MORGAN Evans has won the 2007 Telstra Road To Tamworth talent search, the competition that unearthed this year's Australian Idol runner-up, Jessica Mauboy.

The 21-year-old from Mt Hutton, NSW, beat 25 other finalists at a concert at the Tamworth country music festival, securing a trip to the country music capital of the world, Nashville, USA, where he will record a single with Sony BMG.

Evans dedicated his win to his late grandmother.

"One of the biggest supporters of my country music was my nan, and she passed away about three months ago, so I'd like to dedicate this to her," he told the crowd of 2,000 at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre.

Briana Lee, 19, from Victoria, won the songwriting section of the competition, earning a week-long songwriting workshop in Nashville.

The Road To Tamworth competition, now in its fourth year, is touted as the biggest country music talent search outside the United States.

Twenty-six heat winners from across Australia travelled to Tamworth to vie for the title.

This year's Australian Idol runner-up, Jessica Mauboy, took out the inaugural Road To Tamworth title in 2004.

The 10-day Tamworth country music festival concludes on January 28.