A FAST rising country singer has been named as one of a music TV channel's highlights of the year.

Brandlesholme singer songwriter Charlotte Mary was voted one of the Ladies of Country's top picks from 2018 after her single Dreamer was played on their Sky TV show.

The artist featured on the list alongside American country music stars Kacy Musgraves and Kelsea Ballerini.

Ladies of Country appears on the Keep It Country channel and is the channel's first female only show playing country music from around the world.

Charlotte said: "I'm sure there were quite a few people shortlisted so it's really nice to be recognised, especially among American artists where the genre is bigger.

"It also good for bringing my music to a wider audience and it's obviously had some effect because the amount of people following my social media has really gone up since then."

Charlotte added that it was also special to feature alongside Kacy and Kelsea who she described as her idols and the reason why she plays country music.

2018 was a big year for Charlotte who branched out as a solo artist, after cutting her teeth in folk-country outfit Juliet Rises.

She was quickly picked up by Ville Leppanen and landed a record deal with London label Animal Farm, dropping two singles.

The first, entitled Dreamer, was a spirited rallying cry against negativity and was launched at a special event at Soho's The Spice of Life, where legends including Bob Dylan and Ed Sheeran have played.

The second, entitled Coward, was dedicated to her music teachers David Evans and Jon Cudworth who encouraged Charlotte not to listen to what she called the "coward" in her head, telling her to take a "sensible job", and instead pursue a career in music.

The track also featured a music video shot at her former school, Tottington High.

After an incredible 2018, the next few months are shaping up to be a very busy period for the artist as Charlotte prepares to embark on a series of Irish gigs and a US tour.

Over the Summer Charlotte is lining up dates including in Brooklyn, New York City and Nashville.

For more on Charlotte Mary visit charlottemary.co.uk or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud.