Nineteen-year-old Mackenzie Lee from Abermain in the Hunter Valley has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Starmaker competition at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The singer-songwriter, who first busked on Peel Street at age 11, will compete for the title on January 18 at Bicentennial Park.
Starmaker is widely regarded as Australia's premier launching pad for country music careers, having produced stars like Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, and Kaylee Bell. Previous winners from the Hunter Valley include Kurri Kurri's Kirsty Lee Akers (2007) and Newcastle's Bob Corbett (2012).
Mackenzie, who shares her age and finalist status with Mackenzie May of Queensland, expressed excitement about the opportunity. 'Just being a top-10 finalist will do amazing things,' she said. 'Coming out a winner would be amazing.'
She began singing and playing guitar at eight, writing her own songs and busking at Tamworth by age 11. Her grandmother Vicki encouraged her to focus on music, and her mother Donita Hall helps manage her career. Mackenzie released her debut EP 'Sometime's I Wonder' in 2021 while still a student at Mount View High School, followed by a self-titled EP in 2022.
Her musical influences range from American legends Patsy Cline and Waylon Jennings to modern pop-country stars Lainey Wilson and Luke Combs. Despite her youth, she has been performing regularly at pubs and clubs since age 14, noting that nerves remain part of the process: 'You don't really love music if you lose them completely. A little nerves are good.'
