Tamworth Regional Council and the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) have announced the finalists for the 2020 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards – the 48th Country Music Awards of Australia.
At an all-star event at The Seymour Centre in Sydney hosted by The McClymonts, the finalists in all categories were revealed. And what a list it is!
Chairman of the Country Music Association of Australia, Daniel Biddle said: “Country Music is enjoying a new golden era in Australia, which is a testament to the incredible talent of artists such as those we are celebrating … From the first-time finalists to our legends of the industry, we thank them for continuing to inspire the public with their music and lead the way for Australian country music to shine well into the future.”
Leading the charge with eight finalist categories each are Lee Kernaghan and Felicity Urquhart. In great news for the Toyota Star Maker family, 2018 winner Brad Cox is up for two awards, APRA AMCOS Song Of The Year and Apple Music Single Of The Year for ‘Rusty Strings’. These finalist placings follow a huge year for Brad in which he signed a global recording deal with Sony Music.
Presented in Tamworth, the country music capital, as the finale to the 10 day Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth, the event is much more than just the presentation of the coveted Golden Guitars. The night is a fast-paced concert, showcasing the cream of Australian country music artists and the songs that have left their mark on the fans throughout the past 12 months.
The Awards night gives fans the opportunity to rub shoulders with the biggest names in country music and see all of their favourite artists perform in one huge show – you can buy tickets here.
ALT COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
| Brad Butcher | Travelling Salesman | Matt Fell |
| Hayley Marsten | Spectacular Heartbreak | Matt Fell |
| Jenny Mitchell | Wildfires | Matt Fell |
| Kevin Bennett & The Flood | Blood Red Ties | Glen Hannah |
| Michael Waugh | The Weir | Shane Nicholson |
CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
| Amber Lawrence | Spark | Stuart Stuart |
| Busby Marou | The Great Divide | Oscar Dawson |
| Cornell & Carr | We Go Way Back | Matt Fell |
| Lee Kernaghan | Backroad Nation | Lindsay Rimes |
| Morgan Evans | Things That We Drink To | Chris DeStefano |
TRADITIONAL COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
| Angus Gill | Welcome to My Heart | Angus Gill |
| Ashleigh Dallas | Reflection | Brett Dallas |
| Felicity Urquhart | Frozen Rabbit | Glen Hannah |
| Gina Jeffreys | Beautiful Tangle | Rod McCormack |
| Sara Storer | Raindance | Matt Fell |
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
| Blake O’Connor | Everything I Feel |
| Brad Butcher | Travelling Salesman |
| Lee Kernaghan | Backroad Nation |
| Michael Waugh | The Weir |
| Morgan Evans | Things That We Drink To |
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
| Amber Lawrence | Spark |
| Ashleigh Dallas | Reflection |
| Felicity Urquhart | Frozen Rabbit |
| Gina Jeffreys | Beautiful Tangle |
| Sara Storer | Raindance |
COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL NEWS GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
| Busby Marou | The Great Divide |
| Cornell & Carr | We Go Way Back |
| Jetty Road | Because We Can |
| Kevin Bennett & The Flood | Blood Red Ties |
| The Viper Creek Band | Beautiful Destruction |
VOCAL COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
| Andrew Swift & Gretta Ziller | Second Hand |
| Felicity Urquhart feat Karl Broadie | Slow It Down |
| Lee Kernaghan with The Wolfe Brothers | Till It Ends |
| Luke O’Shea & Lyn Bowtell | Sing Me A Story |
| Sara Storer & Colin Hay | Next Year People |
BUSH BALLAD OF THE YEAR
| Allan Caswell | Country Copper | Allan Caswell & Manfred Vijars |
| Dean Perrett | His Last Cattle Drive | Carmelo Cacciola |
| Graham Rodger | Knights Of The Saddle | Graham Rodger |
| Jeff Brown | More Times Than I Remember | Jeff Brown and Kelly & Marian Dixon |
| John O’Dea | The Drover’s Friend | John O’Dea |
HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR
| Brad Butcher | Freshwater Lady | Brad Butcher & Vaughan Jones |
| Felicity Urquhart feat Shanley Del | Where The Fruit Hangs Low | Felicity Urquhart, Mick Thomas |
| Lee Kernaghan | The Trucks Came Through | Lee Kernaghan, Colin Buchanan, Garth Porter |
| Luke O’Shea & Lyn Bowtell | Sing Me A Story | Luke O’Shea & Felicity Urquhart |
| Sara Storer | Hayrunner | Sara Storer |
COCA-COLA INSTRUMENTAL OF THE YEAR
| Michael Fix | The Balcony Brunch |
| Mickey Pye | Bridle Track |
| Mustered Courage | Death Mountain Run |
| Phil Emmanuel with Jacob Funnell | Gallaghers Lane |
| Rod McCormack | Timeless Traveller |
BLUEGRASS RECORDING OF THE YEAR
| Allan Caswell | Bad Politics |
| Hillbilly Goats | Bleed Me Dry |
| Kristy Cox | Yesterday’s Heartache |
| Mustered Courage | Home Of Lost Lovers (The Ballad of Glen Turner) |
| Rod McCormack | Shimmers |
QANTAS NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR
| Blake O’Connor | Worth A Little More |
| Casey Barnes | A Little More |
| Sinead Burgess | Reno |
| Seaforth | Love That |
| The Buckleys | Daydream |
APRA AMCOS SONG OF THE YEAR
| Brad Cox | Rusty Strings | Brad Cox & Jackson Besley |
| Felicity Urquhart | Chain Of Joy | Felicity Urquhart & Kim Richey |
| Lee Kernaghan | Backroad Nation | Lee Kernaghan, Colin Buchanan, Garth Porter, Lindsay Rimes, Phil Barton |
| Luke O’Shea & Lyn Bowtell | Sing Me A Story | Luke O’Shea & Felicity Urquhart |
| Sara Storer | Raindance | Sara Storer & Greg Storer |
CMC VIDEO CLIP OF THE YEAR
| Fanny Lumsden | Real Men Don’t Cry (War On Pride) | Dan Stanley Freeman & Fanny Lumsden |
| Felicity Urquhart | Chain Of Joy | Glen Hannah |
| Lee Kernaghan | Backroad Nation | Jay Seeney, Blacklist Productions |
| Sara Storer | Raindance | Duncan Toombs, The Filmery |
| The Wolfe Brothers | Hey Brother | Jay Seeney, Blacklist Productions |
APPLE MUSIC SINGLE OF THE YEAR
| Brad Cox | Rusty Strings |
| Felicity Urquhart | Chain Of Joy |
| Lee Kernaghan | Backroad Nation |
| Morgan Evans | Young Again |
| The Wolfe Brothers | Hey Brother |
TOYOTA ALBUM OF THE YEAR
| Amber Lawrence | Spark | Stuart Stuart |
| Felicity Urquhart | Frozen Rabbit | Glen Hannah |
| Lee Kernaghan | Backroad Nation | Lindsay Rimes |
| Morgan Evans | Things That We Drink To | Chris DeStefano |
| Sara Storer | Raindance | Matt Fell |
