Kiwi country music stars Glen Moffatt and Kaylee Bell will be inducted into the 2026 Hands of Fame this May, as part of the Mataura Licensing Trust NZ Gold Guitar Awards. 

Back in 1981, members of the Gore Country Music Club mooted the idea of a Hands of Fame structure in the shape of a guitar, to substantiate Gore’s claim of being the NZ capital of country music. 

In 1992 the Hands of Fame awards were established, to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to Aotearoa country music, and club members began collecting hand prints of country artists set in concrete. These prints included international stars like Kenny Rogers and Slim Dusty, alongside Aotearoa legends including Patsy Riggir, Garner Wayne and Suzanne Prentice. 

Inductees (hand casts) added since construction of the Hands of Fame guitar began in 2004 include John Grenell, Jodi Vaughan, Tami Neilson, The Warratahs, and the Topp Twins. 

Released in 1995, Glen Moffatt’s album ‘Somewhere in New Zealand Tonight‘ has become a NZ country music classic. His fourth album, 2014’s Superheroes & Scary Things was recorded between Brisbane (where he moved to in 2002) and Auckland. It earned him the Rising Star award at the 2015 Australian Independent Country Music Awards. “A rising star at the age of 44,” he quipped at the time.