Entries open for Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition
Applications are now open for the 2014 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition.
The Preatures won the competition last year, taking home $50,000 and joining past Vanda & Young winners Megan Washington (2009) and Kimbra (2011).
This year, the Sydney band has donated $2,000 for the Encouragement Award, a new addition to the competition.
The Preatures’ Isabella Manfredi said: “Winning the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition was such a huge leg up for us, and we wanted to show our thanks and support by helping the next wave of applicants with this encouragement award.
The project of music royalties and licensing administrator APRA AMCOS, Sydney-based label, studio, publishing and rights management company Alberts and not-for-profit organisation Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA) is open to songwriters worldwide.
Brett Cottle, APRA AMCOS CEO, said “It is a great honour for APRA AMCOS to support this competition because of what it achieves. First, the fantastic work of Nordoff-Robbins and their music therapy is supported and they can continue to bring music into the world of people who get real benefits from it. Secondly the opportunity for talented songwriters to be recognised and also get some help in the next stage of their career.”
David Albert, CEO of Alberts, said: “Alberts is thrilled to be continuing its longstanding association with Nordoff-Robbins and the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition into 2014, the year in which we also celebrate 50 years of our record label, Albert Productions. From writing and recording with The Easybeats, Marcus Hook Roll Band and Flash And The Pan, through to writing hits for the likes of John Paul Young and nurturing songwriters of the ilk of AC/DC, there’s arguably been no more defining contribution to both Albert Productions and Australian songwriting than that of George Young and Harry Vanda.”
Entries to the competition cost $50 with money raised going directly to supporting Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy’s music therapy initiative, which has been proven to help people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rett Syndrome and Angelman Syndrome and disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Dyspraxia and Spina Bifida.
Entries close on the September 22.
Visit the official website for more information and terms and conditions.
2014 Vanda & Young Song Competition Judges
Industry and Media:
Amanda Lee – Southern Cross Austereo
Andrew Mast – theMusic.com.au
Bob Gordon – Xpress Magazine
Chris Martin – The Brag
Dan Zilber – FBi Radio
Danielle McGrane – AAP
Don Elford – AEG Ogden
Kathy McCabe – The Daily Telegraph / News Corp Australia
Larry Heath – the AU review
Lindsay McDougall – triple j
Bernard Zuel – Sydney Morning Herald / Fairfax Media
Martin Boulton – The Age / Fairfax Media
Iain Shedden – The Australian / News Corp Australia
Paul Cashmere – Noise 11
Poppy Reid – The Music Network
Robert Dunstan – Freelance Writer
Scott Fitzsimons – theMusic.com.au
Record Companies:
Mark Holland – EMI Recorded Music Australia
Michael Taylor (Universal Music Australia)
Peter Karpin (Mercury Records/Universal Music Australia
International Judges:
Isabel Pappani – Undercover Tracks/Los Angeles
APRA AMCOS Member Relations Rep (USA)
Mark Moffatt – Producer/Songwriter/Nashville
APRA AMCOS Member Relations Rep (USA)
Mitch Allan – writer (USA)
Peter Coquillard – Bill Silva Publishing (USA)
Steve Lillywhite – producer (USA)
David Ryan Harris – singer/songwriter/producer (USA)
APRA AMCOS Ambassadors:
Eric McCusker
Jenny Morris
Jonathan Zwartz
Les Gock
Josh Pyke
Rai Thistlethwayte
Eric Chapus
Grant Windsor
Ilan Kidron (Potbelleez)
Jonny Sonic (Potbelleez)
Dave Goode (Potbelleez)
Amanda Brown
John Schumann
Brendan Gallagher
Kevin Mitchell
James Blundell
Mark Atkins