Nathaniel had spent the weekend at his home festival – the Burra AGL Country Music Festival, which his parents, Danny and Karen, ran.

On Sunday morning he was on his way to another gig when his car left the road and hit a tree about 11am on the Barrier Highway near Hanson, south of Burra.

The 19-year-old multi-award-winning artist, who was travelling alone, passed away at the scene.

Nathaniel’s friends and fans in the industry have filled his Facebook profile with tributes and their memories of the well-loved country artist, who was also a top-24 contestant on X Factor last year.

Tamworth country music artist Ashleigh Dallas sent her love and thoughts to the family via a Facebook tribute.

“Nathaniel O’Brien had a beautiful voice and was also kind, humble and sweet when you met him, and it is absolutely tragic of the news today,” she wrote.

“Musicians, singers etc spend a lot of hours on the roads, in fact everyone does, so please all travel safely and hold your loved ones close all the time.”

Nathaniel was studying at university while pursuing his musical aspirations.

He was a graduate of the Country Music Association of Australia Academy of Country Music, both senior and junior courses, which are intensive courses in music business and musicianship that run in Tamworth before the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

CMAA secretary and academy mother-figure, Meryl Davis, paid tribute to the talented artist.

“I’m devastated to hear this terrible news,” she said.

“Such a beautiful boy, and I count Nathaniel as one of ‘my’ Academy kids – he was a very much-loved graduate of both the Junior and Senior Academy, and I have so many fond memories of Nathaniel, both off-stage and on.”

Tributes have poured in on The Northern Daily Leader’s Facebook page and website, and anyone wishing to pay their respects can add their words at www.northerndailyleader.com.au