A golden night out for guitar hero

The country star won Album of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, APRA Song of the Year and Single of the Year for Big, Big Love, Heritage Song of the Year for Chasin' Rodeo and Vocal Collaboration of the Year for Ain't Gonna Change For You with the McClymonts. Cassar-Daley's haul took his overall tally of Golden Guitars to 20.

His album I Love This Place also won the Best Country Album ARIA Award last year, making it his most-awarded work to date.

Tamworth-born Felicity Urquhart won Female Vocal of the Year award - her first solo Golden Guitar and a popular win with those packing the Jayco Country Theatre at Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.

Another popular win was the Bushwackers award for Bush Ballad of the Year for The Road to Thargomindah, written by Colin Buchanan. Jetty Road, the quartet featuring identical twin sisters Lee and Paula Bowman, topped off a hugely successful year with their track Million Miles scoring them their first Golden Guitar for Group or Duo of the Year.

Victoria Baillie took home the Maton New Talent of the Year award for her single Make Me.

Brother and sister finalists Greg and Sara Storer had a family celebration winning Video Clip of the Year for their duet When I Was a Boy.

Keith Urban was awarded the Top Selling Album of the Year for his album Defying Gravity. Urban accepted the award via a recorded video message as he was participating in the Hope for Haiti telethon in the US.

Amber Lawrence took home the Horizon Award, recognising a young ambassador of Australian country music. The inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award went to Chad Morgan, known fondly as "The Sheik of Scrubby Creek", and renowned for his vaudeville style of comic country and western songs.

The 38th Country Music Awards of Australia are the pinnacle event of the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival. The festival has welcomed thousands of fans over the past nine days and concludes today.

And the winners are ...

APRA Song of the Year: Big, Big Love, written and recorded by Troy Cassar-Daley.

Bush Ballad of the Year: The Road to Thargomindah, written by Colin Buchanan, recorded by the Bushwackers.

Single of the Year: Big, Big Love, Troy Cassar-Daley.

Top Selling Album of the Year: Defying Gravity, Keith Urban.

Female Artist of the Year: Felicity Urquhart, Roller Coaster.

Male Artist of the Year: Troy Cassar-Daley, I Love This Place.

Album of the Year: I Love This Place, Troy Cassar-Daley, produced by Rod McCormack, Troy Cassar-Daley and Jeff McCormack.