The Australian National Busking Championships (ANBC) has announced the second and third celebrity judges for its gala three night/two day combined regional and national grand final event in November.

Joining Tamworth Country Music Festival busking co-ordinator, Kyle Kash, on the judging panel in 2025 will be musician, vocalist, songwriter, and mum in the family band Haystack Mountain Hermits, Kerrie Gambley from Tamborine Mountain, Queensland.

The Hermits won the ANBC in 2017/18 and the band is currently a finalist in the Gold Coast Music Awards as live act of the year.

The third judge is John Littrich, lead singer of award-winning South Coast band, The Water Runners, which has won best band at the ANBC and has recently finished runner-up in the Australian Folk Music Awards people’s choice.

ANBC president, Allan Spencer, said he was delighted and honoured to welcome Kerrie and John to the judging team, along with Kyle.

“This year’s event is a double whammy with the regional Cooma heat and the national grand final all on the one weekend, with a myriad of events, concerts, workshops and attractions for the general public,” he said.

“Securing judges of the calibre of Kerrie, John and Kyle – people who really know and understand the essence of busking as an art form - is a huge plus for the ANBC as we enter a big phase of growth.”

The two new judges said they were honoured to be invited to perform what Mr Spencer says is ‘a very tricky task’ due to the wide variation of genres buskers bring to the competition.

“It is important that our judges have a good understanding of the elements of busking, which is a form of street performance where you really only have a matter of seconds to attract passers-by and get them to stop and listen and watch,” Mr Spencer said.

“Having two judges who have been previous winners and have gone on to be award-winning performers really gives our buskers reassurance that they are being judged by people who understand their craft.”

Judging at the ANBC is a full-circle moment for Kerrie with the Haystack Mountain Hermits crowned best band in 2017 and open champions in 2018, collecting multiple regional titles, including people’s choice, before taking out the Tamworth Busking Championships in 2019.

Kerrie’s songwriting has also earned national and international recognition through Tamworth Songwriters Association, Australian Songwriters Association, Unsigned Only and the International Songwriting Competition.

Her ANZAC ballad, written in honour of her great-grandfather and the Australian Light Horse, is a widely viewed hit.

The ANBC holds a special place in Kerrie’s heart, and she is delighted to return in 2025.

“I am thrilled to return this year to celebrate and support the next generation of buskers,” she said.

John said he was excited to visit Cooma to take a judging role.

“I am really excited about coming to Cooma and helping with the judging,” he said.

His resume as a busker and a musician/songwriter is expansive. John played in various bands from his teens in the 1980s including rhythm and blues outfit The Creepers playing venues in Sydney and surrounds, and also regularly supporting a number of bigger acts of the day, including The Cockroaches and Dynamic Hepnotics.

In the busking regional heats, held in Cooma’s CBD on Saturday, 15 November, performers will compete across multiple categories.

Entrants will play four 30-minute sets at designated busking stations outside Cooma businesses on the day, with announcement of winners and presentations made at the Alpine Hotel, along with winning busker performances and other live night time entertainment.

Tamworth-based music publicist and journalist, Bec Gracie, who works with many Tamworth country music stars, will sponsor a major award for the best masters musician.