Bathurst musician Kerry Hodge has two songs in the running for an award at a Tamworth event this afternoon celebrating country music songwriters across Australia.
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Hodge's 'Lindsay Butler I Salute You' and 'Jimmy Webster Mate of Mine' are two of the five songs nominated for the Lyricist of the Year award at the Capital Country Music Association [CCMA] National Songwriter Awards.
For Hodge, who has performed for over 40 years, the nominations served as a welcome surprise.
"I'm over the moon because I've never entered any songs in an event like this before," Hodge said.
"To have two of my songs reach the final five in a single category is an absolute thrill."
The CCMA is a community based, non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Australian country music.
Hodge said both songs are tributes to two key country music personalities that inspired his career and travels.
"I met Jimmy Webster many years ago in Hillston [near Griffith] and over a few wines, he told me the stories behind his songs 'The Black Stump Legend' and 'The Hillston Rodeo,'" he said.
"On the other hand, I wrote 'Lindsay Butler I Salute You' as a show of appreciation for his style of music."
Hodge, who hails from Leeton, has been writing songs since his teenage years, and is a regular busker in the Bathurst CBD.
Last year, Hodge received the Dusty Boots Award at the Dubbo Country Music Spectacular and Awards for his outstanding contribution to the industry.