Shortlist announced for 2017 APRA Song of the Year

Image: Flume

As voted by its songwriter and publisher members, APRA AMCOS has announced the shortlist for the 2017 APRA Song of the Year.

Leading the charge for Australian artists with two nominations apiece is hip-hop duo A.B Original and producer Flume with songs Never Be Like You and Say It. Flume is coming of the back of a successful year taking home eight ARIA Awards in 2016.

Previous winners of the prestigious Song of the Year award are well represented in this year’s shortlist with Sia, Missy Higgins, Daniel Johns and Julian Hamilton all gaining entries in the Top 20.

First-time nominees on the list include D.D Dumbo, Julia Jacklin, Australian up-and-comer Tash Sultana, as well as pop sensation Amy Shark, who HIT Network radio host Ash London declared as one of the four Aussie acts to watch in 2017.

Alongside them in the Top 20 are a handful of seasoned and well-known songwriters including Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Archie Roach and Gareth Liddiard, whose song To Think That I Once Loved You is performed by Australian rock band The Drones.

For the first time in the awards 25-year history, a voting academy will now determine the nominees and winner from the Top 20. The academy is made up of previous nominees including Chris Cheney, Katie Noonan, Isabella Manfredi, Mike Noga, Troy Cassar-Daley, Sally Seltmann, Paul Mac and more.

Courtesy of event sponsors Ableton, Delta Air Lines and Forbes Street Studios, all members who voted automatically go into the draw to win a prize pack valued at around $10,000.

The Song of the Year is part of the 2017 APRA Music Awards which will be held on Monday April 3 at the new International Convention Centre Ballroom in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

See below for the Top 20 contenders for the 2017 APRA Song of the Year.

HILLTOP HOODS FT. MONTAIGNE & TOM THUM – 1955

Andrew Burford, Barry Francis, Matthew Lambert and Daniel Smith

A.B. ORIGINAL – 2 BLACK 2 STRONG

Adam Briggs, Daniel Rankine and Darren Reutens

AMY SHARK – ADORE

Amy Shark

SIA – CHEAP THRILLS

Sia Furler and Greg Kurstin

TIM MINCHIN – COME HOME CARDINAL PELL

Tim Minchin

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD – GAMMA KNIFE

Stuart Mackenzie

ARCHIE ROACH – IT’S NOT TOO LATE

Archie Roach and Craig Pilkington

A.B. ORIGINAL FT. DAN SULTAN – JANUARY 26

Adam Briggs, Daniel Rankine and Dan Sultan

TASH SULTANA – JUNGLE

Tash Sultana

FLUME – NEVER BE LIKE YOU

Harley Streten aka Flume, Kai and Geoffrey Earley

MISSY HIGGINS – OH CANADA

Missy Higgins

JULIA JACKLIN – POOL PARTY

Julia Jacklin

D.D DUMBO – SATAN

Oliver Perry

FLUME – SAY IT

Harley Streten aka Flume, Julian Hamilton, Daniel Johns and Tove Lo

GUY SEBASTIAN – SET IN STONE

Guy Sebastian, Stuart Crichton and Taylor Parks

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – SKELETON TREE

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

MATT CORBY – SOOTH LADY WINE

Matt Corby and John Henriksson

DAMI IM – SOUND OF SILENCE

Anthony Egizii and David Musumeci

THE DRONES – TO THINK THAT I ONCE LOVED YOU

Gareth Liddiard

VIOLENT SOHO – VICEROY

Luke Boerdam, Luke Henery, Michael Richards and James Tidswell