2014 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition

– Press Release

Applications now open!

Friday, 1 August, 2014:  APRA AMCOS, Alberts and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA) are pleased to announce that entries for the 2014 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition – the largest charity songwriting competition in the world – are now open.

With thanks to Alberts and APRA AMCOS, this year’s winning songwriter/s will take home a cash prize of A$50,000 and join the illustrious company of past Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition winners – Megan Washington (2009), Kimbra (2011) and The Preatures (2013).

Three 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 new sponsor, AEG Ogden.

Brett Cottle, APRA AMCOS CEO, said “It is a great honour for APRA AMCOS to support this competition because of what it achieves. First, the fantastic work of Nordoff-Robbins and their music therapy is supported and they can continue to bring music into the world of people who get real benefits from it. Secondly the opportunity for talented songwriters to be recognised and also get some help in the next stage of their career.”

David Albert, CEO of Alberts, said “Alberts is thrilled to be continuing its longstanding association with Nordoff-Robbins and the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition into 2014, the year in which we also celebrate 50 years of our record label, Albert Productions.  From writing and recording with The Easybeats, Marcus Hook Roll Band and Flash And The Pan, through to writing hits for the likes of John Paul Young and nurturing songwriters of the ilk of AC/DC, there’s arguably been no more defining contribution to both Albert Productions and Australian songwriting than that of George Young and Harry Vanda.”

This year’s competition will also include the Encouragement Award with a cash prize of A$2,000 which has been graciously donated by last year’s winners, The Preatures.

The Preatures’ Isabella Manfredi said today, “Winning the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition was such a huge leg up for us, and we wanted to show our thanks and support by helping the next wave of applicants with this encouragement award.”

The Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious songwriting competitions in the world, supporting talented songwriters whilst raising much needed funds for music therapy that has been proven to help people with developmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rett Syndrome and Angelman Syndrome and disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Dyspraxia and Spina Bifida.

The competition is open to songwriters worldwide with each applicant paying an entry fee of A$50.00 per submission with money raised going directly to supporting Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.  To date, the Vanda & Young Song Competition has raised over $485,000 for NRMTA over the past three competitions.

The 2014 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition will be judged by a panel of songwriters and industry professionals.

See below for a full list of this year’s judges.

Entries close on the 22^nd September 2014.

Please visit www.apraamcos.com.au/vandayoungsongcomp for more information and terms and conditions

2014 Vanda & Young Song Competition Judges

Industry and Media:

Amanda Lee – Southern Cross Austereo

Andrew Mast – The Music.com.au

Bob Gordon – Xpress Magazine

Chris Martin – The Brag

Dan Zilber – FBi Radio

Danielle McGrane – AAP

Don Elford – AEG Ogden

Kathy McCabe – The Daily Telegraph / News Corp Australia

Larry Heath – the AU review

Lindsay McDougall – triple j
Bernard Zuel – Sydney Morning Herald / Fairfax Media

Martin Boulton – The Age / Fairfax Media
Iain Shedden – The Australian / News Corp Australia

Paul Cashmere – Noise 11

Poppy Reid – The Music Network

Robert Dunstan – Freelance Writer

Scott Fitzsimons – TheMusic.com.au

Record Companies:

Mark Holland (EMI Recorded Music Australia)

Michael Taylor (Universal Music Australia)

Peter Karpin (Mercury Records/Universal Music Australia)

International Judges:

Isabel Pappani – Undercover Tracks/Los Angeles APRA AMCOS Member Relations Rep (USA)

Mark Moffatt – Producer/Songwriter/Nashville APRA AMCOS Member Relations Rep (USA)

Mitch Allan – Writer (USA)

Peter Coquillard – Bill Silva Publishing (USA)

Steve Lillywhite – Producer (USA)

David Ryan Harris – Singer/songwriter/producer (USA)

APRA AMCOS Ambassadors:

Eric McCusker

Jenny Morris

Jonathan Zwartz

Les Gock

Josh Pyke

Rai Thistlethwayte

Eric Chapus

Grant Windsor

Ilan Kidron (Potbelleez)

Jonny Sonic (Potbelleez)

Dave Goode (Potbelleez)

Amanda Brown

John Schumann

Brendan Gallagher

Kevin Mitchell

James Blundell

Mark Atkins