Proving she’s every bit a down-to-earth country girl, Fanny Lumsden turned fashion on its head at the recent ARIA Awards, in a top that took her, and a friend, 45 minutes to make. Photo: Fanny Lumsden Facebook.
Fanny Lumsden has done it again.
The video for her latest single, Look at Me Now, has been nominated for a 2025 Golden Guitar Award, adding to a remarkable collection of honours that includes two ARIAs, nine Golden Guitars, and three Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) awards.
It might surprise some that a former rural science student now commands the country music stage, but for Lumsden, her story has always been about childhood ambition, rural life, and a love of performing.
“I didn’t really ever see Glastonbury, arena tours with Paul Kelly and Lucinda Williams in my future, but here we are,” she said. “I did, however, always want to perform.”
That desire showed itself early.
Growing up, family events on the family property at Tallimba, west of West Wyalong, were transformed into impromptu concerts.
She remembers forcing her family to watch, “circuses on the horses in 40-degree heat” and ensuring they endured her entire choir repertoire on the way home from school.
“We can safely say I was born a show pony, ha ha ha.”
Despite her early passion, Lumsden briefly detoured from the stage to study rural science at the University of New England in Armidale – a path that might have led her away from music entirely.
Yet, the pull of performance never faded.
Eventually, she found a way to combine her love of country life with her musical talent, carving a unique niche in Australian country music.
Now based on a working property near Tooma in the NSW Snowy Valleys, and raising two children, Lumsden balances rural and family life with a high-profile career that takes her across Australia and the world.
It’s a blend that seems to work, lending authenticity and grounded charm to both her music and her spirited performances.
Written on the road during her UK and Europe tour earlier this year with her band, The Prawn Stars, Look at Me Now – released in September – reflects Lumsden’s life on the move and her evolution as an artist.
The song’s video, released a month later, brings her journey full circle, stitching together 14 years of footage from early Country Halls Tour days through arena shows alongside icons such as Paul Kelly and Lucinda Williams and 19 song release videos.
“Basically, we’ve been making this clip since 2011,” Lumsden said.
It was painstakingly edited over many sleepless nights by her husband, Dan Stanley Freeman.
“Dan managed to fit it all into three minutes – it really feels like the culmination of everything so far,” she said.
For Lumsden, the video is a signpost pointing to what comes next.
“It’s incredible to pause and reflect, but I’m also so excited to dive into this new era of music,” she said.
The 2026 Golden Guitar Awards will celebrate the best in Australian country music, with winners set to be announced on 25 January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Following the nomination, Lumsden and The Prawn Stars will take their headline tour to the nation’s capital cities next February, bringing her celebrated music to fans across Australia.
