Australia’s top country music artists honoured in Tamworth

The creme of Australia’s country music talent gathered for the 47th Country Music Awards of Australia with favourite Kasey Chambers among the list of winners. FULL LIST OF WINNERS

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It is hard to imagine Kasey Chambers ever struggling to get a gig.

That was the case though when a fresh faced 15-year-old first visited the Tamworth Country Music Festival, known as the country music capital of Australia.

“I couldn’t get a gig so we had to set up out the front of the Central Hotel and we had to busk,” Chambers told The Sunday Telegraph.

Kasey Chambers took home her 22nd country music award-winning the Traditional Country Album of the Year. Picture: Richard Dobson

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“They were some of the best gigs ever and I actually think of that gig as a turning point in my career.”

That was back in 1992 when Chambers, her parents Bill and Diane and brother Nash were the Dead Ringer Band.

Now, 27 years later, she’s not just our top female country artist but also a pop singer, inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in November.

That first Tamworth festival saw the group booked to play the Gympie Muster, and Chambers signing to EMI Music, with whom she released her chart topping debut solo album The Captain seven years later.

Tamworth Country Music winners.

“I look at busking out on the street, I wouldn’t have the career that I have if we didn’t set up outside the hotel,” she said.

Tamworth’s Peel Street is still a hotspot for buskers throughout the festival, which culminated in the annual Golden Guitar Awards last night, where Chambers took home her 22nd gong, for traditional country album of the year for her release with The Fireside Disciples, Campfire.

She remembered of 1992: “We set up with our full band and there were no sound restrictions,” Chambers recalled. “I don’t know how I’d go with my foghorn voice now. I would drown out the whole street. I’d get complaints from everywhere.”

The Wolfe Brothers took home four awards including the coveted Toyota Album of the Year.

Looking back, the 42-year-old wouldn’t change a thing.

“I was so naive, I had come off the Nullarbor Plain,” she said. “I didn’t know about record labels or radio or the rules of what you’re meant to do in the industry and I am kind of glad I didn’t. Not that I didn’t make any mistakes, I made heaps and I still do. There was a naivety back then that made me take chances that maybe if I knew all the stuff I do now I wouldn’t take them.”

Among the big winners were The Wolfe Brothers, who took out four awards including the coveted Toyota Album of Year and Song of the Year with Ain’t Seen It Yet.

Beccy Cole was crowned Female Artist of the Year, with Travis Collins taking out Male Artist of the Year.

Country music veteran John Williamson took out Bush Ballad of the Year with his Please Don’t Forget Me.

Originally published as Australia’s top country music artists honoured in Tamworth