Calling all songwriters, the 2021 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is open

The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is officially back for 2021 and they’re calling songwriters near and far, of all genres and career stages to enter a song for a chance to win.

Named after the iconic songwriters and founding members of The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and the late George Young, over the course of its existence the long-running competition has honoured a wide range of songwriting talent and sees future winning artists sitting alongside ever-talented company.

The winning song of the competition sees its songwriter claim a career-boosting cash prize of $50,000 contributed by APRA AMCOS and Alberts and Sony Music Publishing.

There are also cash prizes for those who don’t win first place, with second in place scoring $10,000 courtesy of Banki Haddock Fiora and third place winning a prize of $5,000, courtesy Aon.

2020’s iteration of the songwriting competition saw Thelma Plum win first place with her track ‘Better in Blak’, an inspiring anthem of empowerment.

Before Plum, Matt Corby and Dann Hume won the competition in 2019, with Amy Shark winning in 2018 and Gretta Ray in 2016.

Previous winners also include Husky Gawenda, Isabella Manfredi, Kimbra and Megan Washington.

Though there can only be a single number one winner every year, other top finishers don’t go unnoticed including the likes of Baker Boy, Ruel, Kaiit, Sarah Aarons, Gotye, Meg Mac and Gang of Youths frontman David Le’aupepe.

In addition to first, second and third winner prizes, there are also more prizes up for grabs including the AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize of $5,000, courtesy of Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited (AMPAL), as well as ten runner-up prizes of $1,000, courtesy of an anonymous donor.

All proceeds from the competition are directed to supporting Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.

Songs entered into the competition will be judged by a panel comprised of influential artists, producers, media and music. The panellists will be announced soon.

Entries for the 2021 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition close at 11.59pm (AEDT) on Friday 8th October 2021.

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