Amy Maynard has won the top prize at the coveted NZ Gold Guitar Awards in Gore.
Amy Maynard has won the top prize at the coveted NZ Gold Guitar Awards in Gore.
A Gisborne-born and raised songstress who says she was “just born singing” has taken out the most coveted prize in New Zealand country music, winning the overall prize at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards in Gore at the weekend.
Amy Maynard said it was wonderful to represent her hometown on New Zealand’s largest country music stage.
“It feels incredibly surreal. Just to be able to compete in the Gold Guitar Awards was a huge achievement for me, and to make the finals in four out of the six categories I entered, with all of the incredible talent on display, was huge. Especially as there were at least 50 to 60 contestants in most of the sections.”
Maynard flew to Invercargill from Gisborne with a group from The Gisborne Country Music Club.
“It was incredible to have not only my partner Mitchel Roy with me, but my mum (Maureen Maynard) and my Aunty (Faith Northover nee Maynard) were there supporting me the entire way. Not to mention, that our wonderful club (The Gisborne Country Music Club) run by the irreplaceable “Nanny” Flo Pahuru, had flown down around 20 of us from Gizzy.”
Hundreds of New Zealand’s top country music artists descend on the small town of 8000 each year to take part in the NZ Gold Guitars Awards.
“It has now expanded into a week-long festival of country music at its absolute finest and I feel so incredibly blessed and honoured to have taken out the top spot,” Maynard says.
She sang How Great Thou Art/Whakaaria Mai in the gospel section to win the top prize.
Amy Maynard sings How Great Thou Art in the gospel section at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards in Gore.
“I am surprised that I had any voice left to sing again after winning as I had screamed so much.
“I cried, I laughed and ultimately, I left everything out there on that stage performing the winning number again only this time as the newest recipient of such an incredible award. I am still buzzing and it just felt incredibly rewarding and I am so grateful to everyone who kept believing in me and helped me to get there finally.”
Maynard has been singing since she was 6 years old.
“My grandfather David Rawiri Thompson was the president of our Gisborne Country Music Club before he passed in 97 and I remember him singing Whakaaria Mai at the club. It was his absolute favourite - and now it’s mine.”
She has never been formally taught how to sing but said her whole family “were just born singing”.
“The Gisborne Country Music Club is where my mum and dad (Matthew Maynard) first met, my Nana Linda (Maynard nee Tawhiri) and my late Papa Koro (Apirana Turupa Ngata Maynard) would also sing there and I remember when I didn’t win my first competition at 6 years old (I placed second), my grandfather actually won his veteran section and basically gave me his trophy to have and hold for a while.
“I think he even shared his prize money - $50 or something which was huge for a kid back then.”
This is the biggest prize Maynard has won and includes a Martin acoustic guitar (valued at $5000 thanks to Studio 1), recording time in the studio with Dan Cosgrove at DC Studios, a video shoot with Sweet as Media (valued at $5000), promotional package (with Key 2 Artist Promotions) and photo shoot (sponsored by The Farm Imagery), flights to Tamworth, Australia for their Gold Guitar Awards 25, and $3000 cash (thanks to the Mataura Licensing Trust).
“Oh, and my new best friend, Mr Gold Guitar himself of course.”
She now lives in Hamilton where she teaches singing part-time at Sacred Heart School.
She has been a working musician for the past 12 years and is looking forward to writing new songs on her Martin guitar and recording them ahead of launching her first solo debut album next year.
