Tones And I, Baker Boy, Genesis Owusu among nominees for APRA’s Song of the Year
Tones And I, Tim Minchin, Matt Corby and Baker Boy are among the artists shortlisted for Song of the Year at the 40th APRA Music Awards, which returns to Melbourne this May with a live ceremony.
All told, 20 songs are nominated for the peer-voted category, which represents the works chosen by APRA AMCOS members as the “finest of 2021.”
Others in with a chance for the coveted award are Nick Cave and fellow Bad Seed Warren Ellis, Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst, AC/DC’s Angus and the late Malcolm Young, Dallas Woods, and Lime Cordiale’s Louis and Oliver Leimbach.
Twenty-three APRA songwriter members are shortlisted for the first time, the PRO announces Thursday (Feb. 3), including Ngaiire, The Kid LAROI, Gang of Youths (David Le’aupepe, Dominik Borzestowski, Maxwell Dunn and Jung Kim), Genesis Owusu and reigning ARIA Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist award winner Budjerah.
APRA’s Song of the Year is said to be the largest peer-voted music award in Australia, and is considered one of the most precious of all industry prizes.
Voting closed Wednesday. All APRA AMCOS songwriter and publisher members who cast a vote are placed into the draw to win cash prizes totaling $5,000, courtesy of Marsh.
Song of the Year is one of the highlights of the annual APRA Music Awards, which celebrate “excellence in contemporary music” by recognising songwriters and publishers that have “achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields.”
Winners will be announced May 3 when the music industry gathers at Melbourne Town Hall, while the final five nominees across all categories will be revealed earlier, in March.
Shortlist For APRA Song Of The Year:
Title: ALBUQUERQUE
Artist: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Writers: Nick Cave / Warren Ellis
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing
Title: CLOSER
Artist: Ngaiire
Writers: Ngaiire / Jack Grace* / Gabriel Strum^
Publishers: Embassy Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing* / Native Tongue Music Publishing^
Title: DANGEROUS
Artist: Liz Stringer
Writer: Liz Stringer
Publisher: Gaga Music
Title: EZINNA
Artist: B Wise, Sampa The Great & Milan Ring
Writers: Nicholas Martin / Milan Ring / Sampa Tembo / Tung Yeng / James Iheakanwa*
Publisher: BMG Rights Management*
Title: FIRST NATION
Artist: Midnight Oil featuring Jessica Mauboy & Tasman Keith
Writers: Rob Hirst / Tasman Keith*
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / SFM Publishing*
Title: FLY AWAY
Artist: Tones And I
Writer: Toni Watson
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Tones And I
Title: GET ME OUT
Artist: King Stingray
Writers: Roy Kellaway / Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: GUIDED BY ANGELS
Artist: Amyl and The Sniffers
Writers: Fergus Romer / Amy Taylor / Bryce Wilson
Title: HIGHER
Artist: Budjerah
Writers: Budjerah / Matt Corby*
Publishers: Mushroom Music / Sony Music Publishing*
Title: MILKUMANA
Artist: King Stringray
Writers: Roy Kellaway / Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: RAE STREET
Artist: Courtney Barnett
Writer: Courtney Barnett
Publisher: Native Tongue Music Publishing
Title: REALITY CHECK PLEASE
Artist: Lime Cordiale
Writers: Louis Leimbach / Oliver Leimbach / David Haddad*
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing obo Chugg Music / Kobalt Music Publishing*
TITLE: REALIZE
Artist: AC/DC
Writers: Angus Young / Malcolm Young
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing obo Australian Music Corporation
Title: RED ROOM
Artist: Hiatus Kaiyote
Writers: Paul Bender / Simon Mavin / Perrin Moss / Naomi Saalfield
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing
Title: RIDE
Artist: Baker Boy
Writers: Danzal Baker / Yirrmal Marika / Philip Norman* / Dallas Woods^
Publishers: Mushroom Music* / Kobalt Music Publishing^
Title: STAY
Artist: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
Writers: The Kid LAROI* / Justin Bieber^ / Omer Fedi^ / Blake Slatkin^ / Magnus Hoiberg+ / Charlie Puth# / Subhaan Rahman+ / Michael Mule~ / Isaac De Boni~
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing* / Universal/MCA Music Publishing^ / Warner Chappell+ / Kobalt Music Publishing# / Native Tongue Music Publishing~
Title: THE ABSENCE OF YOU
Artist: Tim Minchin
Writer: Tim Minchin
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing
Title: THE ANGEL OF 8TH AVENUE
Artist: Gang of Youths
Writers: David Le’aupepe / Dominik Borzestowski / Maxwell Dunn / Thomas Hobden / Jung Kim
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing
Title: THE OTHER BLACK DOG
Artist: Genesis Owusu
Writers: Genesis Owusu / Michael Di Francesco* / Andrew Klippel^ / Julian Sudek*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Ourness Songs / Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic* / Mushroom Music obo Ourness Songs^
Title: THE WATERBOY
Artist: You Am I
Writer: Tim Rogers
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing
For further information visit APRAAMCOS.com.au.
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.