Troy Cassar-Daley, Australia’s most decorated Golden Guitar winner, leads the nominations for the 2025 Golden Guitar Awards with a total of six nods. Michael Waugh follows closely with five nominations, while Colin Buchanan, James Johnston, Kasey Chambers, Kingswood, and Lee Kernaghan each received four nominations.
The country music scene in Australia has had a standout year, with both established and up-and-coming artists releasing fresh music, music videos, and touring across the country and internationally.
A total of over 650 entries were submitted for the prestigious 2025 Golden Guitar Awards, with the winners set to be revealed on January 25 during the Toyota 53rd Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The Tamworth Regional Council, in partnership with the Country Music Association of Australia Inc. (CMAA), is excited to announce this year’s nominees.
Troy Cassar-Daley stands out as the most nominated artist with six nominations. His latest album, Between The Fires, earned nominations for both Alt/Americana Country Album of the Year and Toyota Album of the Year. His song “Let’s Ride” is nominated for Single of the Year, while his collaboration with Kevin Bennett, “Some Days,” is up for Song of the Year. “Windradyne” has been nominated for Heritage Song of the Year, and Cassar-Daley is also in the running for Male Artist of the Year.
Michael Waugh, a songwriter and performer, earned five nominations, including Male Artist of the Year, Alt/Americana Country Album of the Year, and Toyota Album of the Year for Beauty & Truth, produced by Shane Nicholson. His song “Father’s Day” is nominated for Heritage Song of the Year, and his collaboration with Colin Buchanan, “Sing Me The Land,” is up for Vocal Collaboration of the Year.
Several other artists received four nominations, including Colin Buchanan, James Johnston, Kasey Chambers, Kingswood, and Lee Kernaghan.
Peter Ross, Executive Producer of the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards, commented that this year’s nominees reflect the diversity within Australia’s country music industry.
“The 2025 awards will highlight the hard work and creativity of artists from across the nation. The nominees represent a broad range of styles and sounds, and we look forward to celebrating them in January,” Ross said.
Kasey Chambers, a 24-time Golden Guitar winner and 2018 Roll of Renown inductee, is nominated in four categories, including Heritage Song of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and CMT Video of the Year for her track “Backbone (The Desert Child).”
Colin Buchanan, a 2023 Roll of Renown inductee and nine-time Golden Guitar winner, has four nominations, including Traditional Country Album of the Year and Toyota Album of the Year for his album Memory Town. His song “Laura & Giselle” is up for Bush Ballad of the Year, and “Sing Me The Land” is nominated for Vocal Collaboration of the Year.
Kingswood, the ARIA-nominated band that spent eight weeks at #1 on the ARIA Australian Country Charts, earned four nominations for their album The Tale of G.C. Townes. The band’s track “Tell Me A Story” is nominated for Bluegrass Recording of the Year, and “Jet” is up for Instrumental of the Year.
The nominees were unveiled at an exclusive industry event held at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney, attended by more than 150 people, including nominated artists and industry representatives. The event was hosted by 2024 New Talent of the Year recipient and Tamworth Country Music Festival Ambassador Max Jackson, alongside two-time Golden Guitar winner James Johnston. The pair will also co-host the Toyota 53rd Golden Guitar Awards ceremony in January.
James Johnston and Lee Kernaghan both received four nominations, including Vocal Collaboration of the Year, Song of the Year, CMT Video of the Year, and Single of the Year for their song “Who I Am.”
Max Jackson is nominated in three categories: Female Artist of the Year, CMT Video of the Year, and Single of the Year for her song “Little More Country.”
Eight other artists received three nominations each, including Andy Penkow, Ashleigh Dallas, Casey Barnes, Kristy Cox, Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers, Taylor Moss, Tori Forsyth, and The Wolfe Brothers.
With a total of 103 nominees across 16 categories, the 2025 Golden Guitar Awards are shaping up to be a major event for Australia’s country music scene.
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