{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Josh Cunningham | image = File:Josh Cunningham at WA Art Gallery 9 03 2017.jpg | image_upright = | caption = Josh Cunningham, March 2017 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Joshua Hayden Cunningham | origin = Moruya, New South Wales | instrument = Guitar<br />Ukulele<br />Mandolin<br />Dobro<br />Banjo | genre = Folk rock | occupation = Guitarist<br />Singer-songwriter | years_active = 1987&ndash;present | label = Jarrah Records ABC Music | website = }} '''Joshua Hayden Cunningham'''<ref name="ASCAP Highway">{{cite web |url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=380689121&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1 |title="Highway One" at ASCAP ACE Title Search |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) |access-date=18 February 2010 }}</ref> is an Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of folk rock band The Waifs,<ref name="WhosWho">{{cite book|title=The Who's Who of Australian Rock|last=Spencer|first=Chris|author2=Zbig Nowara|author3=Paul McHenry|url=http://www.whiteroom.com.au/howlspace/whoswho/aboutww.htm|chapter=Waifs, The|chapter-url=http://www.whiteroom.com.au/howlspace/whoswho/PHPTracks.php?Band_ID=237750|orig-year=1987|year=2002|publisher=Five Mile Press|location=Noble Park, Vic.|isbn=1-86503-891-1|access-date=18 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229232852/http://www.whiteroom.com.au/howlspace/whoswho/aboutww.htm|archive-date=29 February 2012|df=dmy-all}} Note: [online] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.</ref> and one-half of folk/country duo Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham. Collectively, Cunningham has been awarded four ARIA Awards, three CMAA Golden Guitar Awards, one AIR Award, and was inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association Hall of Fame in 2017.

Cunningham was also a member of Missy Higgins's backing band for the first three years of her career, and performed on her album ''On a Clear Night''.

He has constructed some of the guitars he plays, both acoustic and electric.

==Early life== Cunningham grew up on a farm in Moruya, New South Wales. His family were poor and lived in a one-room shack without power or modern conveniences, and yet he describes a loving and secure upbringing that taught him the value of what is truly important in life .

''"Many would use the word 'underprivileged' to describe the way I grew up, but I regard it as a privilege – more and more as I've gotten older."''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Josh |date=2023-08-24 |title=Size Up |url=https://joshcunningham.com/size-up/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=Josh Cunningham |language=en-AU}}</ref>

At the age of 13, he was inspired to pick up the guitar after seeing Michael J Fox's (aka Marty McFly) spirited rendition of ''Johnny B Goode'' in the 1985 movie "Back to The Future".

==Career==

=== The Waifs [1992 - Current] === Cunningham met Donna and Vikki Simpson while the two sisters played gigs in Broome, in 1992. At the time, Cunningham was playing bass guitar in an all-male band. Donna Simpson described, on The Waifs' official website, how they met: {{cquote|"We jammed for about 10 minutes and I asked him to join the band and he said "ok"... Just like that, and we became ''The Waifs''."}} In 2003, they became an "overnight sensation" when they picked up four ARIA awards for their album ''Up All Night'' and had radio success with several of the tracks from that album including "London Still" and "Lighthouse Man".

The Waifs have opened for and shared stages with many high-profile artists along the way, most notably being personally invited by Bob Dylan to join him for over thirty shows in the US in 2003.

=== Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham (2000 - Present) === In 2020 Cunningham teamed up in music and in life with Australian country music star Felicity Urquhart. Their ARIA and 4 times '''Golden Guitar'''-nominated debut album ''The Song Club'', blended Cunningham's signature folk/roots sound with Felicity's country leanings and established the duo as a potent musical force.

Described by The Australian's Phil Stafford as "''Australia's first'' ''couple of folk-country,''" Urquhart and Cunningham topped the pool at the 2024 Golden Guitar Awards for both nominations (six) and wins (three) for their follow up album ''Birdsong,'' released in September 2023.<ref name="CMAA23noms1">{{cite web |date=20 November 2023 |title=Toyota 52nd Golden Guitar Awards |url=https://www.tcmf.com.au/gga-nominees |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123120745/https://www.tcmf.com.au/gga-nominees |archive-date=23 November 2023 |access-date=23 November 2023 |website=TCMF}}</ref><ref name="CMAA23noms2">{{cite web |date=20 November 2023 |title=Nominees Announced for the 52nd Country Music Awards |url=https://www.tcmf.com.au/nominees-announced-for-the-52nd-country-music-awards-of-australia-the-toyota-golden-guitar-awards#:~:text=Tamworth%20Regional%20Council%20will%20present,livestreamed%20via%20the%20Festival%20website. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123120744/https://www.tcmf.com.au/nominees-announced-for-the-52nd-country-music-awards-of-australia-the-toyota-golden-guitar-awards#:~:text=Tamworth%20Regional%20Council%20will%20present,livestreamed%20via%20the%20Festival%20website. |archive-date=23 November 2023 |access-date=23 November 2023 |website=TCMF}}</ref>

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:24em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| AUS<br /><ref>Peaks in Australia: * ''The Song Club'': {{cite magazine|title=The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 May 2021|magazine=The ARIA Report|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|issue=1628|page=6|date=17 May 2021}} * ''Everything Around You'': {{cite magazine|title=The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 16 March 2026|magazine=The ARIA Report|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|issue=1880|page=6|date=16 March 2026}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Into Tomorrow'' | * Release date: 2011 * Label: * Format: CD, DD | — |- ! scope="row"| ''The Song Club'' <br> (with Felicity Urquhart) | * Release date: 7 May 2021 * Label: ABC Music/Universal Music <small>(3595271)</small> * Format: CD, DD, streaming | 77 |- ! scope="row" | ''Birdsong'' <br>(with Felicity Urquhart) | * Released: 29 September 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/listen/country/felicity-urquhart-josh-cunningham-birdsong-/102908978|title=Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham 'Birdsong'|website=ABC|date=29 September 2023|access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref> * Label: ABC Music/Universal Music * Format: CD, digital | — |- ! scope="row"| ''Everything Around You'' <br> (with Felicity Urquhart) | * Release date: 6 March 2026 * Label: ABC Music * Format: CD, DD, streaming | 85 |}

==Awards and nominations== ===AIR Awards=== The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. {{awards table}} |- | 2022<ref>{{cite web|url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/nominees-announced-for-air-independent-music-awards-2022/|title=Nominees Announced For AIR Independent Music Awards 2022|website=musicfeeds|date=1 June 2022|access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref><ref name="AIRwins2022">{{Cite web|url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/genesis-owusu-wins-big-at-the-2022-air-awards/|title=Genesis Owusu Wins Big At The 2022 AIR Awards|website=MusicFeeds|date=5 August 2022|access-date=6 August 2022|author=Tyler Jenke}}</ref> | ''The Song Club'' (with Felicity Urquhart) | Best Independent Country Album or EP | {{won}} {{end}}

===ARIA Music Awards=== The ARIA Music Awards is an annual ceremony 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. {{Awards table}} ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | 2021|| ''The Song Club'' (with Felicity Urquhart)|| Best Country Album || {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://themusicnetwork.com/2021-aria-awards-nominees/ |title=ARIA Awards nominees revealed: Amy Shark & Genesis Owusu lead the charge |work=The Music Network |date=20 October 2021 |access-date=24 October 2021 |author=Kelly, Vivienne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020000045/https://themusicnetwork.com/2021-aria-awards-nominees/ |archive-date=20 October 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-24/aria-awards-winners-genesis-owusu-the-kid-laroi/100647266|title=You could dub this year's awards the Hip Hop and R'n'B ARIAs|publisher=ABC News|date=24 November 2021|first=Mawunyo|last=Gbogbo|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref> |- {{end}}

===Country Music Awards of Australia=== The Country Music Awards of Australia is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They commenced in 1973. {{awards table}} ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- |rowspan="4"| 2022 || Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham || Group or Duo of the Year || {{nom}} ||rowspan="4"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://onwiththeshow.com.au/toyota-golden-guitar-award-nominees-announced-for-events-50th-year/|title= Toyota Golden Guitar award nominees announced for event's 50th year|website=On with the Show |date=26 November 2021|access-date=23 November 2022}}</ref> |- | ''The Song Club'' || Alt. Country Album of the Year || {{nom}} |- | ''The Song Club'' || Album of the Year || {{nom}} |- | "Spare Parts" || Video of the Year || {{nom}} |- | 2023 || "Bogswamp" (written by Josh Cunningham) – Recorded by Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham || Heritage Song of the Year || {{nom}} || | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://themusic.com.au/news/tamworth-toyota-golden-guitar-awards-nominees-announced/AFcYEhUUFxY/22-11-22|title= Tamworth Toyota Golden Guitar Award Nominees Announced|website=The Music|date=22 November 2022|access-date=23 November 2022}}</ref> |- |rowspan="6"| 2024 || ''Birdsong'' (with Felicity Urquhart) || Album of the Year || {{nom}} ||rowspan="6"| <ref name="CMAA23noms1"/><ref name="CMAA23noms2"/><ref name=GGwins2024>{{cite web|url=https://www.kixcountry.com.au/hottest-country-news/brad-cox-the-wolfe-brothers-win-big-at-the-2024-golden-guitar-awards/ |title= Brad Cox, The Wolfe Brothers Win Big At The 2024 Golden Guitar Awards|website=Kix Country|date= 27 January 2024|access-date=29 January 2024}}</ref> |- | ''Birdsong'' (with Felicity Urquhart) || Traditional County Album of the Year || {{won}} |- | "Size Up" (with Felicity Urquhart)|| Single of the Year || {{won}} |- | "Size Up" (with Felicity Urquhart)|| Song of the Year || {{won}} |- | "Size Up" (with Felicity Urquhart) <br>(dir. Duncan Toombs & The Filmery)|| Video of the Year || {{nom}} |- | Josh Cunningham & Felicity Urquhart|| Group or Duo of the Year || {{nom}} |- | 2026 || Josh Cunningham & Felicity Urquhart|| Group or Duo of the Year || {{nom}} || <ref name="CMAA noms 26">{{cite web|url=https://country.com.au/images/Docs/AWARDS_DOCS/2026_AWARDS/2026_GOLDEN_GUITAR_AWARDS_FINALISTS.pdf|title= 54th Country Music Awards of Australia 2026 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards NOMINEES|website=Country|date=December 2025|access-date=10 December 2025}}</ref> |- {{end}}

==References== {{Reflist}} {{The Waifs}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Josh}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Musicians from Western Australia Category:Australian guitarists Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:The Waifs members Category:People from Moruya, New South Wales