# Colin Buchanan (musician)

Colin Buchanan (born 23 May 1964) is an Australian singer, songwriter, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist.

## Early life

Colin moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia, as a six-year-old, and then Peakhurst, Sydney, before moving to the outback in 1988 with his wife for a couple of years, studying with Cornerstone Community. This included a year in Bourke, in the corner country of New South Wales, and another in Grenfell, New South Wales.

## Career

Colin has won ten Golden Guitar Australian Country Music Awards and has written songs with Lee Kernaghan, Adam Brand and Troy Cassar-Daley. His song "Hat Town", written with Lee Kernaghan, won an APRA Award, while his Christmas album, recorded with Greg Champion, has become an Australian classic, in particular his "Aussie Jingle Bells", now a staple at school end-of-year concerts. He was nominated for four ARIA Awards in 1993 for Best Country Album for Hard Times (lost to Lee Kernaghan for The Outback Club), in 1994 for Best Children's Album for I Want My Mummy (lost to Mic Conway for Whoopee), in 1998 for Best Country Album for Edge of the Kimberley (lost to Shanley Del for My Own Sweet Time) and in 2013 for Best Comedy Release for The TGIF Songs of Colin Buchanan (lost to Tom & Alex for The Bits We're Least Ashamed of).
Colin was a regular presenter on ABC TV's Play School from 1992 to 1999, when the program was revamped. More recently he appeared on Playhouse Disney, a co-production between Australia's Seven Network and Disney Channel. He appeared with Monica Trapaga each year representing Seven and Disney on Carols in the Domain. For 20 years he hosted Qantas' in-flight audio entertainment, predominantly "Big Country", pioneering the guest co-host format eventually adopted across all Qantas in-flight audio channels.
Since the mid-1990s, Colin has devoted much of his time to producing Christian albums. In particular, his children's albums are popular across Australia, United Kingdom and in parts of the United States. A former school teacher at several schools, his songs can be heard playing in many a primary classroom and Sunday School.

## Personal life

Colin and his wife Robyn have four children; Elliot, Laura, Emily and Riley.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
| Year | Album details | AUS | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
| Galahs in the Gidgee | Released: 1991 Label: Australian Broadcasting Corporation | - | |
| Hard Times | Released: 1992 Label: Australian Broadcasting Corporation | - | |
| The Measure of a Man | Released: 1994 Label: Australian Broadcasting Corporation | - | |
| Aussie Christmas with Bucko & Champs (with Greg Champion – as Bucko & Champs) | Released: 1995 Label: Massive (7310782) | 39 | AUS: Gold |
| Edge of the Kimberley | Released: April 1998 Label: EastWest | 98 | |
| Aussie Christmas with Bucko & Champs 2 (with Greg Champion – as Bucko & Champs) | Released: 1998 Label: EastWest (3984254762) | 67 | AUS: Platinum |
| Real Hope | Released: 2000 Label: Wanaaring Road Music | - | |
| Land of the Getaway | Released: 2001 Label: Wanaaring Road Music | - | |
| God of Wonders | Released: 2003 Label: Wanaaring Road Music | - | |
| Take 2 | Released: November 2003 Label: Wanaaring Road Music | 89 | |
| The Songwriter Sessions | Released: 2012 Label: Ambition Records | - | |
| Calvary Road | Released: 2017 Label: Three Seventeen Trust | - | |
| Memory Town | Released: August 2024 Label: Compass Brothers Records | - | |

### Compilation albums

* Bourke To Beaconsfield (2006)
* The TGIF Songs of Colin Buchanan (Double CD) (2013)

### Religious Children's albums

* I Want My Mummy (1993)
* Remember the Lord (1996)
* Practise Being Godly (1997)
* Follow the Saviour (1998)
* Live in the Big Tent (2000)
* Special Edition Volume # 1 (compilation of demos) (2001)
* 10, 9, 8... God Is Great (2002)
* Baa Baa Doo Baa Baa (compilation) (2003)
* Jesus Rocks the World (2004)
* King of Christmas (Double CD) (2005)
* Nicky Nacky Nocky Noo (2006)
* Colin's Favourites (Compilation) (2007)
* Super Saviour (2008)
* Boom Chicka Boom (2009)
* God Rock (2011)
* Live in the Big Tent (Special Edition) (2010)
* King of the Jungle (2013)
* The Jesus Hokey Pokey (2014)
* Jingle Jingle Jesus (2015)
* Boss of the Cross (2016)
* Colin's Crackers Favourites Vol 2 (2016)
* Living on the Rock (2016)
* Colin's New Testament Big Bible Story Songs (2017)
* Jesus The Game Changer (2017)
* Fam Bam Bible Jam! (2018)
* Catechismo Kids (2019)
* Colin Buchanan's Old Testament Sing-A-Long (2020)

### Singles

* "Missin' Slim" (Lee Kernaghan & Colin Buchanan) (2004 tribute to the deceased Slim Dusty)
* "Goodbye, Crocodile Hunter" (2006 tribute to the deceased Steve Irwin)
* "Trader Bob" (Colin Buchanan featuring Peter Denahy & Ashleigh Dallas) (2018)
* "In Real Life" (2022)
* "Little Barefoot Millie" (2023)
* "What I Love About Country" (2024)

## Awards and nominations
### APRA Music Awards

| Year | Nominated works | Award | Result |
| 1994 | "She's My Ute" with Lee Kernaghan and Garth Porter | Country Song of the Year | Nominated |
| 1994 | "Mummy Song (a.k.a. I Want My Mummy)" | Children's Composition of the Year | Nominated |
| 1996 | "Nine Mile Run" with Fiona and Tania Kernaghan | Most Performed Country Work | Nominated |
| 1996 | "Skinny Dippin'" with Lee Kernaghan, Lawrence Minton and Garth Porter | Most Performed Country Work | Nominated |
| 1999 | "Hat Town" with Lee Kernaghan and Garth Porter | Most Performed Country Work | Won |
| 2012 | "Country Is" (Troy Cassar-Daley / Colin Buchanan) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted |
| 2013 | "Country Is" (Troy Cassar-Daley / Colin Buchanan) | Most Performed Country Work | Nominated |

### ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominated works | Award | Result |
| 1993 | Hard Times | Best Country Album | Nominated |
| 1994 | I Want My Mummy | Best Children's Album | Nominated |
| 1996 | Aussie Christmas (as Bucko and Champs) | Best Comedy Release | Nominated |
| 1998 | Edge of the Kimberley | Best Country Album | Nominated |
| 2013 | The TGIF Songs of Colin Buchanan | Best Comedy Release | Nominated |

### Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973. Buchanan has won seven awards and two as a songwriter.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
| 1992 | Colin Buchanan – "Galahs in the Gidgee" | New Talent of the Year | Won |
| 1993 | "A Drover's Wife" | Heritage Award | Won |
| 1998 | "Edge of the Kimberley" | Heritage Song of the Year | Won |
| 1999 | "Tough Job" (with Lee Kernaghan) | Vocal Collaboration of the Year | Won |
| 1999 | "That Old Caravan" | Bush Ballad of the Year | Won |
| 2000 | "They Don't Make 'em Like That Anymore" | APRA Song of the Year | Won |
| 2005 | "Missin' Slim" (with Lee Kernaghan) | Heritage Song of the Year | Won |
| 2007 | "Close As a Whisper (The Gift)" (performed by Lee Kernaghan – written by Lee Kernaghan, Garth Porter & Colin Buchanan) | Heritage Song of the Year | Won |
| 2010 | "The Road to Thargomindah" (performed by The Bushwackers – written Colin Buchanan) | Bush Ballad of the Year | Won |
| 2025 | "Laura & Giselle" | Bush Ballad of the Year | Won |

### Tamworth Songwriters Awards

The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. They commenced in 1986. Colin Buchanan has won six awards.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
| 1990 | "Up to Their Eyeballs" by Colin Buchanan | Amateur Traditional Award | Won |
| 1991 | "Debutantes Ball" by Colin Buchanan | Professional Traditional Award | Won |
| 1994 | "Dem Doggies Don't Care" by Colin Buchanan | Children's Song of the Year | Won |
| 2003 | "Jesus Is No Fairytale" by Colin Buchanan | Children's Song of the Year | Won |
| 2006 | "King of Christmas" by Colin Buchanan | Children's Song of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | Colin Buchanan | Songmaker Award | awarded |