Local singer Jono Nicholson recently returned from the inaugural Tamworth Country Music Festival with awards and most importantly, a new sense of confidence.

The 16-year-old was awarded two trophies; one for winning the Capital Country Music Association’s national talent quest encouragement award and another for being a finalist in the Mount Franklin kid’s talent quest.

“The people in Tamworth were just amazing,” Mr Nicholson said.

“The atmosphere was wonderful and my time there was one I’ll never forget.

“It was definitely a learning curve for me.”

Singing since he was four-years-old, he has also been playing guitar for the past four years.

“I was bought up with music,” he said.

“When my mum was working in a nursing home, I’d go to work with her and sing to the old people there.

“I look up to mum and dad and talk to them for support.”

Unable to describe his experience at Tamworth in the “right words”, Mr Nicholson said he had a real eye-opening experience.

“I went to the Locomotive Hotel and I was asked to compare a concert,” he said.

“It was kind of like MC-ing it but I sang seven or eight songs to warm up the crowd, and then got other kids to come on and perform.

“I basically kept the crowd entertained and I learned how to loosen up a bit on stage from doing that.”

If that wasn’t enough, the owner of the hotel then offered Jono something any artist could only wish for.

“He said I might have a booked show for next year,” he said.