Casey Barnes, Baker Boy, & Alice Ivy among finalists of 2022 Professional Development Awards
Image: Casey Barnes
Casey Barnes, Baker Boy, A.GIRL, Alice Ivy, BRUX and Gabriella Cohen are among those in the running for a share of the $100,000 cash prize pool for the 2022 APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards (PDAs).
The finalist list covers Popular Contemporary, Hip Hop/Rap/Soul/R&B, Classical/Experimental, Jazz/Improvised Music, Film & Television/Gaming, Country/Americana, Dance/Electronic, Music Theatre, and the Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award.
The PDAs have a reputation for boosting careers: previous winners included Briggs, Morgan Evans, Mo’Ju, Julia Jacklin, Gordi and Jess Hitchcock.
2022 sees the return for a second year of the Music Theatre category, offering funds for burgeoning composers to be used towards a workshop for their piece.
The shortlist includes a full First Nations cast in Yellow Rock – A Gumbaynggirr Song Circle and The Lucky Country, which explores the Australian identity through a wide range of underrepresented voices.
Each category winner gets $10,000 as well as a prize from Australis Music.
The Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award provides a promising Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander music or media practitioner with a grant of $12,000.
The foundation was set up in memory of Sydney hip-hop artist Eli Westlake.
The winners of the APRA AMCOS PDAs and the Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award will be announced on Thursday, March 3.
The panel of judges consisted of Jenny Morris, Dave Ruby Howe, Brooke McClymont, Adalita, Pip Norman, Nina Las Vegas, Yve Blake, Joel Ma and John Ferris, among others.
Tim Tan
The full finalists list is:
Popular Contemporary
(Two awards will be given in this category which includes Pop, Rock, Alternative, Blues, Roots, Folk, Metal, Christian and Children’s)
Beckah Amani
Bri Clark
Gabriella Cohen
Gena Rose Bruce
Georgia Potter (Moreton)
Indigo Sparke
Jack Grace
Romy Vager (RVG)
Tim Tan
Vetta Borne
Classical/Experimental
Carolyn Schofield
Elizabeth Jigalin
Kate Milligan
Kitty Xiao
Tilman Robinson
Country/Americana
Brad Cox
Casey Barnes
Gretta Ziller
Melanie Dyer
Natasha Parker (Runaway Belles)
Dance/Electronic
Adam Bozzetto (For Life)
Alice Ivy
Jitwam
Liz Maniscalco (BRUX)
Taka Perry
Film & Television/ Gaming
Luna Pan
Michael Drew
Rosie Baldwin
Sean Tinnion
Hip Hop/Rap/R&B/Soul
A.GIRL
Alliyah Fareo (Liyah Knight)
Chelsea Warner
Nardine Gharsa (Nardean)
Tiana Naug (Tiana Khasi)
Jazz/Improvised
Claire Cross
Joseph Franklin
Nick Abbey
Rafael Karlen
Rochelle Scorgie
Music Theatre
Brittanie Shipway – Yellow Rock – A Gumbaynggirr Song Circle
Jules Orcullo – Fraser Babies
Samuel Gaskin – RECKONING
Vidya Makan – The Lucky Country
Jem Cassar-Daley
Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award
Angus Field (AYA J)
Daniel Rankine (Trials)
Danzal Baker (Baker Boy)
Jem Cassar-Daley
Mi-kaisha Masella
A playlist featuring the work of PDAs finalists is available on Spotify and Apple Music.