At the April 24th fundraising gala, World of Friendship, Sister Cities of Nashville was pleased to honor board member, Tamworth Committee Co-Chair, and Australian native Mark O’Shea with the Phoenix Award.
The Phoenix Award was created specifically to recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond to renew, rejuvenate, or reignite a sister city relationship between Nashville, TN and a partner city. It is not given every year and is only considered when such recognition is worthy.
Over the past year and a half, O’Shea has worked tirelessly on creating more opportunities, direct connections, and person-to-person exchanges between Nashville and Tamworth, often utilizing his own personal and professional connections. His efforts and collaborations with Tamworth have resulted in a reciprocal and immersive musical exchange structured specifically to foster opportunities for the annual participants, while building even more person-to-person connections between our two cities and cultures.
Musician Gretta Ziller traveled to Nashville in September 2023, to perform at the Americana Music Festival and engage with local musicians and executives. She home-stayed with several local families during her time in Nashville. In January 2024, singer-songwriter Anna Hamilton of Nashville was invited to participate in the prestigious Academy of Country Music and perform at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. She was hosted in Tamworth by city manager Paul Bennett and his family. Both cities have committed to making this musical exchange an annual event with different musicians participating each year.
The World of Friendship Committee and Sister Cities of Nashville are grateful to O’Shea and his work on Nashville’s relationship with Tamworth.
