Two early Tuis hatch before spring

The New Zealand Music Awards aren't until October but the first two awards were handed out last week.

Nashville-based Kiwi country singer Kylie Harris won the Tui for Best Country Music Album for Kylie Harris. The Tui was presented at the New Zealand Country Music Awards, as part of the week-long Gold Guitar Awards in Gore.

Harris pipped Timaru's Noel Burns with his third album Special to Me and Christchurch's Pat Hannah with her first album, Moods & Memories.

Harris, who has lived in Nashville since 1997, won Tuis for Best Country Music Album in 1995 and 1997 and Gold Guitar awards in 1990 and 1992. She also won a Tui in 1995 for her song Rising Star. She now hosts the TV show, The Edge of Country which reaches 30 million in the US.

Meanwhile, Wellington's Kevin Clark Trio won the Tui for Best Jazz Album for the "live with guests" album The Sandbar Sessions. It is the second Tui for Clark, whose band also won Best Jazz Album at the Music Awards in 2003 for Once Upon a Song I Flew. The other finalists were the Dan Papirany Trio for debut album Session One and the Julie Mason Quintet for third album Estate (Summer).

The 40th New Zealand Music Awards will be held on October 5 at the Aotea Centre, Auckland.