Fanny Lumsden, Travis Collins and more win big at 49th Toyota Golden Guitar Awards

Tamworth Regional Council and the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) has presented the 2021 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards, celebrating the remarkable music and achievements that have come from the industry throughout 2020. 

Hosted by two-time Golden Guitar Award winner Andrew Swift and five-time winner Catherine Britt, the 49th Country Music Awards of Australia were live streamed from Tamworth’s Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre on Saturday, January 23.

The big winner on the night was ARIA Country Award winner Fanny Lumsden, who took home five awards from her seven nominations – including Female Artist of the Year. Her album Fallow, produced by Matt Fell, earned wins for Toyota Album of the Year and Alt Country Album of the Year. She also took out the titles of Apple Music Single of the Year for her song Fierce and CMT Video of the Year for Mountain Song/This Too Shall Pass, which she directed together with her husband, Dan Stanley Freeman.

Country Music Capital News Group or Duo of the Year and Contemporary Country Album of the Year went to The McClymonts for their 6th studio album, Mayhem to Madness, bringing the multi-award-winning sisters to a total of 15 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards.

Keith Urban was the recipient of the 2021 Golden Guitar Award for Top Selling Australian Album of the Year for his latest album, The Speed of Now Part 1. Travis Collins took home his 3rd win in the category of Male Artist of the Year (after 2017 and 2019, respectively) for his #1 ARIA Country and ARIA TOP 10 All Genre album, Wreck Me.

The Weeping Willows won Coca-Cola Instrumental of the Year for their song Prelude; and New Talent of the Year went to acclaimed singer-songwriter, Melody Moko.

Following the win, Moko said, "I am over the moon to have this labour of love recognised and take home a shiny new Golden Guitar, the big bucket list goal that I've been working towards since I was a little girl. I'm so glad I can share my first win as a mum and beside my husband and producer, Michael Muchow."

Amber Lawrence, Aleyce Simmonds, Kirsty Lee Akers and Dianna Corcoran were awarded Vocal Collaboration of the Year for their rendition of John Williamson’s True Blue. Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and producer, Shane Nicholson won APRA AMCOS Song of the Year for The High Price of Surviving, co-written with newcomer, Leyon Milner.

Luke O’Shea, Kevin Bennett, Dean Perrett, Kristy Cox and Tommy Emmanuel also took home awards.

The Bushwackers were honoured as the 2021 inductee into the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown, after some five decades on the road, with front men Dobe Newton and Roger Corbett overcome with emotion at the announcement.

Corbett said, “It’s been quite a journey. We first came to Tamworth in 1981 and won a Golden Guitar and we fell in love with everybody in country music. We’ve been thrilled to be part of this community, part of Tamworth and part of this wonderful, crazy thing we do every year. Thank you for this incredible honour."

The Bushwackers bronze plaque was placed on the commemorative rocks outside the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre the morning after the awards. The Roll of Renown was instigated in 1976, and now displays the names of some 52 winners.

Chairman of the Country Music Association of Australia, Mr Dan Biddle said, “Tamworth is the place that annually embraces the emerging, supports the established, and celebrates the long-standing careers of country music artists in Australia. Despite the covid climate we have all lived through in 2020, there was no exception to this tonight!" 

2022 will mark 50 years of the Tamworth Country Music Festival and Toyota Golden Guitar Awards, and is set to take place from 14 – 23 January. 

See the full list of winners and nominees below.

ALT COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Fanny Lumsden – ‘Fallow’ (Produced by Matt Fell) WINNER
Alison Forbes – ‘Bonedigger’ (Produced by Shane Nicholson)
Angus Gill & Seasons of Change – ‘3 Minute Movies’ (Produced by Angus Gill)
Melody Moko – ‘Two Kids & A Radio’ (Produced by Neilson Hubbard & Michael Muchow)
Rob Hirst and Jay O’Shea – ‘The Lost and the Found’ (Produced by Brent Clark)

CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

The McClymonts – ‘Mayhem To Madness’ (Produced by Andy Mak) WINNER
Casey Barnes – ‘Town Of A Million Dreams’ (Produced by Matt Fell, Michael Paynter & Michael Delorenzis
Jasmine Rae – ‘Lion Side’ (Produced by Lindsey Jackson)
The Buckleys – ‘Daydream’ (Produced by Chad Carlson)
Travis Collins – ‘Wreck Me’ (Produced by Travis Collins & Luke Wooten)

TRADITIONAL COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Luke O’Shea – ‘There In The Ochre’ (Produced by Luke O’Shea) WINNER
Kristy Cox – ‘No Headlights’ (Produced by Jerry Salley)
Roo Arcus – ‘Tumbleweed’ (Tim Crouch & Roo Arcus)
The New Graces – ‘Seasons’ (Garth Porter)
Warren H Williams – ‘These Are The Changes’ (Produced by Warren H Williams)

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Travis Collins WINNER
Adam Brand
Casey Barnes
Luke O’Shea
Warren H Williams

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Fanny Lumsden WINNER
Allison Forbes
Jasmine Rae
Kristy Cox
Melody Moko

COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL NEWS GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR

The McClymonts WINNER
Angus Gill & Seasons of Change
Hurricane Fall
The Buckleys
The New Graces

VOCAL COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR

Amber Lawrence, Aleyce Simmonds, Kirsty Lee Akers, Dianna Corcoran – True Blue WINNER
Adam Harvey and Lee Kernaghan – Ramblin’ Fever
Brad Cox and Adam Eckersley – Remedy
Casey Barnes and Missy Lancaster – No Other You
Small Town Romance and Anne Kirkpatrick – I Don’t Believe You

BUSH BALLAD OF THE YEAR

Dean Perett – Six Decks To Darwin (Written by Dean Perrett, Kelly & Marion Dixon, Ryan Garland) WINNER
Dianne Lindsay – Graveyard Hill (Written by Joy McKean)
Graham Rodger – Running On Empty (Written by Graham Rodger)
Peter Coad – Two Old Bushmen (Written by Peter Coad)
The Howie Brothers – Sing Us Some Slim Dusty Songs (Written by John Howie)

HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR

Luke O’Shea and Kevin Bennett – Happy Australia Day (Written by Luke O’Shea and Kevin Bennett) WINNER
Fanny Lumsden – These Days (Written by Edwina Lumsden, Dan Stanley Freeman and Benjamin Corbett)
John Williamson – The Great Divide (Written by John Williamson)
The New Graces – Seasons (Written by Robyn Martin)
Tom Curtain ft. Lee Kernaghan and Sara Storer – She Gave Us The Song (Written by Garth Porter and Kelly Dixon)

COCA-COLA INSTRUMENTAL OF THE YEAR

The Weeping Willows – Prelude WINNER
Charlie & Jensen – Pussycat
Liam Kennedy-Clark and Gabi Blissett – Wicker Suite
Michael Carpenter and The Banks Brothers – Brothers
Michael Fix – Dalveen

BLUEGRASS RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Kristy Cox (featuring Tommy Emmanuel) – Finger Picking Good WINNER
Allison Forbes & The Weeping Willows – Cold Moon
Charlie & Jensen – Breakfast
Pete Denahy – Darlin’ William’s Gone
The Weeping Willows – Wheels Won’t Roll

NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR

Melody Moko WINNER
Alison Forbes
Cass Hopetoun
Darlinghurst
The New Graces

APRA AMCOS SONG OF THE YEAR

Shane Nicholson – The High Price Of Surviving (Written by Shane Nicholson and Leyon Milner) WINNER
Brad Cox – Give Me Tonight (Written by Brad Cox and Joe Mungovan, Edwina Lumsden)
Fanny Lumsden – Fierce (Written by Edwina Lumsden and Dan Stanley Freeman)
The McClymonts – I Got This (Written by Brooke McClymont, Samantha McClymont, Mollie McClymont and Andy Mak)
Travis Collins – Rainy Day (Travis Collins and Byron Hall)

CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Fanny Lumsden – Mountain Song/This Too Shall Pass (Directed by Fanny Lumsden and Dan Stanley Freeman) WINNER
Morgan Evans – Diamonds (Directed by Gus Black)
Shane Nicholson – The High Price Of Surviving (Directed by Duncan Toombs)
The McClymonts – I Got This (Directed by Bradley Murnane)
Travis Collins – Rainy Day (Directed by Jay Seeney)

APPLE MUSIC SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Fanny Lumsden – Fierce WINNER
Brad Cox – Give Me Tonight
The McClymonts – I Got This
The Wolfe Brothers – No Brakes
Travis Collins – Rainy Day

TOYOTA ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Fanny Lumsden – ‘Fallow’ (Produced by Matt Fell) WINNER
Adam Brand – ‘Speed Of Life’ (Produced by Luke Wooten)
Casey Barnes – ‘Town Of A Million Dreams’ (Produced by Matt Fell, Michael Paynter & Michael Delorenzis)
The McClymonts – ‘Mayhem To Madness’ (Produced by Andy Mak)
Travis Collins – ‘Wreck Me’ (Produced by Travis Collins and Luke Wooten)

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