Local songwriters hit the right note in Tamworth Songwriters' Association annual awards

Tamworth local Wendy Wood has made the semi-finalist list for the Country Ballad - John & Jenny Martin Commemorative Award category with her songs Fairytale and When I Say I Love You.

Wood has been writing music for 30 years, but said the two songs hold a special place in her heart.

"I'm one of those songwriters who lives it and writes it," she said.

"The Fairytale song was actually a story about somebody that I love that was special to me, a family member, who got their heart broken by this fella.

"He was supposed to be the knight in shining armour, but he turned out to be the jerk in tin foil."

She said When I Say I Love You is about people who have been in a relationship for a long time, and sometimes take their partner for granted.

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Describing her relationship with songwriting, she said it's been her sanity over the years.

"I was home with the kids by myself, my husband was an interstate truck driver, and at night music was my sanity," she said.

"Sometimes I say it's my insanity because it takes me away from the world and I write whatever I want."

Currabubula local Sarah Nicholls' song You Didn't Have to Be also made the semi-finalist list for the Novice - Gary Koehler Commemorative Award.

"The song is about my step dad, he came into my life at a time when my family was going through a bit of a rough time and took on the role of being my dad," she told the Leader.

"As children I think you resent that a little bit, but over time, I always looked at him as my dad.

"I found out he wasn't well and for some reason the song just came to me, so I wrote it for him so that he knew what I thought about him.

"I was lucky enough to be able to give it to him for Christmas, unfortunately he passed away on the 10^th of January, so I got it to him just in time."

Tamworth artist Shaza Leigh has three songs in the semi-finals, The Sydney Jilleroo, which is a collaboration with Ken Knuth, Cutting Gems out of Stone, and The Old Home's Gone with Billy Wye.

Tamworth country singer Sally-Anne Whitten, and James Caswell's song Not Afraid of The Dark is a semi-finalist in the Country Rock section.

Tamworth Songwriters' Association's Lorraine Pfitzner said entries came from all over Australia.

"We're very happy with the wide variety and the amount of people who have entered this year," she said.

The winners will be announced on January 18 at a gala concert at the Longyard Hotel, Tamworth.

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