Initially up for four Golden Guitars, the Country Music Association of Australia on Monday evening announced Lumsden was ineligible for the APRA AMCOS Song of the Year category and asked her to withdraw her nomination in the category.

The finalists were announced at the official Tamworth Country Music Awards at the Carriageworks in Sydney last Tuesday.

Despite being named as one of the five finalists, it has been determined that her song 'Land of Gold' is ineligible due to its previous release on Lumsden's 2015 album 'Small Town Big Shot'.

The 2015 album falls outside the eligibility period, however her 2016 single release, 'Land of Gold' is eligible for Single of the Year and for 'Qantaslink New Talent of the Year' where she remains a finalist in both categories.

Lumsden has also been named as a finalist for her collaboration with Amber Lawrence and Catherine Britt for 'Cheers to the Girls'.

” The CMAA offers its unreserved apologies to Lumsden for the error not being picked up prior to the announcement of the finalists,” a statement issued by the CMAA said.

Sara Storer has been named as the new finalist in Song of the Year for her song My Diamond from her album Silos. This takes her to six finalist placings for the annual awards. 

Storer is in equal placing with Travis Collins who was also nominated for six guitars.

Singer-Songwriter Lyn Bowtell has snapped up the most finalist nominations out of the field and is up for seven.

As a band (Kevin) Bennett, (Lyn) Bowtell and (Felicity) Urquhart grabbed nominations for Duo or Group of the Year, Alternative Album of the Year and APRA Song of the Year,

The trio also picked up noms for Heritage Song of the Year for ‘GoulburnValley Woman’ and Bluegrass Recording of the Year for their song ‘I Hear Them All’.

Bowtell also picked up two further nominations in the Vocal Collaboration of the Year category for her duet ‘Bartender Blues’ with Adam Harvey and a song she co-wrote called ‘F U Cancer’ with good friends Beccy Cole and Catherine Britt.