Features November 5, 2021

Time is almost up to enter the Global Vanda & Young songwriting comp

The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is almost at an end, seeking talent from around the globe for a fast-track to the big stage.

Enter the Vanda & Young songwriting competition!

Ever since it first kicked off back in 2009 and began highlighting some of the world’s finest names, the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition has sought new artists from all walks of life who are keen to see their name in lights. But despite its origins in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s not just an Australian competition for Australian songwriters. Admissions are open to artists from any country with songs in any language.

Named for the iconic duo of Harry Vanda and George Young (founding members of The Easybeats, and ARIA Hall of Famers), the pair’s seemingly never-ending string of hits—performed by huge names like David Bowie, Grace Jones, Meatloaf, and Tom Jones—served as the inspiration for the competition.

With a massive roster of past winners including New Zealand pop artist Kimbra, Sydney rockers The Preatures, Melbourne indie-folk outfit Husky, and other export favourites like Gretta Ray, Amy Shark, Matt Corby & Dann Hume, and Thelma Plum, the stardom to gain from this competition truly cannot be understated.

Vanda & Young offers the biggest cash prize of any songwriting competition, with the first prize winner taking home an impressive $50,000, second prize grabbing $10,000, third with $5,000, and an even $1,000 each for ten runner-ups.

Past that, there’s even an AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize of $5,000 provided by Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited, the gurus behind music publishing in Australia and New Zealand. That means, the prizes total to a brilliant $80,000 in total!

Check out Vanda & Young winner Kimbra with ‘Cameo Lover’:

Not only is there cash up for grabs for multiple winners, but the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition prides itself in its charity partnership with Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (Noro) and its mission “to transform lives through the provision of music therapy,” with each entry fee for the competition serving as a direct donation to Noro’s cause.

Just how important is the work that Noro do? Well, Noro focuses on how music can change moods, help people to show their emotions and express feelings, and even improve motor speech, skills, and social interactions.

While the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition might be a perfect way for aspiring and rising songwriters to help get their names etched into the annals of music history, it also helps out those who use music as a pathway towards the betterment of physical, psychological, and cognitive health.

Check out 2016 winner Gretta Ray with ‘Drive’:

The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition welcomes musicians at all stages of their career. The committee only ask that entrants ensure their talent can be heard. So whether you’ve got a professional studio setup, or you’re using the built-in microphone on your laptop, organisers want you to give it a go and showcase your skills as best you can.

The competition isn’t limited to just one song per entrant either, any and all songs are taken into consideration.

Entries are open open to anyone and everyone around the globe, with no age or demographic barriers to entry in place, either. Simply head along to the competition’s online portal, upload the song you’re wanting to submit to the comp, and ensure you’ve attached a digital photo of yourself and a brief biography.

Entries to the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition are open until midnight 8th of November, so whether you’ve got a prolific backlog of songs just waiting to be heard, or if this is the push you need to finally put pen to paper, the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is keen to hear whatever you’ve got.

Who knows, this might just be the first step in ensuring you become the world’s next big thing.