10 May 2023 - 0 Comments

Celebrating the best in Aotearoa country music, APRA AMCOS NZ are pleased to announce the 2023 APRA Best Country Music Song award finalists:

- Beyond The Stars  written by Tami Neilson and Delaney Davidson , performed by Tami Neilson and Willie Nelson (Published by Concord Music Publishing)

- Find A River  written by Maegan Mitchell, Nicola Mitchell and Tami Neilson*, performed by The Mitchell Twins  (*Published by Concord Music Publishing)

- Slow Burn  written and performed by Mel Parsons  (Published by Concord Music Publishing)

Beyond The Stars was born of grief, capturing Tami Neilson’s pain at the loss of her father and her longing to be with him once again. Hailing from Neilson’s fifth studio album Kingmaker, this timeless country duet was co-written with noir protagonist, Delaney Davidson. Recorded at Roundhead Studios the duet features Willie Nelson as the voice of Tami’s father.

Inspired by The Topp Twins’ recent battles with illness and separation, Southland’s The Mitchell Twins, Maegan and Nicola Mitchell, composed Find A River. It is a song that explores the deep bonds of twin connection, and pays a tribute to the role music has played in the lives of both the Topp's and themselves. Multiple Best Country Music Song winner Tami Neilson joined in the co-writing of this personal song.

The APRA Best Country Music Song Award will be presented at the inaugural Country Music Honours on Thursday 1 June, alongside the MLT Songwriting Award, acknowledging unreleased songs from writers from New Zealand and Australia, presented by the NZ Songwriters Trust.

The 2023 MLT Songwriting Award finalists are:

- Compte de Paris written by Kate Targett-Adams and Chad Robinson
- Co-Parent written by Peter & Joanna Green
- Daffodils written by Jenny Mitchell and Ron Mitchell
- Goosebumps written by Keith Pereira
- Help Me Remember written by Keith Pereira
- Little Less Lonely written by Jenny Mitchell
- Love Ya Like I Can written by Kerryn Fields and Matt Joe Gow
- Nobody Warns You written by Mel Parsons
- Prairie Song (Hard Times) written by Kerryn Fields
- Whirlwind written by Matt Joe Gow

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