Hands of Fame welcomes Jodi Vaughan and The Wolfe Brothers

Two very different careers, but the same lasting impact on Australian country music, were recognised on Saturday morning when the 2026 Hands of Fame inductees were honoured in Tamworth.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Jodi Vaughan and Tasmanian country rock duo The Wolfe Brothers were inducted into the Hands of Fame during the annual imprinting ceremony at Hands of Fame Park on Kable Avenue on Saturday, January 24.

“The Hands of Fame was established in 1977, and the likes of Johnny Ashcroft, Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Smoky Dawson, Buddy Williams and Tex Morton were among the crop of 21 artists saluted that inaugural year,” he said.

“Jodi, Nick and Tom are all so deserving of joining this group.

“The annual Hands of Fame imprinting ceremony is always a highlight of the festival and continues to be a year-round tourist attraction with more than 300 palms placed in the garden setting on the corner of Kable Avenue and Brisbane Street.”

Born in Balmain on Anzac Day in 1950, Jodi is a proud Biripi woman whose career has spanned more than five decades. Raised in foster care in regional New South Wales, she began performing professionally as a teenager before gaining national attention on Australia’s New Faces.

Jodi’s move to New Zealand in the mid-1970s saw her become a household name through That’s Country, where her duet partnership with Brendan Dugan helped define a golden era of New Zealand country music. Their platinum-selling album Fairweather Friends led to international milestones including performances at the Royal Variety Performance, appearances on Nashville Now and collaborations with The Jordanaires in the United States.

Across her career, Jodi has released 10 studio albums, achieved numerous chart successes and earned multiple songwriting, vocal and industry awards. She remains an active performer and advocate for country music.

Joining her were brothers Nick and Tom Wolfe, known collectively as The Wolfe Brothers, who have become one of Australia’s most successful country rock acts. Rising to national attention as runners-up on Australia’s Got Talent in 2012, the Tasmanian duo has since built a career that places them among the most awarded artists in the genre.

Nick and Tom have achieved five number one and two number two ARIA Country Albums, delivered 21 number one national country singles and earned 10 Golden Guitars, alongside multiple ARIA and Golden Guitar nominations. Proudly from a multi-generational farming family in Tasmania, their music remains firmly grounded in regional Australia.

Tamworth Country Music Festival Manager Barry Harley said the 2026 inductees were worthy additions to the Hands of Fame.

In 2024, they released their seventh studio album, Australian Made, recorded entirely in Australia and debuting at number one on the ARIA Country Albums chart.

Later on Saturday night, Nick and Tom collected five Golden Guitars at the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards.