McClymonts win group award again

Sister act: Sam, Mollie and Brooke McClymont pose for the line of photographers at the Golden Guitars.

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WHEN asked what was next after taking home the Golden Guitars for Heritage Song of the Year and Bush Ballad of the Year at Saturday night’s Australian Country Music Awards in Tamworth, Luke Austen’s response could not have been more optimistic.

“The sky. That is what we are aiming for,” he said.

Luke’s reputation has quickly grown since being named the winner of the Toyota Starmaker competition at last year’s Tamworth festival and things just keep happening for the young musician.

“Four nominations was a first for the Starmaker and I was stoked about that, but two wins, especially in these categories, Heritage Song of the Year and Bush Ballad of the Year, that is a first as well,” he said.

“I am just so rapt.

“To be acknowledged as a singer- songwriter means the absolute world to me.”

Luke said he used the Starmaker title and the awards that came with it to his best advantage, Luke plans to use his latest accolades to progress his career and knock a few more goals off his list.

“Now that I have got some accreditation behind my music and my product we are going to be persisting even more so than before and we have a heap of stuff in the pipeline and a lot of goals on the list to cross off and this just makes everything so much clearer,” he said.

Taking out the Group of the Year accolade for the fourth consecutive year was an achievement for The McClymonts, and one that Brooke, Sam and Mollie really appreciated.

“Like we say they are so hard to get so to have it in our little hand is very exciting,” Sam said.

“You never know if you are ever going to get a nomination again so you always really appreciate the award.”

Mollie added she will have no trouble making room on the mantle for the latest addition to the trio’s rapidly growing trophy collection, and Brooke plans to place her newest Golden Guitar in her new shed/studio at her South Coast home.

However, one other member of the family may want to get his hands on one of the new Golden Guitars, too.

“Dad is actually having a golden guitar party down the back in his shed and he has got a golden guitar sitting on the table and all of his friends around it so he would be stoked. I think he will want to steal one again,” Brooke said with a laugh.