As numbers at Tamworth Country Music Festival were affected by the drought, an award-winning musician has urged Australians to not forget the bush.
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True Blue singer and conservationist John Williamson AM won a Golden Guitar for Bush Ballad of the Year for his song, Please Don't Forget Me, on Saturday night.
He penned the song on his fear Australians are losing their romance with the bush.
"I'm not saying it's gone but the fact is we are losing a lot of family farms to corporates taking over," he told AAP.
"We've got to be careful we don't lose that wonderful romance with the bush, that makes us just as unique as Sydney Harbour or the Opera House.
"If you forget about the bush well we won't care about it, the cowboys will clear it and no one will know."
Williamson's message came as attendance figures at Tamworth were hit by the drought which has challenged farmers throughout NSW.
Festival manager Barry Harley believed street numbers were affected by the drought and scorching heat, which neared 40C for some of the event.
"Country festivals have all experienced a bit of a downturn because a very strong contingent of our fan base comes from regional, rural Australia," he said, predicting a drop of between five to 10 per cent when the festival's figures are confirmed.
He hoped the festival and the stories shared through song brought home a focus that the bush is important for not only for food but Australian culture.
Tamworth's Mayor Col Murray hoped some of the 1800 ratepayers, who are farmers in the area, had come along and enjoyed themselves.
"I think having the opportunity to take their mind just a little off the dry weather is really good for them," he told AAP.
Keith Urban's gig at Tamworth Town Hall on Tuesday night was also a major highlight for festival-goers with the event raising close to $20,000 for Rural Aid.
Urban told his fans on social media the night was "one for the record books" and a special moment came as he gave a guitar to a girl from a farming family doing it tough who attended the festival for some relief.
A world record was also broken during the week with the most people to perform heel-toe polka with more than 500 dancers.
Staff at Croc Stock and Barra noticed the drop in street numbers but they did get one particularly keen customer in One Nation senator Pauline Hanson.
Ms Hanson, who gave riding a mechanical bull a go, posted a photo on social media with one of the stall's cane toad purses and purchased a crocodile handbag.
For the Golden Guitar Awards, Tasmania's The Wolfe Brothers scored four gongs, including the coveted Album of the Year with Melbourne's Andrew Swift snagging two awards including New Talent of the Year.
Male Artist of the Year went to Travis Collins, Beccy Cole for the fifth time won the Female Artist of the Year and Port Macquarie's Blake O'Connor won the Toyota Star Maker.
Australian Associated Press