"GRAND OLE HAYRIDE" NZ Tour!

In the tradition of the old-time country show, “Grand Ole Hayride”, brings North & South together, starring the top 3 finalists of the APRA & New Zealand Music Awards 2012. Tami Neilson, Delaney Davidson & Marlon Williams make up this diverse line-up of some of the nation's most prestigious, award-winning alt-country artists in a collaborative performance bound to turn the country genre on its head. 16 Mar Victoria Palace Theatre, DEVONPORT 22 Mar Geraldine Cinema, GERALDINE 23 Mar Wunderbar, LYTTLETON 24 Mar The Grain Store, OAMARU 27 Mar The Wine Cellar, AUCKLAND 28 Mar Yot Club, RAGLAN 29 Mar Artworks Theatre, WAIHEKE 30 Mar Leigh Sawmill, LEIGH   Buy your earlybird tickets today and get $5 off! : BUY TICKETS HERE

Opening for Emmylou Harris!

Wow, November is a big month full of shows, from KatiKati to Gisborne, Wairoa to Waiheke Island, Hamilton to...THE VECTOR ARENA!!!

 I can barely talk about opening for country music royalty Emmylou Harris (one of my musical heroes) because it makes me too excited to eat or sleep! Even as I type it my hands are shaking and my tummy is full of butterflies. *exhale...inhale...exhale...inhale* If you are lucky enough to have a ticket to this show and get there good and early for my little opening solo set as part of the Gunslingers Ball line-up, please give me a cheer and a smile and I will try not to pass out from excitement and miss the whole thing ;-)

Another highlight this month will be performing with Delaney Davidson and Marlon Williams on the Waiheke show of their "Sad but True" tour on 17 Nov @ Artworks Theatre. I went to see these boys do a set together a couple months ago and I haven't been that blown away musically in a long time. Come out and see what the critics are raving about...it's the first time we three finalists for the Country Music Awards 2012 will be performing together!

Had a great time at the NZ Music Awards this past week and it was lovely to be acknowledged for winning "Best Country Album" in front of an audience that included Ben Harper, Kimbra and Mumford & Sons. A big deal for this little gal. Here's a photo of me and my hot date (who hates walking the red carpet, but does it for me...hehe)

I've also been cooking up a hot and tasty summer tour for March 2013 and there's a new music video on the way too, so keep an eye out for more news coming soon. And if the occasional newsletter just isn't enough, be sure to like my "Tami Neilson" music page on Facebook and get all the juicy gossip!

Hope to see some of you on the road this month! 

Love, Tami

Tami Wins THIRD Best Album Award!

The nation’s biggest awards night on the country music calendar has seen the gongs handed out for Best Country Music Album and Best Country Music Song of 2012 at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in Gore tonight (Thurs. 31 May). Prolific Auckland-based country music artist Tami Neilson has claimed her third Tui in four years, picking up the Recording Industry Association (RIANZ) award for Best Country Music Album. The Kitchen Table Sessions Vol II is her third finals berth and her third best album award, repeating her wins from 2009 (“Red Dirt Angel”) and 2010 (“The Kitchen Table Sessions”). Canadian-born Neilson now lives in Auckland. The Kitchen Table Sessions Vol II builds on her successful previous Sessions album with her trademark raw energy and music that is a hybrid of acoustic torch and stripped-bare country blues. RIANZ managing director, Chris Caddick, says: “Sincere congratulations to Tami for winning the Tui for Best Country Music Album in what has been an outstanding year for country music. Tami’s beautifully performed and produced album is a real gem an a superb example of the high standards being achieved in New Zealand Country music today.” WATCH Tami on Good Morning this Thurs 8 June! LISTEN to Tami on Radio NZ's Nine to Noon with Claire Peacock at 10 am this Fri 9 June!

CANVAS Cover Girl!

Watch Tami's New Music Video "One Thing"!

To celebrate NZ Music Month, Tami is launching her brand new music video from the Tui-nominated album "The Kitchen Table Sessions VOL 2": WATCH HERE: www.youtube.com/watch A wee bit of VIDEO TRIVIA for you: -It stars Tami's little niece Noelle Neilson in her acting debut -It was produced and directed by her brother Todd Neilson -Tami was 3 months pregnant with her son Charlie and still keeping it a secret at the time of shooting- spot the bump?! -It was filmed in Ontario, Canada -It was 40 degrees in the shade and everyone jumped in the pool when it wrapped!

TAMI NOMINATED FOR THIRD TUI AWARD!

COUNTRY ALBUM & SONG FINALISTS ANNOUNCED Awards to be presented in Gore on 31 May The finalists for the RIANZ Best Country Music Album 2012 have been announced today. Two of the finalists - The Harbour Union and The Unfaithful Ways - are from Christchurch and both of their albums have emotional connections with the city’s devastating earthquakes. The third finalist is no stranger to the awards – Tami Neilson’s “The Kitchen Table Sessions Vol II” is her third finals berth. The Harbour Union’s self-titled album features 27 Christchurch musicians who have banded together to produce a fund-raising recording with the profits going back to the Lyttelton community. “Free Rein”, the debut album from Christchurch four-piece The Unfaithful Ways, was nearly a victim of the earthquake. Thanks to the perseverance of two structural engineers they were retrieved from the studio which had been tagged for demolition. The Unfaithful Ways was a finalist in the 2011 Vodafone NZ Music Awards Critics’ Choice Award and performed at the Big Day Out that same year. Auckland-based Tami Neilson is a two-time winner of a RIANZ Country Music Awards Tui – in 2009 (“Red Dirt Angel”) and 2010 (“The Kitchen Table Sessions”). She was also a co-finalist last year. “The Kitchen Table Sessions Vol II” builds on Tami’s successful previous Sessions album with her trademark raw energy and music that is a hybrid of acoustic torch and stripped-bare country blues. RIANZ managing director, Chris Caddick, says: “What an absolutely brilliant year for Country Music. Congratulations to the three finalists all of whom have recorded outstanding albums. We wish them all well for the big night in May.” Tami says,"I'm so proud to be nominated for "Best Country Album" once again, with fellow nominees "The Unfaithful Ways" and "The Harbour Union", both incredible bands! Exciting to be in such talented company and see the bar being raised for country music in NZ."