Tamworth Songwriters Association Awards Winners Revealed

The Tamworth Songwriters Association award winners were announced last night (23 January), with winners including Troy Cassar-Daley, Terry Bennetts and many more praised at the Moonshiners Family Hotel in Tamworth.

In case you’re unfamiliar, The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is a not-for-profit Australia-wide collection of country music-based songwriters celebrating emerging writers in the genre and across other musical fields.

Past winners of the TSA awards include Felicity Dowd, Pete Denahy, Chloe Styler and Fanny Lumsden, Amber Lawrence, Adam Harvey and many more beloved Australian country music songwriters.

This year’s winners are in good company and are set to go even further in their careers with the support of the TSA. You can find the winners and nominees below.

TSA  SONGWRITER SALUTE AWARDS – WINNERS AND FINALISTS

TSA Songmaker Award (voted by TSA Members): Troy Cassar-Daley

Tex Morton Award, An award presented to a great contributor to Australian Country Music

WINNER: Connie Kis Anderson

Special TSA Songmaker Award: Ken Robinson

ALT-COUNTRY

Home Town - Beth Compton

Let Him Go – Katelann Grealy, Lincoln Phelps, Amy Ryan

WINNER: Oh My Girl - Kelsey Berrington, Patrick Kenny

This Old Truck - Jax Tonic, Ronnie Joudo

Walking Against the Wind - Amy Ryan 

BLUEGRASS

Ain’t Gonna Cry No More - Mark Rigney

WINNER: Lonesome Highway Blues - Virginia Hermel

Kissed By a Ghost - Kylie Adams

Collier Noisy Farm - Donna Fisk

Now And Forever - Steve Sparrow

COMEDY NOVELTY – THE GEOFF MACK COMMEMORATIVE AWARD

Ain’t Gonna Do It - Stan Lenz

Don’t Give Me Halloween - Peter Campbell

Green Grass Blue - Duncan Wood

Menage A Trois - Paul Owen

WINNER: Santa Swapped His Sleigh For A Surfboard - Craig Stewart

COUNTRY BLUES

Driving You Home - Andy Penkow, Alan Caswell

Let Me Back Home - Craig Pinkney, Bert Giancristofaro, Paul White, Michael Burn

WINNER: Menopause Blues - Dominique Maurice

Neon Ceiling - Donna Fisk, Michael Cristiano

Shop ’til I Drop - Shelly Jones, Lester Truer 

COUNTRY ROCK

All The Ways - Andy Penkow, Rip Van Parkes, S Barrier 

Emotionless - Craig Woodward

Little She Knows - Sarah Catania

On My Own - Aaron D’Arcy

WINNER: This Is How I Feel - David Javier 

COUNTRY SONG OF THE YEAR: This Is How I Feel – David Javier

GOSPEL SPIRITUAL - THE BRITTON MORRISON COMMEMORATIVE AWARD

WINNER: Just One Thing - Peter Shurley

My Time Of Need - Thomas Libreri, Tessa Libreri

Sweet Loretta - Alan Gilmour, Shirl Llewellyn

Together Again - Andrew Ryan

To Live in Love and Light - Shaza Leigh

LOCAL HEROES & EVENTS - JOHN and JUDY MARTIN COMMEMORATIVE AWARD

Keep The Flame For Me - Craig Stewart

Little Country Store - Craig Lloyd, David Carter, Merelyn Carter

Racehorses Whiskey And Prickly Pear - Steve Montgomery

The Goobragandra Packhorse Man - Brian Stitt

WINNER: The Night I Worked With Tex - Lindsay Waddington, Allan Caswell

LYRICS ONLY

WINNER: Chasing Rabbits In Her Sleep - Terry Bennetts

Down The Line - Kevin Pye

King Tide And Midnight - Diana Davis

Murrumbidgee Crossing - Floyd Black

You Know You Are In Australia - Kevin Pye 

NEW SONGWRITER

Boy Next Door - Shanleigh Rose Carey

WINNER: Bushfire - Gavin Mac

Don’t Talk to Strangers - LeAnne Weeks

Home Town - Beth Compton

Two Way Street - Sari Abbott, Max Jackson 

NOVICE FINALISTS – THE GARRY KOHELER COMMEMORATIVE AWARD

Go Back - Bruce McKay

Oodelaya - Brad McKenna

WINNER: Until Now - Mackenzie Dennis

The Brooklyn Bayou Blues - Chris Murphy

That Old Hills Hoist - Owen Smith

YOUTH – THE JOHN P TOOMEY COMMEMORATIVE AWARD

Boy Next Door - Shanleigh Rose Carey

Brunette Country Girl - Jake Murdoch

WINNER: Good Luck With Your Love - Shanleigh Rose Carey

Until Now - Mackenzie Dennis

When Will I Be Enough - Lucy Beveridge 

THE RADIO PRESENTERS AWARD - In recognition of excellent Songwriting Throughout 2023

Allan Caswell

Angus Gill

WINNER: Andy Penkow

Brendan McMahon

Long and Short of It (Patsy Toop OAM and David Baird)