In what caps off an incredible start to the year, country songbird Aleyce Simmonds took home the APRA Award for Country Work of the Year on Monday night.

In a ceremony in Sydney  a shocked and overwhelmed Simmonds beat out four other stellar country acts to take home the award for her song Greatest Companion.

The APRA awards are based on air play with Simmonds in front of country’s big names including Travis Collins, Kirsty Lee Akers, The Wolfe Brothers and O’Shea.

Inspired by an early morning interview with Luke Bona, a former Overnight Radio DJ for 2UE; Greatest Companion was released on ‘Believe’ a bonus edition CD.

The track was dedicated to the companionship and bond between radio announcers and their talk back listeners.

The award follows the success of her new album, More Than Meets the Eye, launched at the 2017 Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Speaking to The Leader, Simmonds said she was still in shock by the win.

“I was just blown away,” she said.

“I was so happy to be nominated, I didn’t think I’d win it.

“To say that I’m honoured would be an understatement.”

Simmonds said when fellow country star Morgan Evans read out Greatest Companion as the winning song, it took awhile for her to realise that the song was actually hers.

“Even then it didn’t hit home; and then mum and dad and Luke (Bona) turned around to me,” she said.

“And then I got up and collected this award and it’s incredible.”

“I would just like to thank Luke Bona for the inspiration, Frog from Songland Records for introducing my music to Luke and for sending out CD after CD and of course all the other DJs that got behind the song.”

“It was tough competition, but it is really great.

“I wrote this song about radio and as a tribute to radio presenters and it’s obviously been played a lot more than I realised; it really is the greatest feeling.”

Simmonds’ latest release,More Than Meets the Eye, is available online or in stores. You can find Greatest Companion on her Believe bonus edition CD.