A Kiwi and an American join the 2024 Country Music Senior Academy

The young talents are undertaking masterclasses at the 2024 Country Music Australian Association (CMAA) senior academy.

Mr Griffith says he is still adapting to Australia's hotter climate, as New Zealand is a bit cooler.

But no matter the weather, he is happy to be part of the 2024 cohort.

"It's great to be here. It feels like I'm coming back home," he said.

"I came here for my first festival last year, did some gigs, and did a bit of busking. But I came here for the junior academy in 2018."

His love of country music runs deep, as he first discovered the genre at the age of seven.

"I watched the Johnny Cash movie Walk the Line, and I just thought I wanted to be that guy," he said.

"So, I walked down to the local pub as a young boy and sang Ring of Fire, and it has just taken off since then."

Mr Griffith has continued to tune his instrument and take every opportunity to showcase his talent in his hometown pubs and clubs.

His talent is unmatched, as he took home the grand prize at the New Zealand Golden Guitar Awards.

But the country music scene is still growing across the waters.

"I was 13 years old when I won a scholarship to come to Tamworth for the junior academy. I did not want to leave, and I wanted to come back straight away," he said.

"It has taken me a little while to come back, but I'm thrilled to be here now."

Ms Hamilton, however, has travelled a little bit further. She hails from Tamworth's sister city, Nashville, USA.

She is the first Nashville-to-Tamworth cross-country exchange between the world's two country music capitals.

"So, I learned a bit about the academy through a friend, and we applied through a sister-city scholarship," she said.

Growing up in Nashville, Ms Hamilton has always been surrounded by music.

She is natural-born singer with a talent for writing songs. When it comes to composing, she has drawn inspiration from American artists, including Tyler Childers, Zac Bryan, and Grace Abraham.

But, since starting classes at her academy, she has found the new experience has really opened her mind.

"It feels awesome. This has been an all new experience, and being able to come to Australia and work with some of the legends right off the bat has been amazing," she said.

"I hope to take back to Nashville a lot of new songs and a lot of new friendships from the academy."