Tamworth Country Music Festival: Golden Guitar Award winners revealed

Chart topping duo Sheppard performed with Aussie country group The Wolfe Brothers at the 50th annual Tamworth Country Music Festival last night. See all the Golden Guitar winners here.

Jonathon MoranChief Entertainment Writer

@jmoconfidential

3 min read

April 20, 2022 - 11:05PM

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Amy Sheppard is stepping outside the comfort of chart topping group, Sheppard, to release her first ever solo single. And with the “blessing” of superstar country artist, Kasey Chambers, it appears she is on the right track.

“This is something that I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time but something I never had the courage to do,” Sheppard told The Daily Telegraph. “I never felt that I could step outside of Sheppard and explore this part of me.”

Until now, she has been known as one of the coloured haired siblings in Sheppard, known for global hits like Geronimo and Coming Home.

Her first solo single, Nothing But Wild, is a country pop track she wrote in Nashville and will be the first single of her EP with a full album also already recorded.

“I want to use my skills from Sheppard and all of my songwriting skills from being in the pop world and mesh it with my love for country,” she explained. “I have an album ready to go, I’ve been working on it for three years.”

Singer Amy Sheppard released her first solo single at the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame in Tamworth. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Sheppard last night performed with top Aussie country group The Wolfe Brothers at the Golden Guitars as part of the 50th annual Tamworth Country Music Festival.

The Wolfe Brothers were named group of the year and also took home the trophy for contemporary country album of the year.

Golden Guitar Awards winner Shane Nicholson pictured at the Peel River in Tamworth. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The big winner of the night though was Shane Nicholson, who secured four awards from five nominations — alt country album of the year and album of the year for his release, Living In Colour and APRA AMCOS song of the year and single of the year for his track, And You Will Have Your Way.

“The shine never wears off winning awards,” he said. “The thrill of it never diminishes. I don’t think any artist would tell you they make music to win them but once you do, you don’t want to give them back.

Tamworth Country Music Festival. Image: Supplied

The haul of four new Golden Guitars adds to the tally of 11 that he already has at home. He also has three ARIA Awards to his name.

“It is a good reminder that maybe you’ve still got it,” he smiled. It feels like this record that I made as some sort of therapy for myself actually had a higher purpose than just making me feel good, it means it made other people feel good of affected them in some way. It feels like the record has achieved something than what you wanted to achieve at the start.”

Troy Cassar-Daley was named male artist of the year. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Nicholson’s album was in large part inspired by best mate and long-time musical collaborator, Glenn Hannah, who died in 2019. The 45-year-old has a tattoo of Hannah’s nickname — Goonga — on his neck as a permanent reminder of their friendship.

“That is what we all called him, a few of us got his name tattooed,” said Nicholson, who has two children with ex wife Chambers and this week announced his partner Emma is pregnant with their first child together.

“I did it on my neck because he played in my band for 17 years on my right side so was always in my right ear.”

Troy Cassar-Daley meanwhile was named male artist of the year while Tamworth local Ashleigh Dallas won the female artist crown.

Golden Guitar Awards female artist of the year nominees from left Ashleigh Dallas, Jayne Denham, Catherine Britt, Amber Lawrence and Hayley Jensen pictured in Tamworth. Picture: Jonathan Ng