THE
A.B.B.A.
MUSIC EXCELLENCE
AWARDS

Recognising
Achievement in

AUSTRALIAN BUSH BALLAD

& TRADITIONAL
COUNTRY MUSIC

 

For the 2025 ME Award Recipents & Nominees
please go to >>>>



2026

A.B.B.A.
MUSIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS


NOMINEES
ANNOUNCED


7th October 2025

 

 

 

The 2026 A.B.B.A. MUSIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS
nominees!

The Australian Bush Balladeers Association Inc. MUSIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS have again drawn great support in their 2nd year from Australian Bush Balladeers and Traditional Country Music artists alike.

Announced by the A.B.B.A. in April 2024, the awards include specific categories for Australian Bush Ballads and Traditional Country Music.

Specialised judging panels with a dedicated understanding of Australian Bush Ballads, and Traditional Country Music selected the 2026 nominees from a strong field of entries.

The Music Excellence Awards Concert will be held at the Balladeers Homestead, 328 Goonoo Goonoo Road, Thursday 22nd of January at 6.30pm.

Guest artists appearing and ticket information available from www.bushballadeers.com.au/MEAwards.htm from November 1st 2025.

A huge thank you to all who entered, and congratulations to the 2026 Nominees.

Listed in no particular order, the 2026 nominees are…

 

 

AUSTRALIAN BUSH BALLAD - CONTEMPORARY SONG OF THE YEAR

DIANNE COOMBES – Through the Winter – Dianne Coombes
ANTHONY SNAPE – Storytellers – Bruce Mackay (Mack Country) /Anthony Snape
BRENDON WALMSLEY - Cooladdi – Brendon Walmsley
DEAN PERRETT – Roadtrain Country – Angus Gill/Dean Perrett/Alan Mackey/Kelly Dixon
OWEN SMITH feat. MATT SCULLION - Upper Class Bogan – Owen Smith/Matt Scullion

 

 

AUSTRALIAN BUSH BALLAD - HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR

ASHLEY COOK – Diamonds from the Moon – Shaza Leigh & Rick Aitchison
DEAN PERRETT – Flynn Of The Inland – Neville Molloy/Dean Perrett
DIANNE LINDSAY - Ladies Of The Land – Peter Simpson & Dianne Lindsay
KERRI PERRETT – White Crosses and the Rose – Glen Perrett/Dean Perrett
VICTORIA CROSBY – Flowers for Annie – Victoria Anne Crosby

 

 

AUSTRALIAN BUSH BALLAD - TRADITIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR

TERRY BENNETTS – Chasing Rabbits In Her Sleep – Terry Bennetts
PAUL RICKETTS – Barefoot On The Dirt – Paul Ricketts
PATTI MORGAN – The Old Condamine – Virginia Hermel
ALLAN CASWELL – When Scotty Was Still In His Prime – Allan Caswell/Lindsay Waddington
DEAN PERRETT – Rawbelle – Dean Perrett/Steve Hadley

 


OPEN CATEGORY - CLASSIC SONG OF THE YEAR

RODNEY WALKER - The Crow Flying Backwards – Doug Strong
DEAN PERRETT & KERRI PERRETT – Things are Not The Same On The Land – Bill Chambers
MARK RIGNEY – Diamantina Drover – Hugh McDonald
DEAN PERRETT – Grandfather Johnson – Joy McKean
SANDY SUMMERS – Odds on Love – Bruce Mackay (Mack Country)
Sandra Halverson (Sandy Summers)

 

 

OPEN CATEGORY - GOSPEL SONG OF THE YEAR

ALEX VARLOW & RAYLYN VARLOW – One Short Hour – Alex Varlow
BRENDON WALMSLEY – God Loves Country Music – Brendon Walmsley
TINA PETTARAS – What Would I Say To Jesus – Tina Pettaras
BRENDON WALMSLEY/STEVE GRACE/COLIN BUCHANAN - He’s Got The Whole World – Brendon Walmsley/Colin Buchanan

 

 

 

OPEN CATEGORY - INSTRUMENTAL OF THE YEAR

MARK RIGNEY – Bush Dance Boogie - Mark Rigney
PEGGY GILCHRIST – Southern Sky – Clayton Saunders
TERRY BENNETTS/PETER DENAHY/IAN SIMPSON/MARK DONOHOE/JOHN BENNETTS – Slab Hut Gully - Terry Bennetts
ANTHONY BAXTER – The Jumping Jackaroo – Anthony Baxter/Shaza Leigh

 

OPEN CATEGORY - VIDEO CLIP OF THE YEAR

MATT SCULLION – The Boy From Birchip – Matt Scullion (produced by - Gavin Rawlings (Venture Films)
STUDIO 8 – Two Lonely Cowboys and a Half-done Bottle Of Rum – Michelle Morgan/Luke Johnson/Ben Johnson (produced by - Perrin Finlay-Brown
THE WATER RUNNERS – Shelter – John Littrich/Neil McCann (produced by - Blake Lauricella)
BRENDON WALMSLEY – God Loves Country Music – Brendon Walmsley (produced by - Jake Lodder)
OWEN SMITH feat. MATT SCULLION – Upper Class Bogan – Owen Smith/Matt Scullion (produced by - Brainsplode - Owen Smith & Jackson Irwin)

 

 

 

TRADITIONAL COUNTRY - BLUEGRASS SONG OF THE YEAR

MARK RIGNEY – Blackfire Hill – Mark Rigney
JEANNIE KAY – 18 Mountain Drive - Jeannie Kay/Stewart Porter
DIANNE COOMBES – Getting On With Getting Over You –Angus Gill/Jon Weisberger
ALLAN CASWELL & LINDSAY WADDINGTON – Always Ride A Train – Allan Caswell/Lindsay Waddington
THE WATER RUNNERS – Shelter – John Littrich/Neil McCann

 

 

TRADITIONAL COUNTRY - HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR

JEANNIE KAY – Western Queensland – Jeannie Kleynhans (Kay)/Stewart Porter
DON ALLEN – Whiskey & Guitars – Don Allen/Paul John Middlebrook
DEAN PERRETT – Bush Troubadour – Pete Denahy/Dean Perrett
KATHY CARVER – My Country My Australia – Clem O’Dea
ANDREW RYAN – Like It’s Yesterday – Andrew Ryan

 


 

TRADITIONAL COUNTRY - SONG OF THE YEAR

DEAN PERRETT – Famous at Home – Colin Buchanan/Dean Perrett
RODNEY VINCENT – Country Music Man – Rodney Vincent/Michael Cristiano
BRENDON WALMSLEY – Road To Riverleigh – Brendon Walmsley
WILLIAM ALEXANDER – Boundary Rider Blues – William Alexander/Robert Dickinson
CHRISTINE CLIFFORD – The Overland Corner Hotel – Christine Clifford/Anthony Davis

 

Note: Whilst every effort to ensure song titles/songwriters/artists information are correct in this press release, if there should be a typo, or incorrect credit, please email info@bushballadeers.com.au soonest so it can be adjusted. Thank you.

WHERE and WHEN will the
2026 M.E. AWARDS staged?

The ABBA Music Excellence Awards will be held at the Balladeers Homestead, 328 Goonoo Goonoo Road, Tamworth NSW, Thursday January 22nd 6.30 - 9.30pm during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, January 2026.
Please join us for an evening of entertainment and announcement of the 2026 M.E. Awards recipients.

Ticket details here by the 1st of November 2025.

>> The Balladeers Homestead

 

CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU

G'day friends,

Congratulations to all the nominees 2026 M.E. Awards.

I wish to thank all who entered the awards in their 2nd year, and I could not be prouder of how our Australian music industry have embraced the M.E. Awards and their specifically tailored categories designed to help support our Australian Bush Ballads in both Traditional and Contemporary styles, along with a variety of sections supporting our Traditional Australian Country music styles.

My sincere thanks to the judges involved for the time and commitment taken to select the 2026 M.E. Award nominees.

Thank you to Songcentral for providing the independent M.E. Awards platform via the Songcentral network, and a special thank you to Sue (at Songcentral) for her help and assistance of artists queries re the awards.

A big thank you also to those in the media and general public who helped spread the word about these awards since their announcement by the A.B.B.A. in April 2024.

To all who have reached out in support wherever they can to help promote the awards and let everyone know about them. Thank you.

To all able, please help us promote the M.E. AWARDS, via your socials etc.

All efforts to highlight these awards and the Nominees/Winners involved will help bring more awareness of our Australian Bush Ballad and Traditional Country Music artists which in turn helps us build a stronger music industry for all moving forward.


Peter Coad OAM
ABBA President

Note: The advertised 2026 (new) Collaboration & (current) Duo categories did not run due to insufficient entries.

 

 

2027 AWARDS
open 1st of July 2026


 

The Australian Bush Balladeers Association Incorporated. ABN : 75798 969 415