Living in the inner-Sydney suburb of Mascot, Lawrence was 23 years old and working as an accountant when she first picked up a guitar and started playing country music.
"My singing teacher said 'go and listen to a genre of music you've never really heard before'," she told AAP.
"So I went and picked out a LeAnn Rimes album. That was the beginning of me falling in love with country music."
Within a couple of years, Lawrence was a regular attendee at Tamworth, playing in front of packed crowds.
The 44-year-old five-time Golden Guitar winner now finds herself at the pinnacle of her chosen craft.
In the running for five gongs at Saturday night's awards, Lawrence has the most nominations of any female artist this year.
Twenty years after her first country music festival, she has been recognised alongside legends Slim Dusty, Kasey Chambers and Lee Kernaghan with her addition to Tamworth's Galaxy of Stars.
"That was really overwhelming and amazing," she said of her induction.
"It kind of says that you've made a mark in the industry.
"All the people that have gone before and done incredible things, to feel like I've been included in that club is incredible.
"So, shed a few tears, yeah."
As well as Female Artist of the Year, Lawrence is also up for the Album of the Year for her seventh release, Living for the Highlights.
The album, written during COVID-19 and after the devastation of losing a pregnancy, doesn't avoid the difficult experiences in her life.
"At the end of the day, even though there are moments in the album that are pretty raw, there's hopefulness," she explained.
"That's why it's called Living for the Highlights. We'll come out of this and, hopefully, we'll be okay."
After 20 years in the business, Lawrence's star continues to rise and she shows no sign of running out of inspiration.
Despite the demands of raising young children, she is finding even more enjoyment in her music by letting go of her insecurities and only doing what she wants, she said.
"It's really just showing who you are, and not being afraid to write what you really want to write."
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