Singers Madeline Homan and Renee O’Brien won the senior duet category at the Gold Guitars Awards on Sunday night.
Homan said the pair had briefly met to practise their winning number Jolene by Dolly Parton before singing it on stage.
"We don’t have time to practise anything else because of work and life commitments and so we thought we’re best to do something which we really enjoy", she said.
"We practised on the day, so we got a bit lucky.
"But we’ve been singing together for years, so it’s a bit easier."
The pair had previously won the intermediate category of the duet competition with the same song.
It was their favourite one to sing, Homan said.
The pair began singing together about 16 years ago after their music teacher, Andy Gilmour, decided they would go well as a duo.
It was "pure fate" they ended up together and O’Brien just happened to have had a singing lesson with Mr Gilmour right before her that day, Homan said.
The event drew a capacity crowd at the Gore Town & Country Club and featured performers in 12 different categories, who came from as far afield as Australia.
Homan said she loved performing at the Gold Guitars because of the sense of community and enjoyed reconnecting with people she had grown up seeing there.
"You go back and it’s like you never left last time."
