Major names unveiled as finalists as Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition hits $1m in Nordoff-Robbins donation
The Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition had two major announcements this morning.
It unveiled its list of finalists which included the likes of Gang of Youths, Amy Shark, Mallrat, G Flip, Dean Lewis, Holy Holy, Dennis Dowlut, Jack Carty, Alex Lahey, Georgi Kay and Gordi.
It also revealed that the entry fee paid by 3,296 songwriters worldwide who entered 4,056 songs this year came to a record $203,000.
This has pushed the competition’s total contribution to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA) since its start in 2009, to over $1 million.
RMTA works with adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, autism, trauma, illness and dementia.
“Our organisation is beyond grateful to all the songwriters who have entered the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition over the years,” said NRMTA CEO Belinda Leonard.
“Their entry fees have made a profound impact on the lives of the children and adults we work with daily.
“Thank you to Alberts and APRA AMCOS for their ongoing support and to the great Harry Vanda and George Young for a musical legacy that has made reaching $1 million possible,.”
Artists with multiple songs shortlisted are Alice Ivy, Amy Shark, Gang of Youths, Georgi Kay and Gordi.
Of the top forty’s 33 unique songwriters, 25 are making their first time appearance and 22 of them are female or female-fronted.
The competition received songs from all corners – US, Canada, Hungary, Japan and beyond.
The new guard of songwriters on the list of finalists include up-and-comers Mallrat, G Flip, Angie McMahon, Dean Lewis and Bri Clark to name a few.
The 2018 shortlist in alphabetical order is:
Abbey Gardner: Weight Of Feeling
Adam Eckersley & Brooke McClymont: Train Wreck
Ainslie Wills: Running Second
Alex Lahey: I Love You Like A Brother
Alfie Arcuri: Same
Alice Ivy: Get Me A Drink
Alice Ivy: Chasing Stars
Amy Shark: Weekends
Amy Shark: Adore
Angie McMahon: Slow Mover
Asha Jefferies: Chaos
Bri Clark: Giving Up
Cookin’ On 3 Burners: Real Life Baby
CXLOE: Monster
Dean Lewis: Be Alright
Florian Star: Crossed Lover
G Flip: About You
Gang of Youths: Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane
Gang of Youths: Let Me Down Easy
Gang of Youths: The Heart Is A Muscle
Gang of Youths: What Can I Do If The Fire Goes Out?
Georgi Kay: Guilty Pleasures
Georgi Kay : Special
Gordi: Heaven I Know
Gordi: On My Side
Hatchie: Sure
Holly Arrowsmith: Love Together
Holy Holy: True Lovers
Dennis Dowlut and Maxwell Bidstrup: Paper Planes
Jack Carty: Hospital Hill
King IV: Bump
Mallrat: Better
Maya Jupiter: Inshallah
Middle Kids: Mistake
Oh Pep!: Parallel
Ruby Fields: I Want
Ruel: Don’t Tell Me
Tia Gostelow: That’s What You Get
Tim Hansen: Don’t Be A Dick
Timothy Bowen: Anchor
Four top winners will be announced in May.
At stake is a first-place cash prize of A$50,000, courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and BMG, as well as an additional A$5,000 Show Group travel package.
Two runners-up cash prizes are also on offer with second place receiving A$10,000 thanks to AMPAL (Australasian Music Publishers Association) and third place taking home A$5,000 courtesy of media sponsor, Seventh Street Media.
An exciting addition to the prize slate this year is A$5,000 for the best ‘Unpublished’ work.
The judging panel is made up of artists such as Daniel Johns, KLP and Montaigne, and representatives from The Music Network, Universal Music, Pollstar, Billboard and triple j Unearthed.
Past winners have included Gretta Ray (2016), Megan Washington (2009), Kimbra (2011), The Preatures (2013) and Husky Gawenda (2014).