Liam Kennedy-Clark is gearing up for an exciting Tamworth Country Music Festival.Ashburton’s own Liam Kennedy-Clark has made it into the prestigious Toyota Star Maker competition for the second time.

The 19-year-old has been based on Australia’s Sunshine Coast for almost two years, where he makes a living from country music.

Star Maker will stage at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in New South Wales this coming Sunday.

The 10 finalists were chosen by a panel of judges from more than 100 entries.

Kennedy-Clark said to make the top 10 a second time round was “a pretty surreal feeling”.

Star Maker has launched the careers of country music artists Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, James Blundell, Darren Coggan and Kylie Sackley.

One grand finalist will be selected following the concert, however, even just getting there is good enough for Kennedy-Clark.

“All the people you meet, and contacts you make is second to none,” he said.

He has already worked with some big names across the Tasman, undertaking live work for the likes of Adam Harvey and James Blundell.

He said he had been doing a lot of session work lately, playing guitar, piano, and bass on albums, and was to begin mentoring at the Senior Academy of Country Music in Tamworth in the lead-up to the Tamworth festival.

He tutored in the junior academy in July last year.

At Tamworth he will also be performing 10 gigs on his own, and playing in a backing band for other artists.

And as big as Tamworth is, Kennedy-Clark is looking forward just as much to Hometown Show in Ashburton on June 24.

He is to stage the concert at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre, and it will feature Cassi Hilbers, with special guests Campbell and Alyssa Landrebe, and Kayla Marshall.

By Susan Sandys © The Ashburton Guardian - 16 January 2017