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< Back 01 JULY 2022 James Johnston and Kaylee Bell announce a new single 'SAME SONGS' Pre-Save to WIN a HOUSE CONCERT anywhere in the world! ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR A first. A global friendly comp where a fan can WIN a HOUSE CONCERT by James Johnston and Kaylee Bell anywhere in the world! CLICK IMAGE TO PRE-SAVE

< Back 22 NOVEMBER 2022 Road to success: Tamworth nod the ticket to singer’s future Country singer-songwriter James Johnston has sold out the biggest venue in Tamworth for his festival debut | GOLDEN GUITAR NOMINEES ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR Heading into the annual summer festival held in Tamworth, James Johnston was hoping to sell a few tickets to his debut headline show at the capital of Australian country music. Trying to drum up interest in the live arena is a rite of passage for all performers, but it’s a desire that often goes unfulfilled, especially when artists have only released a handful of songs. The singer-songwriter was thrilled, then, to achieve his goal two months out from his January 18 concert – but this will be no small pub gig. “I’ve been lucky that I’ve played around the country, playing events and festivals,” Johnston, 31, told The Australian. “But for my very first ticketed show, I decided that I wanted to go big: what’s the biggest venue in Tamworth? Let’s try to sell that out.” Go big he did: Johnston’s sold-out gig is at the 1600-capacity entertainment centre known as TRECC, where only the biggest names in country music tend to play, such as veterans Troy Cassar-Daley and Lee Kernaghan. That same venue space will host the annual Golden Guitar Awards on January 21, and Johnson learned on Tuesday that he is the lead nominee, as a finalist in six categories including best new talent and song of the year. Speaking with The Australian last week, before the nominations were announced, Johnston was keeping a lid on his ambitions for the sector’s annual gathering. “I would say ‘hopes and dreams’, not expectations,” he said with a laugh. “I used to go to the Golden Guitars, and most of my country music heroes have stood up on that stage, so I’d be honoured if one day I get to do the same thing.” With six nominations, Johnston leads some highly esteemed colleagues: both Amber Lawrence and Adam Brand are up for five awards, as is Gold Coast country rocker Casey Barnes, while Tamworth local Ashleigh Dallas has four nominations. Since releasing his debut single, Raised Like That , in September last year, Johnston has amassed millions of Spotify streams and skilfully built an audience on video platform TikTok, where he has 195,000 followers . Having appeared on Australian Idol in 2009, when he placed third, then on The X-Factor in 2014, the artist from the NSW mid-north-coast town of Wingham knows how fickle the music business can be. “From being on reality TV shows to playing a thousand dirty pub gigs with a mate around Australia, I pull every one of those experiences into my live show and into my songwriting today,” he said. There’s another facet of his life that he doesn’t shy away from showing on social media , either: as a happily married father. “Trust me, there’s been plenty of people in the music industry that told me I should hide that part of my story,” he said. “I’ve gone, ‘Stuff that: I’m going to tell my story’,” said Johnston. “I am a proud family man, I’m a dad of two, and I love my wife. I’m proud of that part of my story, and I want to share all of it.” Toyota 51st Golden Guitar Awards 2023 Nominees APPLE MUSIC SINGLE OF THE YEAR All Or Nothing – Adam Brand Memory Lane – Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley Get To Know Ya – Casey Barnes Small Town – James Johnston Sing Along Drink Along – Morgan Evans CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR Star Of The Show – Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley – Directed by Brad Murnane Small Town – James Johnston – Directed by Elijah Cavanagh South East Queensland – Luke O’Shea – Directed by Luke O’Shea and Jay Seeney Something Good’s Gonna Happen – The Wolfe Brothers featuring Amy Sheppard – Directed by Jay Seeney One Of Them Nights – Travis Collins – Directed by Jay Seeney VOCAL COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR James Johnston & Kaylee Bell – Same Songs Kirsty Lee Akers, Amber Lawrence and Ashleigh Dallas – Let The Girls Sing Lee Kernaghan, Mitch Tambo and Isaiah Firebrace – Come Together Lyn Bowtell & Shane Nicholson – Wiser Melanie Dyer & Caitlyn Shadbolt – Dumb Decisions INSTRUMENTAL OF THE YEAR Dust – Angus Gill & Pixie Jenkins Burning Mountain – Michael Carpenter and The Banks Brothers featuring Hamish Davidson Fidget Spinner – Mickey Pye Clippety Clop – Pete Denahy Soda Cap Boogie – The French Family Band BLUEGRASS RECORDING OF THE YEAR Sweet Sister Jasmine – Angus Gill Good Morning Moon – Kristy Cox Until This Song Ends – Lynchburg & The Weeping Willows Road Man – Michael Carpenter and The Banks Brothers House Of Sin – The Weeping Willows HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR I’m Coming Home – Written by Amber Lawrence and Katrina Burgoyne – Recorded by Amber Lawrence Listen to the Country – Written and Recorded by Angus Gill & Kevin Bennett Bogswamp – Written by Josh Cunningham – Recorded by Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham Come Together – Written by Lee Kernaghan, Mitch Tambo, Isaiah Firebrace, Nicholas Wolfe, Colin Buchanan and Garth Porter – Recorded by Lee Kernaghan, Mitch Tambo and Isaiah Firebrace South East Queensland – Written by Luke O’Shea, Fred Smith and Mitchell Lynham – Recorded by Luke O’Shea BUSH BALLAD OF THE YEAR Sometimes It’s Your Job – Written by Allan Caswell, Manfred Vijars and Lindsay Waddington – Recorded by Allan Caswell Ghostly Gums – Written by Kath Stewart, David Carter, Angela Bristow-Baohm and Andy Penkow – Recorded by Andy Penkow Waiting for the Boss – Written by Angus Gill, Alan Mackey & Mary O’Brien – Recorded by Angus Gill featuring Anne Kirkpatrick Out on Killarney – Written and recorded by Dean Perrett Family Tree – Written by Rod McCormack, Dianne Lindsay and Peter Simpson – Recorded by Dianne Lindsay NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR Blake Dantier Cass Hopetoun James Johnston Max Jackson Taylor Moss COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL NEWS GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes McAlister Kemp The Buckleys The Weeping Willows MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Adam Brand Andrew Swift Casey Barnes James Johnston Morgan Evans FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR Amber Lawrence Ashleigh Dallas Hayley Jensen Lyn Bowtell Melanie Dyer SONG OF THE YEAR All Or Nothing – Written by Adam Brand, Nicholas Wolfe and Tom Wolfe – Recorded by Adam Brand Star Of The Show – Written by Brooke McClymont, Adam Eckersley and Robby De Sa – Recorded by Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley Small Town – Written by Casey Barnes, Michael DeLorenzis and Michael Paynter – Recorded by Casey Barnes Small Town – Written by James Johnston and Nolan Wynne – Recorded by James Johnston South East Queensland – Written by Luke O’Shea, Fred Smith and Mitchell Lynham – Recorded by Luke O’Shea ALT COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dead Men Tell No Tales – Allison Forbes – Produced by Matt Fell Strength Of A Queen – Andy Golledge – Produced by John Vella & Ryan Miller Tug of War – Jenny Mitchell – Produced by Matt Fell Looks Like Heaven – Kim Cheshire – Produced by Rod McCormack You Reap What You Sow – The Weeping Willows – Produced by Andrew Wrigglesworth & Laura Coates CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR All Or Nothing – Adam Brand – Produced by Adam Brand, Vesa Matara, Benjy Pocock and Luke Wooten Living For The Highlights – Amber Lawrence – Produced by Stuart Stuart Light It Up – Casey Barnes – Produced by Michael DeLorenzis and Michael Paynter Silver Linings – Kaylee Bell – Produced by Simon Oscroft, Andy Mak and Joseph Faris Wiser – Lyn Bowtell – Produced by Shane Nicholson TRADITIONAL COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR In The Moment – Ashleigh Dallas – Produced by Brett Dallas Dry Season – Blake Dantier – Produced by Simon Johnson Shades of Blue – Kristy Cox – Produced by Jerry Salley Mr Goodtime – Michael Carpenter and The Banks Brothers – Produced by Michael Carpenter Travelling Heart – TC Cassidy – Produced by Angus Gill TOYOTA ALBUM OF THE YEAR All Or Nothing – Adam Brand – Produced by Adam Brand, Vesa Matara, Benjy Pocock and Luke Wooten Living For The Highlights – Amber Lawrence – Produced by Stuart Stuart In The Moment – Ashleigh Dallas – Produced by Brett Dallas Light It Up – Casey Barnes – Produced by Michael DeLorenzis and Michael Paynter Silver Linings – Kaylee Bell – Produced by Simon Oscroft, Andy Mak and Joseph Faris

< Back 22 JANUARY 2023 JAMES JOHNSTON CONTINUES METEORIC RISE WITH TWO GOLDEN GUITAR AWARDS Last night in Tamworth NSW, Australia’s spiritual home of country music, a boyhood dream was realised. ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR Last night in Tamworth NSW, Australia’s spiritual home of country music, a boyhood dream was realised. The Wingham born, now Queensland based James Johnston took home two Golden Guitar Awards for New Talent of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year for ‘SAME SONGS’ , a duet with Kaylee Bell. “I’m just so blown away to have won a golden guitar, let alone two”, Johnston said after the win. “So many of my heroes have stood on that stage to receive this award and to now have two of my own is pretty special!” It’s an incredible result for Johnston who released his ARIA Gold selling debut single ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ in 2021 and has now amassed 32 million streams across his single releases making him one of the most popular and exciting new artists on the Australian music landscape right now. But what seems like an overnight success for James Johnston is only telling part of his journey. James spent his early years hopping from farm-to-farm with his dad, selling and servicing tractors. With hours spent on the road travelling, James was introduced to great artists like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Garth Brooks and at just four years of age, James hit the stage for the very first time, performing ‘Friends in Low Places’ in front of his kindergarten class. From that moment on James’s future was set, he was a born performer. Throughout his teens, James and his family would spend most weekends travelling and performing on any stage that would take him. In 2008, James graduated from high school, bought a van and set out on the great Australian road trip, playing every little town and every pub he could find. Opportunities with Australian Idol and The X Factor came his way, giving Johnston valuable experience and further shaping him as an artist and performer. After a few years of living show-to-show, James needed inspiration and what better place to find it than where the soundtrack of his youth came from, Nashville Tennessee. It was this experience which changed him forever. James didn’t realise it at the time but for all the gigs he’d played, all the roads he’d travelled and all the people he’d met, the experiences were stored inside him. In Nashville, they poured out as songs. 300 songs in fact. James finally found his voice as a songwriter. Since his debut release of ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ Johnston has had another three #1 country radio songs with ‘SMALL TOWN’ , ‘COUNTRY BOYS’ and 'SAME SONGS' . The fruits of James’ labour have well and truly paid off. His ever growing legion of fans have been connecting to his authenticity as a songwriter as well as his road-hardened electric performances such as his show stealing sets at CMC Rocks Queensland and Savannah in The Round in 2022. It was a very proud James Johnston who took to the stage last Wednesday at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre for his first ever a sold out headline performance, the largest ticketed show at the festival. But of course, Johnston is only just getting started! 2023 will be a big year for the artist starting with his new single ‘GOT IT GOOD’ released this Thursday 26th January. The anticipation has reach fever pitch ever since Johnston started previewing the song on New Year’s Day. With thousands of pre-saves for ths single already, ‘GOT IT GOOD’ is set to be James’ biggest release yet. When asked what’s install for 2023, Johnston said: “This year I’m excited to release a lot more music and get out and bring my show to the people. That has always been my passion, getting out across the country to play shows and meeting the people that have been on this ride with me. 2023 has certainly kicked off in a big way!”

< Back 06 MAY 2022 James Johnston reveals new single 'COUNTRY BOYS' There’s no mountain too high for James Johnston. He’s just returned from performing alongside Lee Kernaghan at the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival and Golden Guitar Awards; has amassed over 14M streams and counting; and recently celebrated his previous single ‘SMALL TOWN’ spending a remarkable 10 weeks at the #1 spot of the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay charts - an unparalleled feat for an Aussie artist in recent years. Now the breakout country star is back with his latest infectious anthem, ‘COUNTRY BOYS’. ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR Despite Johnston’s meteoric rise he’s still as down to earth as it gets. Raised on the outskirts of the small town of Wingham, Johnston reminisces on his humble beginnings in ‘COUNTRY BOYS’ , singing, “We were building bonfires on Friday nights / we were chasing round them girls we liked.” It’s familiar territory for the ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ singer, as he glorifies rural living. “COUNTRY BOYS is my childhood captured in a song,” beams Johnston . “From riding dirt bikes to losing summers swimming in the creek.” Johnston’s bold and modern sound on ‘COUNTRY BOYS’ was once again forged alongside frequent collaborator, Justin Wantz (USA). Johnston and Wantz produced the track between Nashville and Australia, with Johnston bringing sought after Sydney producer, Liam Quinn ( Guy Sebastian, Rita Ora ), into the fold to record his vocals. The praise for Johnston’s music from media and fans alike is evidenced by its massive success. His debut offering, ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ , reached #1 on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay charts and has passed 11M combined streams. It’s now regarded as the fastest streamed single by an Australian Country artist ever! Its follow up, ‘SMALL TOWN’ , was another home run for Johnston , reaching #1 again and holding the spot for 10 weeks , still featuring now in the Top 10 . Despite being a father to a growing family, Johnston still has time for a packed schedule of festivals throughout Australia. Appearing at Big Country Festival , Boots & Beach Festival , NQ’s Rock’n Country Music Festival , Gympie Music Muster , Savannah in the Round, and the enormous CMC Rocks , just to name a few. Johnston is set to perform to over 130 000 people across QLD, NSW and VIC in 2022. ‘COUNTRY BOYS’ , unearths how truly grateful and proud Johnston is of the upbringing he was gifted. It’s the kind of sentiment his rapidly growing fan base has come to love and respect. The song’s fresh and lively sound is perfect for a bonfire party in the middle of nowhere or a much-needed road trip along some country back roads. Make no mistake - James Johnston isn’t some flash in the pan - he’s the real deal. ‘COUNTRY BOYS’ is destined to be another smash hit for this country boy. CLICK SINGLE ARTWORK TO LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED MUSIC SERVICE

< Back 26 JANUARY 2023 GOLDEN GUITAR WINNER JAMES JOHNSTON RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘GOT IT GOOD’ Australian Country music sensation James Johnston is back with his explosive new single, ‘GOT IT GOOD’. ARTICLE BY TOBE ARTISTS LISTEN HERE The track comes fresh off the back of his performance at the 2023 Tamworth Country Music Festival , where he played his debut headline show to a capacity crowd at TRECC - a show that was not only the largest ticketed concert at the festival, but also sold out in record time. Johnston also closed out the night at the 51 st Golden Guitar awards, where he performed his #1 hit single ‘SMALL TOWN’ and scooped up two Golden Guitar awards – New Talent of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year for ‘SAME SONGS’ , a duet with Kaylee Bell . As a family man drawing inspiration for his music through his role as a husband and father to two young sons, ‘GOT IT GOOD’ is the kind of raise-the-roof country song Johnston’s ever-growing fanbase have come to love. Its groove is contagious; effortlessly finding the middle ground between country, rock and pop. Yet, behind its energetic exterior lies a poignant message of appreciation for life’s often overlooked gifts. “GOT IT GOOD is about appreciating the simple things in life and being grateful for what you have as you realise, these are the big things worth celebrating,” reveals James. “The perfect lives of others is just a perception and when you stop to acknowledge the little things you have in your life – a roof over your head, a job that pays the bills and a love waiting for you at home, you realise you’ve GOT IT GOOD.” The catchy bop was penned alongside, Melbourne producers Msquared ( Michael Delorenzis and Michael Paynter ) and Golden Guitar nominee Melanie Dyer . Its airtight production is also thanks to the Msquared team and marks Johnston’s first full collaboration with the duo. Since releasing the now ARIA certified gold and #1 radio hit ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ in 2021, the singer from Wingham has enjoyed a rise to fame that can only be described as meteoric. Just 19 months into his career he’s amassed a whopping 32+ million streams, has achieved a further three x #1 radio airplay hits with ‘SMALL TOWN’ , ‘COUNTRY BOYS’ and ‘SAME SONGS’ , and was nominated for six Golden Guitar awards – two of which he took home last week. Quickly becoming one of the most sought after acts in Australian country music, Johnston has taken his “electrifying voice and array of feel-good country songs” - ( Newsport )to some of Australia’s biggest and most loved stages. With performances at CMC Rocks , Savannah in the Round , Berry’s Big Country , Gympie Music Muster and the Tamworth Country Music Festival in the last 12 months, he’s certainly ticked a few things off the bucket list. In April 2023 he’s slated to appear at Meatstock in Toowoomba, alongside country music giants Kasey Chambers and Brad Cox . James Johnston is undoubtedly the hottest topic in the Australian country music scene right now. His down-to-earth songs are instant party starters, as well as possessing heart-warming sentiments of life’s simple pleasures. ‘GOT IT GOOD’ has yet again proven that this artist is right at the top of his game with nowhere to go but up. DOWNLOAD AUDIO & MEDIA KIT HERE For radio and country media enquiries please contact: Jules Delemare - Wildheart Publicity E: jules@wildheartpublicity.com M : 0407 861 319 For TV, press and online enquiries please contact: Darryl Bailey – Six Boroughs Publicity E: darryl@sixboroughs.com.au M: 0423 563 894

< Back 26 JANUARY 2023 GOLDEN GUITAR WINNER JAMES JOHNSTON RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘GOT IT GOOD’ Australian Country music sensation James Johnston is back with his explosive new single, ‘GOT IT GOOD’. ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR LISTEN HERE The track comes fresh off the back of his performance at the 2023 Tamworth Country Music Festival , where he played his debut headline show to a capacity crowd at TRECC - a show that was not only the largest ticketed concert at the festival, but also sold out in record time. Johnston also closed out the night at the 51 st Golden Guitar awards, where he performed his #1 hit single ‘SMALL TOWN’ and scooped up two Golden Guitar awards – New Talent of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year for ‘SAME SONGS’ , a duet with Kaylee Bell . As a family man drawing inspiration for his music through his role as a husband and father to two young sons, ‘GOT IT GOOD’ is the kind of raise-the-roof country song Johnston’s ever-growing fanbase have come to love. Its groove is contagious; effortlessly finding the middle ground between country, rock and pop. Yet, behind its energetic exterior lies a poignant message of appreciation for life’s often overlooked gifts. “GOT IT GOOD is about appreciating the simple things in life and being grateful for what you have as you realise, these are the big things worth celebrating,” reveals James. “The perfect lives of others is just a perception and when you stop to acknowledge the little things you have in your life – a roof over your head, a job that pays the bills and a love waiting for you at home, you realise you’ve GOT IT GOOD.” The catchy bop was penned alongside, Melbourne producers Msquared ( Michael Delorenzis and Michael Paynter ) and Golden Guitar nominee Melanie Dyer . Its airtight production is also thanks to the Msquared team and marks Johnston’s first full collaboration with the duo. Since releasing the now ARIA certified gold and #1 radio hit ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ in 2021, the singer from Wingham has enjoyed a rise to fame that can only be described as meteoric. Just 19 months into his career he’s amassed a whopping 32+ million streams, has achieved a further three x #1 radio airplay hits with ‘SMALL TOWN’ , ‘COUNTRY BOYS’ and ‘SAME SONGS’ , and was nominated for six Golden Guitar awards – two of which he took home last week. Quickly becoming one of the most sought after acts in Australian country music, Johnston has taken his “electrifying voice and array of feel-good country songs” - ( Newsport )to some of Australia’s biggest and most loved stages. With performances at CMC Rocks , Savannah in the Round , Berry’s Big Country , Gympie Music Muster and the Tamworth Country Music Festival in the last 12 months, he’s certainly ticked a few things off the bucket list. In April 2023 he’s slated to appear at Meatstock in Toowoomba, alongside country music giants Kasey Chambers and Brad Cox . James Johnston is undoubtedly the hottest topic in the Australian country music scene right now. His down-to-earth songs are instant party starters, as well as possessing heart-warming sentiments of life’s simple pleasures. ‘GOT IT GOOD’ has yet again proven that this artist is right at the top of his game with nowhere to go but up. DOWNLOAD AUDIO & MEDIA KIT HERE For radio and country media enquiries please contact: Jules Delemare - Wildheart Publicity E: jules@wildheartpublicity.com M : 0407 861 319 For TV, press and online enquiries please contact: Darryl Bailey – Six Boroughs Publicity E: darryl@sixboroughs.com.au M: 0423 563 894

< Back 22 NOVEMBER 2022 NSW Mid North Coast musician James Johnston leads 2023 Golden Guitar Awards nominations James Johnston is leading the pack for country music gongs with six nominations for the 51st Golden Guitar Awards. ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR James Johnston is leading the pack for country music gongs with six nominations for the 51st Golden Guitar Awards. It is the first time the musician, who hails from Wingham, on the NSW Mid North Coast has been nominated for the prestigious country music awards. "I am still buzzing," he said. He is up for the Male Artist of the Year, New Talent of the Year and Song of the Year, among other categories. He said he found out this morning in a very unglamorous way. "I was watching the live stream while making breakfast with my kids," he said. He told ABC Radio he had been singing since he was four years old, and had been busking since he was six. "For me, country music was such a big part of up my upbringing," he said. He shared his first song 18 months ago, and his career has taken off. "Only when COVID hit, I really kind of decided that I wanted to bunker down and start telling my story," he said. Country music star Fanny Lumsden described the singer as a "sensation" while announcing the nominations on Tuesday. Johnston said his single Small Town, which is up for Song of the Year, Single of the Year and Video of the Year, was written on the side of the road. "I was leaving Brisbane and I was travelling back to the family farm and I just was so excited. It had been a little while, this was during COVID. "I wanted this to be a celebration of small communities and kind of what they represent and what they mean and just kind of getting back to your roots," he said. Country music legend Troy Cassar-Daley received eight nominations last year, but has not released any new music in the last year. But the list of nominees was not without big names. Adam Brand, Amber Lawrence and Casey Barnes picked up five nominations each.

Let's Connect Contact This is your Contact section paragraph. Encourage your reader to reach out with any questions, comments or to take a different action specific to your site. BEAU THOMAS CHIEF ARTIST OFFICER JAMES JOHNSTON MANAGEMENT Address Shop 1, 195 Bolsover St, Rockhampton City QLD 4700, Australia Email beau@tobeartists.com Phone +61 (0) 437 148 782 Social Media JONO BLEAKLEY ARTIST MANAGER ZAC & GEORGE MANAGEMENT Phone +61 (0) 437 148 782 Email jono@tobeartists.com Social Media

< Back 18 JANUARY 2023 Tamworth Country Music Festival: James Johnston nabs long list of Golden Guitar 2023 nominations JAMES Johnston has been in the music game since he was a child, but he's skyrocketed to the top of the country industry in the past year. ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR JAMES Johnston has been in the music game since he was a child, but he's skyrocketed to the top of the country industry in the past year. He's up for six Golden Guitar awards in 2023 - and it's his first time even being nominated. The musician journeyed to the Tamworth Country Music Festival from the age of six until 16, from Wingham near Taree, where he grew up. "Mum and dad would be standing around feeding me Gatorades in the sweltering heat as I'd be busking for hours and hours," he said. "I'd spend a whole week here and then go home and count my 20 cent pieces." In true teenage fashion, at 16 years old, he decided he didn't like his parents' favourite genre anymore. "I just decided I didn't like country music anymore," he said. "Because you don't like what your parents like, right?" In 2009, he placed third in the seventh and final season of Australian Idol, and made the top 24 of the sixth season of X Factor Australia. He played in a funk band, and made acoustic folk music. But, he was pulled back to his roots. "Every single person around me was like, 'when are you gonna get back to country?' he said. "And finally, when I got back to country, it all started making sense." His debut release Raised Like That is the story of his upbringing growing up on a little property on the outskirts of town. "I wanted people just to get to know me a little bit better," he said. "And if you listen to that song, you get to know my story." During his experimentation in different genres, he felt he was always playing a character. "Whereas country, I'm a country boy. I'm just telling my story," he said. "All the songs that I put out, are just the stories of my life, and there is no facade, there's no creating a narrative or trying to be something. "Country music is all about authenticity." His experiences before he went back to country weren't defining moments in his career, he said. It wasn't until he released his own music that it kicked off. "All those little chapters throughout my life and throughout my musical career have allowed me to kind of do what I do now," he said. "But only until I started really telling my story, I started kind of building an audience that really loved my music." It's the musician's first time being nominated for a Golden Guitar award, and he's at the top of the list with three others - Adam Brand, Amber Lawrence and Casey Barnes - as the artist with the most nominations. The situation is "bizarre", he said. "When I found out that I had the most nominations, it was a pretty crazy experience," he said. His very first ticketed concert, being held at the TRECC on Wednesday January, 18 is sold out. The show is the festival event he's most excited about. "I've played festivals, I've played events all around the country, but it's the first time putting my own show on, and to get to do it at the TRECC is pretty special," he said. It's a big leap for an artist who only played Toyota Fanzone at the festival in April. Tamworth is part of his musical upbringing, but it's also full of nostalgia. His parents, who ran a business, were always busy, he said. "But that week it was no distractions, we'd stay in a cabin somewhere," he said. "It holds really important memories of my childhood. "I just remember those with such fondness that it was the time when not only I was playing music, but I was also with my family." Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the three other artists - Amber Lawrence, Adam Brand and Casey Barnes - who are also nominated for six Golden Guitars at Saturday night's awards ceremony at TRECC.

LATEST NEWS 27 November 2023 Review: James Johnston @ Venue 114 (Sunshine Coast) Country, Live Music, COUNTRY, LIVE 7 February 2023 Country music star James Johnston talks success of 2023 so far ABC, LIVE, TCMF, COUNTRY 22 January 2023 JAMES JOHNSTON CONTINUES METEORIC RISE WITH TWO GOLDEN GUITAR AWARDS Country, Pop 15 January 2023 James Johnston performs LIVE from the Tamworth Country Music Festival ABC, Live, TCMF, Country 4 November 2022 Hot 50 Chart: James Johnston and Kaylee Bell Reach #1 CountryTown, ChartTopper, Country, Pop 1 July 2022 James Johnston and Kaylee Bell announce a new single 'SAME SONGS' Country, Pop, HouseConcert 19 November 2021 James Johnston drives home his new ‘SMALL TOWN’ Country, Pop 29 September 2023 JAMES JOHNSTON TO MAKE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC HISTORY THIS FRIDAY … BECAUSE HE WAS RAISED LIKE THAT ​ 1 February 2023 James Johnston nominated for Rolling Stone - Best New Artist Nominee, bestnewartist, countrymusic, rollingstone 21 January 2023 A polished, golden new talent emerges in Tamworth Country 22 November 2022 NSW Mid North Coast musician James Johnston leads 2023 Golden Guitar Awards nominations Country, Pop 27 September 2022 Clayton Anderson and James Johnston Take Home Top Honours At Unsigned Only Music Competition CountryTown, Country, MusicAwards 6 May 2022 James Johnston reveals new single 'COUNTRY BOYS' Country, Pop ​ ​ ​ 28 September 2023 JAMES JOHNSTON’S ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ IS A CELEBRATION OF BEING RAISED COUNTRY ​ 26 January 2023 GOLDEN GUITAR WINNER JAMES JOHNSTON RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘GOT IT GOOD’ GOTITGOOD, Country, Pop 18 January 2023 Tamworth Country Music Festival: James Johnston nabs long list of Golden Guitar 2023 nominations GoldenGuitar, MusicAwards, Country 22 November 2022 Road to success: Tamworth nod the ticket to singer’s future Theaustralian, countrymusic, GoldenGuitar, MusicAwards, Country 1 July 2022 'COUNTRY BOYS' goes #1 at Country Radio in Australia Country, Pop, ChartTopper 8 April 2022 James Johnston's 'SMALL TOWN' continues to dominate Country, CountryTown

< Back 7 FEBRUARY 2023 Country music star James Johnston talks success of 2023 so far It's already been a big start to 2023 for Wingham born country music singer James Johnston. ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR LISTEN HERE It's already been a big start to 2023 for Wingham born country music singer James Johnston. Two Golden Guitar wins, a sold out headlining show and there's lots in store for him the rest of the year including the release of his newest song Got It Good. Anna Moulder caught up with James to hear about his successful start to the year.

< Back 21 JANUARY 2023 A polished, golden new talent emerges in Tamworth James Johnston has swiftly become one of Australian country music’s leading lights, and he took home two Golden Guitar Awards in Tamworth including new talent of the year. ARTICLE BY: KEALI RUSSELL, SCENESTR Backstage at Tamworth’s biggest music venue on Wednesday afternoon, country singer-songwriter James Johnston was catching his breath after finishing a full production rehearsal. In a few hours, about 1900 people would gather to witness one of the best-selling concert debuts by an emerging artist in the history of the NSW city’s annual country music festival. And a few days later, on Saturday night at the Tamworth entertainment centre, Johnston stood to earn as many as six Golden Guitar Awards, as the year’s lead nominee – an impressive feat in a sector where change is usually slow. “This is the dream, to come and put your own show on,” Johnston, 32, told The Australian. “I was six years old when I started busking on Peel Street; I was just a kid with a guitar, playing Lee Kernaghan songs. I say it’s the dream, but you don’t even really think it’s going to happen, because it’s almost untouchable.” Born in the NSW town of Wingham and led by songs including his autobiographical single Raised Like That – which has racked up 11 million plays on Spotify alone – Johnston has swiftly become one of Australian country music’s leading lights. Backed by a three-piece band, his headline concert shone with the polish of an experienced performer. The capacity crowd skewed young, with plenty of children in attendance – a great sign for festival organisers, who have typically struggled to bridge the gap between family-friendly free events and ticketed shows attended by older crowds. Asked how he was preparing for the Golden Guitars, where Johnston was also among the performers, he had opted to keep his expectations low by reminding himself to enjoy the moment, no matter the outcome. The father of two said, “I just want to walk into that room, and if I don’t win a single one, I’m actually totally fine with that. If I win them all, I’ll be stoked, don’t get me wrong – but the truth is that it’s all just a chapter in the story.” “There’s so much to celebrate this week that if that one doesn’t fall my way, well, I’ve still had one hell of a week, haven’t I?” That he had, and on Saturday night, two awards fell Johnston’s way: he was named new talent of the year, and won vocal collaboration of the year for Same Songs, his track with Kaylee Bell . Gold Coast singer-songwriter Casey Barnes won album of the year for Light It Up, which was also the genre’s top-selling album of 2022. Elsewhere, the remaining awards were spread evenly across nominees, another positive sign of growth in a musical sector where well-known names tend to alternate years of racking up gold statues at the hands of industry voters. Andrew Swift and Amber Lawrence were named male and female artist of the year, respectively, while musical couple Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley won both song and single of the year for their tracks Star of the Show and Memory Lane. The annual awards capped the first Tamworth Country Music Festival to be held in its usual summer calendar spot since 2020. After several years of Covid-affected shuffling, organisers were pleased to see the town jumping with live music at all hours for 10 nights in January. The writer travelled to Tamworth as a guest of Tamworth Regional Council. 2023 Golden Guitar Award Winners Album of the Year: LIGHT IT UP Casey Barnes | Producers: Michael DeLorenzis and Michael Paynter Alt Country Album of the Year: LOOKS LIKE HEAVEN Kim Cheshire | Producer: Rod McCormack Contemporary Country Album of the Year: WISER Lyn Bowtell | Producer: Shane Nicholson Traditional Country Album of the Year: IN THE MOMENT Ashleigh Dallas | Producer: Brett Dallas Male Artist of the Year: ANDREW SWIFT Female Artist of the Year: AMBER LAWRENCE Group or Duo of the Year: BROOKE MCCLYMONT & ADAM ECKERSLEY Vocal Collaboration of the Year: JAMES JOHNSTON & KAYLEE BELL Same Songs Bush Ballad of the Year: OUT ON KILLARNEY Dean Perrett | Songwriter: Dean Perrett Heritage Song of the Year: SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND Luke O’Shea | Songwriters: Luke O’Shea, Fred Smith, Mitchell Lynham Instrumental of the Year: SODA CAP BOOGIE The French Family Band Bluegrass Recording of the Year: GOOD MORNING MOON Kristy Cox New Talent of the Year: JAMES JOHNSTON Song of the Year: STAR OF THE SHOW Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley | Songwriters: Brooke McClymont, Adam Eckersley, Dan Biederman, Tiggy Heart Eckersley Video of the Year: SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND Luke O’Shea | Director: Luke O’Shea, Jay Seeney Single of the Year: MEMORY LANE Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley Top Selling Album of the Year: LIGHT IT UP Casey Barnes