The Country Music Awards of Australia (the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards) recognize, celebrate and honour excellence and outstanding achievement in Australian country music.
The Awards presentations are accompanied by a star-studded gala concert featuring outstanding Australian country music and some of our newest rising stars. The Country Music Awards of Australia is the nation's longest running music awards concert and the pinnacle event of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The Awards were first held in 1973, around the same time that the city of Tamworth became known as Australia's Home of Country Music. Since they began the Awards have played the key role in developing and promoting Australian country music. Under the guidance of the CMAA, the awards continue to grow and develop, reflecting the current country music scene in Australia.
Originally, the Awards were staged in the historic Tamworth Town Hall with a capacity audience of around 1,000. Over the years, the Awards venue has ranged from school halls to a giant 'big top' and a converted factory. Since 1999, they have been presented each year at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre (TRECC) in front of an audience of 5,000 fans, artists, industry professionals and visitors.
Back in 1972, 2TM‘s Mr Hoedown, John Minson and 2TM Station Manager, Max Ellis agreed that the country music awards trophy should be "rock solid and truly representative of country music". After deciding on the concept of a bronze guitar, local artist Harry Frost was commissioned to produce a detailed design based on a semi cut-away, dual pick-up, hollow-bodied guitar - in recognition of both traditional design and the modern, amplified electric guitar. The trophies stand 24cm tall and weigh 1.5kgs. In the early years, country music legend John Minson personally prepared each and every Golden Guitar; grinding, smoothing and polishing the rough casts and mounting them on their carefully finished bases.
Today the famous Golden Guitar trophy is recognized all over the nation as a symbol of country music and Tamworth.
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards, the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA), in conjunction with ABC Music, is thrilled to release the official CMAA 50th Anniversary The Winners albums. Available from November 12, the music releases include a Limited Edition Deluxe 4CD set, plus Volume 1 and Volume 2 will be available for sale separately both as CD and via digital partners.
The tracklisting features a who’s who of Australian country music across the decades, including Slim Dusty, Buddy Williams, Col Joye, Jean Stafford, Smoky Dawson, Redgum, Graeme Connors, Keith Urban, James Blundell, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, The McClymonts, Kasey Chambers, The Wolfe Brothers, Fanny Lumsden, Morgan Evans and more!
Dobe Newton, President CMAA, said, "The 50th anniversary of Australia's longest-running music awards show and festival will make the 2022 Toyota Country Music Festival and Golden Guitar Awards truly memorable. The CMAA is honoured to partner with Tamworth Regional Council and the ABC for this special edition of The Winners which catalogues the amazing contribution our writers and artists have made to our nation's music over the decades. The stories told and the voices that tell them are a wonderful reflection of our identity and culture and will be celebrated by fans across the nation and the world."
“2022 is a big year. Not only for the festival itself, but for its pinnacle event, the Golden Guitar Awards,” says Toyota Country Music Festival Manager, Barry Harley.
"This limited-edition CD showcases and celebrates the cream of Australian country music from over the five decades and I couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate the 50-year milestone.”
CMAA 50TH ANNIVERSARY THE WINNERS
Limited Deluxe Edition – including Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 - exclusive physical cd only
Volume 1: 1973 - 1999 - available physically and digitally
Volume 2: 2000 - 2021 - available physically and digitally
VOLUME 1 - CD 1:
Slim Dusty – Lights On The Hill
Slim Newton – Redback On The Toilet Seat
Col Joye – Heaven Is My Woman’s Love
Tex Morton – The Goondiwindi Grey
Rex Dallas – Old Wallerawang
Heather McKean – I Can Feel Love
Lindsay Butler – Closest Thing To Freedom
Saltbush - Sassafras Gap
Suzanne Prentice – Sweet Country Music
1901 – Along The Road To Gundagai
Allan Caswell – King Of The Rodeo
Buddy Williams – Without Friends (What A Dreary Old World It Would Be)
Jean Stafford – Hello Love
Grand Junction – Married Women
Johnny Chester – I Love You So Rebecca
Reg Poole – The Warrumbungle Mare
Barry Thornton – Brian’s Tune
Jewel & Arthur Blanch – The Lady And The Cowboy
The Webb Brothers - Who Put The Roo In The Stew
Bullamakanka – Give Me A Home Among The Gum Trees
Redgum - I Was Only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green)
The Flying Emus – Diamond Creek
Deniese Morrison – Now I’m Easy
VOLUME 1 – CD 2:
John Williamson – True Blue
Smoky Dawson & Trevor Knight – In The Days Of Old Khancoban
Evelyn Bury – I’m Stronger Than I Look
Lawrie Minson – Wild River
Keith Urban – I Never Work On A Sunday
Brian Young – Thistles On The Hillside
Norma O’Hara Murphy – Sarah’s Memory
Anne Kirkpatrick – Out Of The Blue
Colin Buchanan – GalahsIn The Gidgee
James Blundell & James Reyne – Way Out West
Lee Kernaghan – Boys From The Bush
Kev Carmody & Paul Kelly – From Little Things Big Things Grow
Gina Jeffreys – Girls Night Out
Stan Coster – Lawson’s Loaded Dog
The Wheel – I Fell In Love
Graeme Connors – The Road Less Travelled
Sherrié Austin – One Solitary Tear
Tania Kernaghan – Dunroamin’ Station
Troy Cassar-Daley – Little Things
Michael Fix – Mr Wonglepong
Adam Brand – Last Man Standing
VOLUME 2 - CD 1:
Ted Egan – The Drover’s Boy
Adam Harvey – Workin’ Overtime (On A Good Time)
Wolverines – 65 Roses
Troy Cassar-Daley – Born To Survive
Melinda Schneider – The Story Of My Life
Adam Brand – The ANZAC
Sara Storer – Beautiful Circle
Tommy Emmanuel – Tall Fiddler
Tracy Coster & Anne Kirkpatrick – Back To The Saltbush Plains
John Williamson – Chandelier Of Stars
Troy Cassar-Daley with Jimmy Barnes (Ft. Bella) – Bird On A Wire
Beccy Cole – Poster Girl
Kirsty Lee Akers – Little Things
Jetty Road – Million Miles
Graeme Connors – A Good Life
McAlister Kemp – All Kinds Of Tough
The McClymonts – Kick It Up
Catherine Britt – Sweet Emmylou
Shane Nicholson – Bad Machines
The Bushwackers – I Am Australian
VOLUME 2 – CD 2:
Lee Kernaghan – Flying With The King
O’Shea – Thank You Angels
Luke O’Shea – Lady Of The Land
Lachlan Bryan And the Wildes – Black Coffee
Jeff Brown – I Love Australia
Dean Perrett – Bloodwood & Clover
Amber Lawrence – Superhero
Travis Collins – Call Me Crazy
Kasey Chambers – Ain’tNo Little Girl
Brad Butcher – Well Dressed Man
Ashleigh Dallas – Lighthouse
Davidson Brothers – Back Where I Started
Aleyce Simmonds – More Than Meets The Eye
The Wolfe Brothers – Ain’t Seen It Yet
Kristy Cox - Ricochet
Andrew Swift – Runaway Train
Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart – Every Hello (Ft. Karl Broadie)
Morgan Evans – Day Drunk
Blake O’Connor – Worth A Little More
Felicity Urquhart – Chain Of Joy
Fanny Lumsden – Fierce
THE TOYOTA 50TH GOLDEN GUITAR AWARDS
SATURDAY 22 JANUARY 2022
Tamworth Regional Entertainment Conference Centre
NOMINEES ANNOUNCEMENT
Celebrating and showcasing the cream of Australian country music talent, the Toyota 50th Golden Guitar Awards will be held on Saturday, January 22 at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Convention Centre. With the theme ‘Then. Now. Forever. Australian Country.’ next year’s awards will see hundreds of artists strut the red carpet and appear on stage as presenters, performers, or join the ranks as a Golden Guitar winner.
Commencing in 1973, the Golden Guitar Awards are the nation’s longest running music awards and the pinnacle event of the Toyota Country Music Festival, Tamworth. Presented by Tamworth Regional Council and the Country Music Association of Australia, the awards play a vital role in developing and promoting Australian country music talent. Over its 50-year history, in excess of 400 Golden Guitars have been awarded to outstanding Australian country music artists, recognising and celebrating excellence in the industry.
Website: www.tcmf.com.au/awards