'It was magic': Travis Collins up for six Golden Guitars for country music

"The golden guitars are a massive one, in terms of accolades, but in terms of where my heart really feels the most gratitude, is when I'm on stage, hearing audiences sing my songs," Mr Collins told the Leader.

"There's really nothing that can come close to that... when you hear the audience get to a certain volume and you can step away from your own microphone. It's like you never stopped singing it."

The eight-time Golden Guitar winner - including three-time Male Artist of the Year - will be putting his heart and soul into his big show at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) on January 26.

"This is a show that's been manifesting in my brain for about seven years. We've just never had the opportunity to go into a venue of that scale," Mr Collins said.

"If it goes on the night the way it's been playing out in my head, I think it's gonna blow them away."

The following night, on January 27, from 7.30pm the highly talented country music singer and songwriter will find out whether he has won another coveted Golden Guitar.

He is up for Contemporary Country Album of the Year and Album of the Year for Any Less Anymore, Single of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year for Runnin' the country, Song of the Year for Raise me, and Male Artist of the Year.

Mr Collins wrote Raise me in the weeks before his first-born Ava came into the world on October, 26, 2021, and released it earlier this year.

"Raise me came from a pretty vulnerable spot of insecurity," Mr Collins said.

"I was starting to panic about whether I was going to be ready or good enough, and I wrote this song, kind of as a letter, more of a mission statement, to my unborn child; I don't know how good I'm gonna be, I don't know what kind of kid you're gonna be, but I'm always gonna try my hardest."

He said about the song; "I didn't think in my wildest dreams it would strike a chord with so many fellas out there, and not just blokes, but mums and parents in general."

Mr Collins and his wife Bec Collins recently welcomed their second-born, a son named Everett on November 3.

"She's fantastic," Mr Collins said of his wife. "She's cruising through motherhood. It's so admirable watching her. I feel like I'm just trying to keep up and be half parent she is."

Travis co-wrote Runnin' the country during COVID, with the Wolfe Brothers, who are also up for six Golden Guitar nominations next year.

"People think it's a political song, but mate, we're three country boys, we wouldn't have a political song in us," Mr Collins said.

"We just wrote it as a bit of a 'tongue in cheek' thing where it just started over couple of beers, while joking 'if they gave me a crack [at running the country] this is what I'd do... '.

"And then we just started thinking, 'we should write a song about that... what if they let us simpletons in there for one day, what would we do?'"

Country music was the cornerstone of Mr Collins' upbringing in Cessnock, NSW, "more so than TV or listening to the radio", he said of the influence his father's musical talent had on him.

"My father played in a weekend band and he'd go on the road on the weekends and play shows locally and around NSW," he said.

"Dad's friends would come around and they'd sit around the kitchen table and just jam, play different songs, write different songs.

"So I had a front row seat watching music being created; of how music could be an idea turned into a song taken into a gig. It was magic to me."

Mr Collins said ever since then, he has loved country music, "from the first few chords, to coming into Tamworth when I was 10 busking on Peel Street.

"And every year, coming back for something a little bit bigger. It's just been such a humbling and gratifying thing to be a part of."

Mr Collins and his young family visit Tamworth a few times every year to meet-up with friends or have a long lunch with mates at the Longyard Hotel.

"Tamworth is like a second home to me. My wife and I often, sometimes still do, flirt with the idea of moving up here. We're only just down the road in the Hunter. And we've got some great friends here."