Two Dunedin siblings are part of a group that won a top prize at the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards, the first time a group has taken out the intermediate overall award.
Alyssa and Campbell Landrebe, of Dunedin, and Michelle Hendriks, of Gore, are the group Mac, the intermediate overall winner at the Gold Guitars in Gore on Saturday.
``We were very surprised,'' Campbell, a King's High School pupil, said.
``We were speechless. It's such a massive award and we were not expecting it. It was overwhelming,'' Michelle, a St Peter's College pupil, said.
The win was the first time a group had taken out the intermediate overall prize, Alyssa, a Balmacewen Intermediate pupil, said.
The trio won the New Zealand song category by performing Here Is My Witness by Southlander
Kristin Macdonald.
The prizes won included a Martin guitar, a microphone, $1000 to travel to Tamworth Country Music Festival in Australia in January next year, a $400 overall prize and $150 for the New Zealand song category.
The group met at the Silverpeaks Country Music Hoedown at Mosgiel in 2015, and intends entering the senior category at the Gold Guitars next year, as Michelle will not be eligible for the intermediate category.
When asked what they loved about country music, the group responded in unison ``family'', meaning the country music fraternity, Alyssa said.
Another major trophy from the competition was taken home by a young Dunedin musician.
Serenity-Grace Nielsen was the junior overall winner.
The Columba College pupil won the $100 vocal solo prize for performing the song The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert.
When the winner of the $400 overall junior prize was set to be announced on Saturday night, she prepared to congratulate another performer.
``I was very surprised.''
The money would be used to travel to Australia and perform at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The 12-year-old had entered the competition four times and it was the first time she had taken home a major prize.
She lived in Dunedin but was raised on a sheep and beef farm at Waipiata near Ranfurly.
She was enjoying singing country music and winning competitions.
``It's pretty cool.''
