Newcastle country singer-songwriter Max Jackson says winning a gong at the Golden Guitar Awards was a "dream come true".
Jackson, 31, won the New Talent of the Year award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival event on Saturday night.
"It's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl," said Jackson, of Carrington.
As a youngster, her parents would buy her video tapes of the Golden Guitar event.
"I'd watch them over and over. I think I wore them out," she said.
The moment she won the award, she felt overwhelmed.
"This past week in Tamworth, all I've done is talk, talk, talk [in her role as festival ambassador]," she said.
"I'm very good at talking and then suddenly I didn't know where to start.
"Every moment that led me to this point was flashing in my mind."
She was thinking how to describe this feeling in her speech, so "they don't have to throw a hook on stage and drag me off".
"It felt really special to be recognised by the industry. I'm super grateful.
"The special thing about the Golden Guitars is everyone's there. It's people I literally grew up listening to and admiring."
Jackson moved to Newcastle from Coonamble at age 11.
Her parents loved the small country town, but wanted to give their two daughters more opportunities.
"I was a competitive swimmer and singer at the time," Jackson said.
She took up both pursuits at a young age after a doctor recommended them to treat her asthma.
"I was diagnosed with asthma when I was three months old," she said, adding that singing and swimming helped.
"Singing is the most incredible thing for breathing."
Moving to Newcastle was "such an important part of my journey".
"I wouldn't be the artist I am without living there. Newcastle has such an amazing music community and so many gigs."
As a youngster, she sang at Hexham Bowling Club country music events on Wednesday nights.
"It was packed all the time. So many artists went through there, like Melody Pool, Catherine Britt and Morgan Evans," she said.
"It was this community of people all coming together and learning the ropes. It gave us an opportunity every week to play with a professional band."
She would sing Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colours and her own track, No One Sees Me - her first song.
"I'd rotate between those two songs. I think people thought they were the only two songs I knew how to sing."
Her song was "really dramatic".
"The song was about feeling like I was the odd one out. I was a really different kid, coming from the country to what felt like a very big place," she said.
"Back in the day, country music was definitely not as cool as it is now."
Jackson recently signed a new record deal and is working on a new album. The single Little More Country was the first release from this.
A second single, Fixin' Things, will be released on Friday.
