Only in Tamworth would you hear the country anthem Redneck Woman over breakfast.
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Thousands of people have gathered for the final weekend of the 52nd Tamworth Country Music Festival, capped off with the Golden Guitar Awards on Saturday night.
Revellers have been filling the town's main street to take in performances from buskers, boot-scooters and whip-crackers in sweltering summer heat.
Singer-songwriter Kaitlyn Thomas played a cover of Gretchen Wilson's hit Redneck Woman on the Fan Zone stage on Friday morning, drawing the requisite "hell yeah" chorus call-back from a coffee-drinking crowd.
Crowds have been keeping cool in temperatures as high as 38C under wide-brimmed cowboy hats and misting machines on the street.
Festival organisers said the event had drawn bigger crowds than last year despite the heat.
At the Riverside camp grounds, Keira Wells and Pamela MacKaway soaked up the sun during their first visit to the festival.
"When we put the tent up, I thought I was going to pass out," Ms MacKaway said.
"But the music, the bands are great."
Ms Wells joked: "We might meet some cowboys."
The festival wraps up with the awards, which honour Australia's country legends and up-and-coming artists.
Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham are among the most nominated acts, with nods in categories including song of the year, album of the year and duo of the year.
Ashleigh Dallas, Fanny Lumsden, Kaylee Bell, Max Jackson and Melanie Dyer are nominated for female artist of the year.
The male artist of the year nominees are Andrew Swift, Brad Cox, Casey Barnes, James Johnston and Travis Collins.
The awards have a long tradition of recognising country artists in their own right, without having to compete with mainstream musicians.
"Awards and recognition, especially in the creative industries is, so important because it really is a calling," awards producer Peter Ross told AAP.
"A lot of artists are born to do it and it's a hard road, so anything we can do to help give recognition along the way is really important."
The festival has always set itself apart by giving artists opportunities from the very start of their careers, he said.
"You can start busking on the streets and move through to appearances in pubs to theatres, clubs, and then ultimately winning an award."
"We have focused on that because it really is about succession planning, passing on the baton and the tradition."
Australian Associated Press
