Australian War Memorial given Golden Guitar

Country music star Lee Kernaghan has presented one of his three Golden Guitar awards received for his album Spirit of the Anzacs to the Australian War Memorial.

Upon accepting his award for Video Clip of the Year at last night’s Country Music Awards in Tamworth, Kernaghan handed it to the Director of the Australian War Memorial, Dr Brendan Nelson.

Kernaghan’s title track, “Spirit of the Anzacs”, took out Vocal Collaboration of the Year and Video Clip of the Year, with the album winning the award for Top-Selling Australian Album of the Year.

"I know when we were making the album it was so moving because every single song on the album is a true story. There were a lot of tears and a lot of emotion, and we all felt so privileged to have been a part of it," said Kernaghan.

Dr Nelson said the idea for the album came from a visit the singer had made to the Australian War Memorial two-and-a-half years ago.

“Lee and I stood in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier and in silence we were looking at the recently added inscription on the front of the Tomb: ‘He's all of them and he’s one of us’,”Dr Nelson said.

“The song has been an anthem for the Centenary of Anzac, just as Lee Kernaghan envisaged it would be.”

Dr Nelson stated that the award will be displayed in the galleries of the Australian War Memorial.