Tamara "Tami" Neilson is a Canadian-born New Zealand country & soul singer/songwriter. She is the winner of multiple awards, including the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards and Best Country Song Award; she is also the winner of the Best Country Album at the New Zealand Music Awards in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2015, and Best Female Artist at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in 2010, 2011, and 2014.
Biography
She grew up as a member of The Neilsons, performing with her parents and two brothers across North America, and continues to co-write much of her work with brother Joshua "Jay" Neilson, who shared her Silver Scroll win as well as producing her first three albums: Red Dirt Angel (2008), The Kitchen Table Sessions, Vol. 1 (2009) and The Kitchen Table Sessions, Vol. II (2011). They also worked together on scoring the New Zealand television series The Brokenwood Mysteries for its second season in 2015, having previously contributed many songs to the first season's soundtrack.
Her album Don't Be Afraid (2015) debuted at No. 3 on the New Zealand Music Charts, and her previous release Dynamite! (2014) was listed in The Guardian as one of the top ten country albums of the year for 2014. In 2020, her song "Hey, Bus Driver", from the album Chickaboom, won APRA's Best Country Song Award. In 2017, Neilson also appeared as a subject of the documentary Prime Rocks: The New Sound of Country in New Zealand, alongside Marlon Williams, Delaney Davidson, and Barry Saunders from The Warratahs. In November 2020, she appeared on David Hartnell MNZM's Best Dressed List.
Neilson's 2022 album, Kingmaker included the single "Beyond the Stars", a duet with country music legend Willie Nelson, which was released to considerable acclaim after being debuted on stage in a live performance with him, at his Luck Reunion concert in March that year. The album went on to debut at #1 on the New Zealand charts in July, which was followed by a sold-out concert with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at the Aotea Centre, and a national tour with Chamber Music New Zealand, during which she performed "Beyond The Stars" with Bret McKenzie in Wellington. She also performed at Mariposa Folk Festival in Canada and Tønder Festival in Denmark that year. "Beyond The Stars" was nominated for the APRA Awards (New Zealand) Silver Scroll Award on 1 September 2022.
Neilson's songs have also appeared on Wanted, Nashville, and The Sounds. In 2022, Neilson herself appeared on The Brokenwood Mysteries performing "Ten Tonne Truck" on the episode "Good as Gold".
Neon Cowgirl was longlisted for the 2026 Polaris Music Prize.Sydney Brasil, "Polaris Music Prize Shares 2026 Long List". Exclaim!, June 11, 2026.
Personal life Born in Toronto, Ontario, Neilson relocated to Auckland, New Zealand in 2007 where she now resides. She is married to Grant Tetzlaff, a New Zealand Police inspector she first met in 2001. They have two children.
Neilson has Ojibwe ancestry.
Discography Studio albums + List of albums, with selected details Title Details Peak chart positions NZ Red Dirt Angel Released: 12 May 2008 Format: CD, digital download Label: Neilson Records, Southbound, Ode Records — The Kitchen Table Sessions, Vol. 1 Released: 1 June 2009 Format: CD, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound — The Kitchen Table Sessions, Vol. II Released: 1 January 2011 Format: CD, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound — Dynamite! Released: 21 March 2014 Format: CD, LP, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound 10 Don't Be Afraid Released: 25 September 2015 Format: CD, LP, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound, Monkey Music, Outside Studios 3 Sassafrass! Released: 1 June 2018 Format: CD, LP, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound, Outside 6 Chickaboom! Released: 14 February 2020 Format: CD, LP, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound, Outside 8 Kingmaker Released: 15 July 2022 Format: CD, LP, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound, Outside 1 Neilson Sings Nelson Released: 6 September 2024 Format: CD, LP, digital download Label: Neilson, Southbound, The Orchard 12 Neon Cowgirl Released: 11 July 2025 Format: CD, LP, digital download Label: Outside 19 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
Collaborative albums + List of albums, with selected details Title Details Chanteuses & Shotguns Released: 24 January 2011 Format: CD, digital download Label: Ode Records
Live albums + List of albums, with selected details Title Details Songs of Sinners Live Released: 23 November 2017 Format: CD, digital download Label: Neilson Records, Southbound
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZArtist NZArtistHotPeak positions for Tami Neilson's singles on the NZ Artist Hot singles chart: For "Big Boss Mama": For "Roimata / Cry Myself to Sleep": For "Trouble Finds a Girl": For "Beyond the Stars": For "Mama's Talkin'": "Walk (Back to Your Arms)" 2014 5 —Dynamite! "Dynamite"2015 — — "Lonely" — —Don’t Be Afraid "Holy Moses"2016 — — "Loco Mama" — — "Reap What You Sow" 2017 — — Songs of Sinners Live "Stay Outta My Business"2018 — —Sassafrass! "Manitoba Sunrise at Motel 6" — — "Devil in a Dress" — — "Big Boss Mama"2019 — 19 "Hey Bus Driver!" — —Chickaboom! "Any Fool with a Heart" — — "Ten Tonne Truck" — — "You Were Mine"2020 — — "Queenie, Queenie" — — "Pretty Paper" — — rowspan="2" "River" 2021 — — "Beyond the Stars"2022 — 10Kingmaker "Baby You're a Gun" — — "Careless Woman" — — "Kingmaker" — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
As featured artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZArtistHot "Trouble Finds a Girl" 2021 20 Tug of War
Promotional singles Title Year Album "Crazy" 2018 Brokenwood Mysteries (Music from the Original TV Series), Vol. 3
Other charted songs Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZArtistHot "Roimata / Cry Myself to Sleep" 2019 19 Waiata / Anthems "Mama's Talkin'" 2022 14 Kingmaker
Awards and nominations Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards are presented in Nashville annually by the Country Music Association to honour outstanding achivement in the country music industry. Nielson has received one nomination.
Year Association Award For Result Ref. 2026 Country Music Association Awards Global Country Artist Award Herself
APRA Awards (New Zealand) The APRA Awards (New Zealand) are presented annually by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members. The APRA Silver Scroll Award is awarded purely on the basis of songwriting. Year Award For Result2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards Silver Scroll Tami Neilson / Joshua Neilson, "Walk (Back To Your Arms)" 2016 APRA Silver Scroll Awards Silver Scroll Tami Neilson / Joshua Neilson, "The First Man" 2022 APRA Silver Scroll Awards Silver Scroll Tami Neilson / Delaney Davidson, "Beyond the Stars"
New Zealand/Aotearoa Music Awards The New Zealand Music Awards are presented annually by Recorded Music NZ recognising outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording field. Tami has been nominated multiple times for a number of awards, and won many of them. Year Award For Result2009 New Zealand Music Awards Best Country Music Album Red Dirt Angel 2010 New Zealand Music Awards Best Country Music Album The Kitchen Table Sessions 2012 New Zealand Music Awards Best Country Music Album The Kitchen Table Sessions Vol II 2014 New Zealand Music Awards Best Country Music Song Tami Neilson / Delaney Davidson, "Whiskey & Kisses" 2015 New Zealand Music Awards Best Country Music Album Dynamite! Best Country Music Song Tami Neilson, "You Lie" 2016 New Zealand Music Awards Album of the Year Don't Be Afraid Best Female Solo Artist Tami Neilson 2018 New Zealand Music Awards Album of the Year Sassafrass! Best Solo Artist Tami Neilson Best Album Cover Tami Neilson, Ashley Church, Jules Koblun 2019 New Zealand Music Awards Best Country Music Album Sassafrass! Best Country Music Song Tami Neilson / Joshua Neilson, "Manitoba Sunrise at Motel 6" 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards Album of the Year Chickaboom! Best Country Music Song Tami Neilson / Joshua Neilson, "Hey Bus Driver" Best Country Music Song Tami Neilson / Joshua Neilson, "Any Fool with a Heart" 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards Best Country Music Album Chickaboom! Best Country Music Song Tami Neilson, "Queenie, Queenie"
Taite Music Prize The Taite Music Prize is an annual New Zealand music award for the best album from New Zealand. Tami Neilson has been nominated four times, more than any other solo artist (and equal with Lawrence Arabia). Year For Result 2015 Taite Music Prize Dynamite! 2019 Taite Music Prize Sassafrass! 2021 Taite Music Prize Chickaboom! 2023 Taite Music Prize Kingmaker
References
External links Tami Neilson – Official Home Page