Golden Guitar Award 2022: Troy Cassar-Daley surpasses Slim Dusty’s career total
By winning three awards at Wednesday night’s ceremony in Tamworth, Troy Cassar-Daley has now claimed 40 Golden Guitars, two more than Slim Dusty’s career total of 38.
At the 50th Golden Guitar Awards in Tamworth, country singer-songwriter Troy Cassar-Daley created history by surpassing a longstanding record belonging to the late Slim Dusty.
By winning three awards at Wednesday night’s ceremony, Cassar-Daley has now claimed 40 Golden Guitars, two more than Dusty’s career total of 38.
Speaking with The Australian earlier this week, the Brisbane-based artist was wrestling with the possibility of going past Dusty and Lee Kernaghan, who has also won 38 awards.
He had considered following what cricketer Mark Taylor did in 1998 by declaring at 334 not out, to match Sir Don Bradman’s highest Test score.
“What Mark did was really honourable, but you’re talking about the music industry here, where people need to continue to grow,” said Cassar-Daley, 52. “If there’s one thing that really rubbed off from Slim to me, it’s that he always said to make sure you feel like you’re growing.
“He encouraged and embraced so many different styles of country artists, like Kasey (Chambers), Keith (Urban) and myself,” he said.
“We’re all very different kettles of fish as far as style goes, but he had his arms out and open for everyone, and that’s probably why we all loved him so much.”
Cassar-Daley’s three awards on Wednesday included male artist of the year, vocal collaboration of the year for a track he recorded with Ian Moss – with whom he is currently touring nationally – and top-selling album of the year for The World Today.
Speaking with The Australian this week, Slim Dusty’s widow, singer-songwriter Joy McKean, tipped her proverbial hat to his achievements.
“I think Troy has been a late bloomer: he was a bit too much with guitars, girls and giggles when he was starting to get places,” she said with a laugh.
“It took him a while to work out of that, but that’s all right – he was learning on the job.
“I for one would not be begrudging him anything that he gets, because he’s been around a long time,” said McKean, 92.
“He certainly was no overnight success. He’s worked hard for it, so good on him.”
Singer-songwriter Shane Nicholson took home four awards from five nominations on Wednesday, including album of the year for Living In Colour, and both song of the year and single of the year for And You Will Have Your Way.
Tamworth-born musician Ashleigh Dallas was awarded female artist of the year, while Beccy Cole was named as the newest inductee of the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown, in a surprising addition to Cole’s role co-hosting the ceremony with Adam Harvey.
Rescheduled from its usual home on the calendar in January due to Covid restrictions, the Tamworth Country Music Festivals continues through to Sunday, with a star-studded 50th anniversary concert to be held on Thursday afternoon.
2022 Golden Guitar Award Winners
Album of the Year: LIVING IN COLOUR
Shane Nicholson | Producer: Shane Nicholson
Alt Country Album of the Year: LIVING IN COLOUR
Shane Nicholson | Producer: Shane Nicholson
Contemporary Country Album of the Year: KIDS ON CASSETTE
The Wolfe Brothers | Producers: Nick Wolfe, Matt Fell, Lindsay Rimes,
Johnny Gasparic, Scott Bradley Steven, Patrick James
Traditional Country Album of the Year: SONGS FROM HIGHWAY ONE
Adam Harvey | Producer: Adam Harvey
Male Artist of the Year:
TROY CASSAR-DALEY
Female Artist of the Year:
ASHLEIGH DALLAS
Country Music Capital News Group or Duo of the Year:
THE WOLFE BROTHERS
Vocal Collaboration of the Year: TROY CASSAR-DALEY & IAN MOSS
South (feat Ian Moss)
Bush Ballad of the Year: THE EASY WAY
Angus Gill | Songwriters: Angus Gill & Manfred Vijars
Heritage Song of the Year: DIRTY RIVER
Michael Waugh | Songwriter: Michael Waugh
Coca-Cola Instrumental of the Year: SOUTHERN GOTHIC
The Weeping Willows
Bluegrass Recording of the Year: BLACK CROW
The Weeping Willows
New Talent of the Year: DARLINGHURST
Where Do We Go
Song of the Year: AND YOU WILL HAVE YOUR WAY
Shane Nicholson | Songwriter: Shane Nicholson
Video of the Year: LONG WAY ‘ROUND
Luke O’Shea (feat Ashleigh Dallas) | Director: Jay Seeney
Single of the Year: AND YOU WILL HAVE YOUR WAY
Shane Nicholson
Top Selling Album of the Year: THE WORLD TODAY
Troy Cassar-Daley
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