul of this vibrant community. The country music community feels like family and the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards brings together the finest from all corners of the country,” he said.
“We look forward to witnessing all the exceptional winners in January; here’s wishing all the nominees the best for this year’s incredible event!” Sean said.
More than 150 people including nominated artists and industry representatives gathered at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney today for the announcement of 103 nominations, held by 50 artists across 16 categories. The exclusive industry event was hosted by 2024 New Talent of the Year recipient and Tamworth Country Music Festival Ambassador Max Jackson and two-time Golden Guitar winner James Johnston. The pair will also host the Toyota 53rd Golden Guitar Awards ceremony in January.
There were more than 650 entries for the prestigious 2025 Golden Guitar Awards, which will be announced on January 25, during the Toyota 53rd Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Tamworth Regional Council will present the Toyota 53rd Golden Guitar Awards live on Saturday, 25 January 2025, from Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre and livestreamed via the Festival website and Facebook page.
Read all the way through to the end of the story? So did lots of other people. Advertise with New England Times to reach New England locals who are interested and engaged. Find out more here.