Margaret River-raised Sash Seabourne reflects on winning first music award in 2023 WAM Song of the Year awards

Fresh off the back of finishing a tour of the South West, Margaret River-raised singer-songwriter Sash Seabourne has been left “chuffed and humbled” after achieving a milestone in his independent music career. The former Australian Idol contestant recently won his first songwriting award at last Tuesday’s WAM Song of the Year awards, taking home the blues and roots award with his song Receiver’ Speaking to the South Western Times, Seabourne said he did not expect to attend the award ceremony at Freo.Social expecting to take home an award out of hundreds of songs submitted but achieving a songwriting award for his first music award was made all the more sweeter. “A lot of my best friends play music and it means a lot to me to be in a room full of people that I admire,” he said. “Then my name got called out and my song got played and there was this crazy feeling walking up to the stage and shaking hands. “I wasn’t expecting for it to affect me that much but it truly meant the world to be acknowledged in a room full of people that I look up to and feel like there was a mutual level of respect. “To take out an award was just really empowering and just affirming of my journey at the moment because I’ve really put more into music this year than I ever have before and there’s a lot of sacrifice involved in that. “The more you put your life into chasing a mission, the more incredible it feels to be acknowledged for that, particularly after coming out of Australian Idol and really flying that flag of wanting to be recognised as a songwriter first.” The award came in the midst of wowing crowds in Esperance, Hopetoun and Dunsborough as Seabourne’s Raised by Rivers South West tour concluded last weekend and preparations begin to head north to Karratha and Exmouth with good mate and Busselton-based musician Daniel & The Lion throughout July. “We’re definitely going to be working really hard and not going surfing at all, not even once,” he laughed. “Right now we’ve got a Tarago van which I’m pretty sure is the official low-income Australian performer’s car. “I know that The Wiggles apparently had a Tarago and they toured like 500 shows a year when they were starting out so I’m paying my dues and I’m proud to be slogging it out and loving it.”