New closing date announced for 2018 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition

Press Release:

With songs pouring in from as far as Chile and Switzerland for today’s deadline, songwriters worldwide will now have until 5PM AEDT 15 February to enter their work in the 2018 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. As always, the full entry fee supports the transformative work Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA).

Entrants will go into the running for 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 Grouptravel package in honour of the late Graham Fear OAM, the greatly-admired Show Group GM and long-time Nordoff-Robbins board member and supporter who passed away in December 2017.

To 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 An exciting addition to the prize slate this year is A$5,000 for the best ‘Unpublished’ work.

Songwriters of all genres and at any stage of their career are encouraged to enter. Songs will be judged by a range music industry professionals including three-time APRA Songwriter of the Year Daniel Johns, electronic artist and triple j host KLP, ARIA-winner Montaigne, and representatives from Billboard, Universal Music, triple j Unearthed and more.

Melbourne singer-songwriter Gretta Ray earned top honours and the $50,000 cash prize in 2016 for her captivating song Drive. “Being able to say I am a Vanda & Young winner isan absolute honour both personally and professionally. It has opened many doors for me in my career and I am so grateful for that.”

Ray joins an impressive roll-call of past winners including Megan Washington (2009), Kimbra (2011), The Preatures (2013), Husky Gawenda (2014).

Named after the iconic songwriters and founding members of The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and the late George Young, to date the competition has raised over A$800,000 for NRMTA and its work with children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, autism, trauma, illness, dementia, behaviour disorders and learning difficulties.