Tamara (Tami) Neilson is a Canadian-born, New Zealand-based country & soul singer/songwriter. She is the winner of multiple awards, including the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards and Best Country Song Award; she is also the winner of the Best Country Album at the New Zealand Music Awards in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2015, and Best Female Artist at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in 2010, 2011 & 2014. Her album 'Don't Be Afraid' debuted at No. 1 on the New Zealand Music Charts, and her previous release 'Dynamite!' was listed in The Guardian as one of the top ten country albums of the year for 2014. In 2020, her song “Hey, Bus Driver”, from the album Chickaboom, won APRA’s Best Country Song Award.
She grew up as a member of The Neilsons, performing with her parents and two brothers across North America, and continues to co-write much of her work with brother Joshua 'Jay' Neilson, who shared her Silver Scroll win with her as well as producing her first three albums. They also worked together on scoring the New Zealand TV series The Brokenwood Mysteries for its second season, having previously contributed many songs to the first season's soundtrack. Tami’s songs have also appeared on Wanted (2016 Australian TV series), Nashville (2012 TV series), and The Sounds (TV series).
Neilson also appeared as a subject of the documentary The New Sound of Country Prime Rocks in New Zealand, alongside Marlon Williams, Delaney Davidson and Barry Saunders from The Warratahs.
In November 2020 she was named one of the best dressed women on David Hartnell MNZM's Best Dressed List.