The title of Sara Storer's song, Amazing Night, seems appropriate. It won a Golden Guitar for Bush Ballad of the Year at last night's Country Music Festival Awards in Tamworth, and the Victorian singer-songwriter also took home the award for Female Artist of the Year.
It's been a big couple of months for Storer, who won an ARIA award in November for Best Country Album with Silos, released in March. On Friday she was inducted into the Tamworth's Galaxy of Stars, which recognises outstanding Australian country music artists, following Kasey Chambers and Melinda Schneider in the past two years.
Storer had six nominations at the country music awards, including Song of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year for My Diamond, the song she co-wrote with her five siblings about their dad, Lindsay. Her two wins takes her Golden Guitar tally to 21.
Another big winner was Troy Cassar-Daley, who took out Album of the Year with Things I Carry Around, his 12th record in 20 years, which he also produced. The soaring three-part harmonies of Kevin Bennett, Lyn Bowtell and Felicity Urquhart got the nod for Alternative Country Album of the Year with their debut Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart, produced by Glen Hannah.
Nominated for six awards for his album Hard Light, Travis Collins took out Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for Call Me Crazy and Single of the Year for Just Another Girl. After Golden Guitar nominations in previous years, this is the first win for the 32-year-old Sydney singer, who grew up in Campbelltown and first went to the Tamworth festival aged 11.
Vocal Collaboration of the Year was a big group effort: Catherine Britt with Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Lyn Bowtell, Josh Pyke, Wes Carr and Wendy Matthews, with the defiant track F U Cancer.