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).