Hometown singer wins Gold Guitar Award

Jenny Mitchell, of Gore, performs at the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards last night. Photo/Samuel White

A packed audience was treated to myriad sounds and country music at the New Zealand Gold Guitars last night.

Held at the Gore Town and Country Club, country and folk singers from all over the country competed against one another in several categories for the prestigious awards.

Categories included country rock, traditional, gospel and singer/songwriter.

The overall winner in the senior section of the Gold Guitar Awards was Jenny Mitchell, of Gore, for her singer-songwriter category song So Far.

The runners-up were musical duo Flora Knight and Sean Donald, both of Dunedin.

Some of Gore's own performed at the show, including previous intermediate winner Jenny Mitchell, who competed in the senior section for the first time.

Dunedin duo Flora Knight and Sean Donald also performed their own bluegrass style of country music.

Awards publicity officer Shona Hewlett said the weekend event had run smoothly.

"It's been running for 44 years now and it's just smoothly run and it ticks along as it's supposed to."

The junior and intermediate awards show on Saturday was attended by about 1000 people while Mrs Hewlett believed last night's senior final was a "full house" with 1200 spectators.

"We've had great audiences and the contestants all seem happy."

Contestants auditioned during the day in an aptly named "freeze ya bits off'' busking event.

Although no one had complained about the weather specifically, Mrs Hewlett said the buskers may have "found it a bit different''.

The intermediate overall winner was the three person band Mac, comprised of Michelle Hendriks with Alyssa and Campbell Landrebe.

Serenity-Grace Nielsen, of Dunedin, was the junior overall winner.