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

Recognising
Achievement in

AUSTRALIAN BUSH BALLAD

& TRADITIONAL
COUNTRY MUSIC

 

 

 

The 2025 A.B.B.A. MUSIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS

 

The Australian Bush Balladeers Association Inc. inaugural MUSIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS have drawn great support 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.

Entries opened 1st of July and closed 1st of September 2024.

Specialised judging panels with a dedicated understanding of Australian Bush Ballads, and Traditional Country Music selected the 2025 nominees from a strong field of entries.

With judging complete let's take a look at the 2025 nomination totals:

ALICE BENFER has scored an amazing 7 nominations, followed by LINDSAY WADDINGTON with 4 nominations, DIANNE LINDSAY, LLOYD BACK, ASHLEY COOK, BROKEN CREEK 3 nominations, MARK RIGNEY, ANDY PENKOW, JOKERIA, SHELLY JONES BAND, and ANDREW RYAN 2 nominations, whilst DIANNE COOMBES, KATE DANIEL, STUDIO 8, PETER SIMPSON, ANNE FRASER, TERRY BENNETTS & LEE FORSTER, TOM MAXWELL, THE SILVERLINE, LANCE BIRRELL, PETER SALATA, CARL EMERTON, CRAIG LLOYD & MERELYN CARTER, KEN ‘CHAINSAW’ LINDSAY & BRIAN STITT snared 1 nomination each.

Congratulations to all. What a fantastic lineup.

 

 

WINNERS announced 23rd of January 2025

Congratulations to all.


Winners: Shelly Jones Band, Dianne Lindsay, Alice Benfer, Lloyd Back, Paul Ricketts, Lindsay Waddington, (missing Brian Stitt) with Peter Coad ABBA President. Photo by Athol Latham.

 

-------------------------------

Australian Bush Ballad
Heritage Song Of The Year

 


JOKERIA – Roebourne Races (Kendall Smith)


ASHLEY COOK – The Sydney Jillaroo (Shaza Leigh/Ken Knuth)


WINNER: ALICE BENFER – Widgee Widgee Station (Alice Benfer/Kevin Bennett)


KATE DANIEL – The Lady Who Rides (Cheryl Anderson)


STUDIO 8 – Ballad Of Jim Darcy (Luke Johnson/Michelle Morgan)

 


Australian Bush Ballad
Contemporary Song Of The Year

 


ALICE BENFER – Wild Flowers On The Outback (Alice Benfer/Gregory M. Dillon)

DIANNE COOMBES – Heading West Again (Dianne Coombes/Angus Gill)

ALICE BENFER – Everlasting Cactus (Alice Benfer/Kevin Bennett)

WINNER: LLOYD BACK – Rolling Thunder (Lloyd Back)

ANDREW RYAN – Beauty Of The Bush (Andrew Ryan)

 

 

 

 

 



Open Section
Group / Duo Of The Year

 


JOKERIA – No Place For Slim (Kendall Smith)

WINNER: SHELLY JONES BAND – Love Is Like A River (Lester Treuer/Shelly Jones)


THE SILVERLINE – I Don’t Like Whiskey (Michael & Catherine Lehnen, & David Carter)

 


 

 

 

 

 


Open Section
Classic Song Of The Year

 


TERRY BENNETTS & LEE FORSTER – That’s The Kind of Life I Live (Gordon Parsons)

ALICE BENFER – Blacksoil Plains Of The Outback (Merv Maltman)


ASHLEY COOK – The Tractor Pioneers (Peter Pratt)


TOM MAXWELL – Running Short Of Time (Gordon Parsons)


WINNER: ALICE BENFER – When The Rain Tumbles Down In July (David Kirkpatrick)

 

 



Traditional Country
Heritage Song Of The Year

 


LINDSAY WADDINGTON – Lessons You Learn (Allan Caswell/Lindsay Waddington)


KEN 'CHAINSAW' LINDSAY – Gunner The Kelpie Hero (Ken ‘Chainsaw’ Lindsay/Lindsay Waddington)


WINNER: DIANNE LINDSAY – You’re A Hero To Me (M. Heyward)


ALICE BENFER – Long Black Skirts (Alice Benfer)


CRAIG LLOYD & MERELYN CARTER – Little Country Store (Craig Lloyd/Merelyn Carter/David Carter)

 

 

 

 

Open Section
Video Clip Of The Year

 


DIANNE LINDSAY – You’re A Hero To Me (M. Heyward) Produced by Neil Tyne


ANDY PENKOW – Aussie Rain (Andy Penkow/Rip-Van Parks) Video produced by Rip-Van Parks, Directed by Duncan Coombs)


BROKEN CREEK – The Gathering Wool (Erin and Lachlan Heycox)


WINNER: LlOYD BACK – Rolling Thunder (Lloyd Back)


CARL EMERTON - Carved in Stone (Carl Emerton)

 

 


Traditional Country
Song Of The Year

 


ANDREW RYAN – A Trucker’s Life (Andrew Ryan)


WINNER: PAUL RICKETTS – Just Like My Old Man (Paul Ricketts/Lindsay Waddington/Angus Gill)


SHELLY JONES BAND – Defining Moments (Shelly Jones/Lester Treuer)


ANDY PENKOW – Aussie Rain (Andy Penkow/Rip-Van Parks)


LINDSAY WADDINGTON – When I think Of Home (Lindsay Waddington/Allan Caswell)

 

 

 

 

Open Section
Instrumental Of The Year

 


LANCE BIRRELL – Spinifex (Lance Birrell)


MARK RIGNEY – Scalability (Mark Rigney)


BROKEN CREEK – The Grain Store (Erin & Lachlan Heycox)


WINNER: LINDSAY WADDINGTON – Kakadu (Lindsay Waddington)


PETER SALATA – El-Gringo (Lindsay Waddington)

 

 

 

 

Traditional Country
Bluegrass Song Of The Year

 


LINDSAY WADDINGTON – I Don’t Drink Anymore (Lindsay Waddington/Allan Caswell)


 BROKEN CREEK – Dislodge (Erin and Lachlan Heycox)

MARK RIGNEY – No Other Place (Mark Rigney)


WINNER: BRIAN STITT – I Was Born And Bred In The City (Brian Stitt)


LLOYD BACK – The Voice (Lloyd Back)

 

 

 

 

 

Australian Bush Ballad
Traditional Song Of The Year

 


ASHLEY COOK – The Great Outback (Shaza Leigh/Ken Knuth)


WINNER: DIANNE LINDSAY – What’s A Bush Ballad (Peter Simpson/Dianne Lindsay)


PETER SIMPSON – Banks Of The Goobra (Peter Simpson/Pardre Jim Newton)


ANNE FRASER – Beneath Australian Stars (Anne Fraser, Luke Austen & Christine Eccleston)


• ALICE BENFER – Old Felt Hat (Alice Benfer/Gregory M Dillon)

 

 

ANNUAL
ABBA AWARDS

Each year the ABBA present an Industry Award, a ABBA Life Membership Award, and a Bluey Francis Memorial Award for Musical Achievement.

Congratulations to the 2025 Recipients:

  • ABBA INDUSTRY AWARD: Rod Coe
  • ABBA LIFE MEMBERSHIP AWARD: Graeme Hugo
  • BLUEY FRANCIS MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENT: Alice Benfer

Recipients of these three annual ABBA awards were officially announced as part of the M.E. Awards.

 

 

 

WHERE and WHEN were the
2025 M.E. AWARDS staged?

The ABBA Music Excellence Awards were held at the Balladeers Homestead, 328 Goonoo Goonoo Road, Tamworth NSW, Thursday January 23rd 6-9pm during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, January 2025.
Please join us for an evening of entertainment and announcement of the 2026 M.E. Awards recipients.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED THE 2025 AWARDS.

>> The Balladeers Homestead

 

CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU

G'day friends,

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners in the inaugural 2025 M.E. Awards.

I wish to thank all who entered the awards in their first 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 2025 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 2026 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

 

 

 

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