The Country Music Awards Finalists 2017 have been announced today and will be presented at this year’s Gold Guitar Awards on June 1 in Gore.

The finalists for Best Country Music Album 2017 are Hamilton County Bluegrass Band for their album ‘These Old Hands’, Wanaka native Jody Direen for ‘Shake Up’, and Phil Doublet for his second album ‘Endless Highway’.

Kendall Elise Todd’s Heart Full of Dirt, Chester Travis (as featured in Expat-Files NZM February/March 2017) and Great Danes for Toothache, and The Reasons to Stay’ by Ginny Peters are in the running for the Best Country Music Song.