Mid Cantabrians with a passion for country music recently took to the stage at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in Australia and former Ashburton lad Liam Kennedy Clark took out a top award.
Kennedy Clark, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and his partner Gabi Louise on fiddle, teamed up as Wicker Suite, and were named winner of the 2026 Instrumental of the Year Golden Guitar Award for their performance of Lyrebird.
It was their third Golden Guitar Award.
“Winning our third Golden Guitar feels like a real turning point for us,” the duo said, following the awards.
“Last year, we decided to take a chance on ourselves while we’re still young, and this win has encouraged us to keep believing in what we’re building and to share our music with more people who love country, bluegrass and folk just like us.”
Before forming Wicker Suite, the pair built extensive careers as in-demand freelance musicians.
They performed and recorded with some of Australia’s most respected artists, including Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole and Gina Jeffreys. That experience underpinned Wicker Suite’s distinctive sound — a blend of fiddle-led country, folk and bluegrass, anchored by intimate storytelling and finely honed musicianship.
Partners in life as well as music, the duo formed Wicker Suite after years of touring separately. They chose to step out from behind other artists and tell their own stories.
Kennedy Clark said they now planned to bring their award-winning live show back to New Zealand in April. They will perform at Woodbury Hall on April 11, and at Space Academy, Christchurch on April 12.
‘‘Although we now tour across Australia and New Zealand, my roots in Ashburton and the wider Canterbury region are a big part of who I am as a musician, and it feels special to be returning with my partner as Wicker Suite,’’ he said.
Also at the festival, three members of the Mid Canterbury Music Club, singers Cailin Henderson, Molly Harrison and Brian Sharp, made the finals in several categories.
In Capital Country Music Association (CCMA) national talent quest Cailin was a finalist in the junior, virtual and gospel inspiration sections. Briar in the junior and gospel inspiration sections and Molly in junior section.
Cailin was also a finalists in the Maccas Golden Gig talent quest while Molly was a finalist in the CCMA Junior Song Writer of the Year with her song Into the sunset.
