FLAGSHIP INITIATIVE

The Songwriting Prize

Australia’s only music competition focused purely on mental health. We invite songwriters nationwide to submit original songs inspired by an annual mental health theme—using music as a powerful lens to explore lived experiences, foster positive mental health, and break down stigma.

PRIZE PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Shure & KRK Systems join
The Songwriting Prize in 2026

The Songwriting Prize is excited to welcome industry leaders Shure and KRK Systems as official prize partners for 2026, brought to us by Australian audio distributor Jands.

Renowned globally for setting the benchmark in sound capture and studio monitoring, Shure and KRK will be supplying high-performance Shure studio microphones and KRK studio monitor speakers to all 10 Regional Final Winners across Australia.

This partnership reinforces our mission to provide meaningful, career-changing resources to independent music creators. In addition to powering future finals, all three artists who have already won their Regional Final in 2026 will receive the upgraded Shure and KRK package retroactively.

Submissions Open
(March-May)

Submit an original song written and recorded specifically for the theme, or a track released within the past 12 months. We accept raw demos, fully produced unreleased tracks, or officially released songs.

$65k+ Prize Pool

Each of the 10 Regional Finals awards 1 Winner and 1 Runner-Up. All 20 artists share in a combined prize pool valued at over $65,000 in experiences, gear, industry tools, and resources tailored to support their creative careers and mental health journeys.

Preliminary Judging
(June)

Our panel of industry professionals and mental health advocates reviews all entries, selecting the top songwriters to advance to the live Regional Finals.

Regional Final Finals
(July–September)

Selected finalists perform live on stage across 10 Regional Finals nationwide, sharing their music and personal stories with supportive audiences.

This Year’s Theme & Season Timeline

Each year, songwriters are invited to submit original works reflecting a central theme designed to inspire honest expression and positive mental health conversations.

The entry fee is $25 AUD per song and all proceeds go to Listen Up Music, to enable us to continue to deliver our early-intervention, and prevention, events and programs. During the entry period (March-May each year) you can enter below.

ENTRIES OPEN MARCH 2027

Current Theme: “The Next Chapter”

Whether reflecting on personal growth, moving past adversity, or embracing fresh beginnings, songwriters are invited to interpret "The Next Chapter" through their own lived experiences.

  • Submissions Window: March - May (Entries open to demos, released, or unreleased tracks)

  • Preliminary Judging: June (Industry panel selects Regional Finalists)

  • Regional Finals: July - September (10 live events across Adelaide, Bendigo, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, and Sydney.

Bringing the Spotlight Directly to Communities

To make the competition more accessible and sustainable for every artist, the national Grand Final has been retired. The pinnacle of The Songwriting Prize is now our 10 Regional Finals—bringing the industry panel, the main spotlight, and the prize pool directly to local communities across Australia.

  • 10 Live Events: Held in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Bendigo, Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Hobart.

  • 10 Winners & 10 Runners-Up: Selected live on the night by our expert industry judging panel.

  • Safe & Supportive Performing Space: Known across the industry for being a non-competitive, highly supportive, and community-focused environment.

Over $70,000 in Artist Support

At each event, the winning artist and runner-up go home with a share of our $65k+ prize pool, designed to equip independent artists with practical tools, gear, and experiences to propel their music and mental health journeys.

National Sponsors

Audio gear, equipment, software, and tools provided by brand partners including Shure, KRK Systems, Jands, JBL, Roland, Arturia, Voltage Cable Co., Vampr, DJ Warehouse, and Heaps Normal.

Regional Studio Packages

Professional studio recording, mixing, and production packages at top regional partner studios across the country.

Mentorship & Development

One-on-one industry coaching, artist development sessions, and mental health tools built for long-term career sustainability.

Event poster for 'The Songwriting Project: The Next Chapter,' final performance in Perth on July 24th at Clancy's Fish Pub in Fremantle, featuring cityscape background and event details.

Attend a Regional Final

Come support local emerging artists performing their original works at their most vulnerable.
Experience an unforgettable evening of live music, community building, and storytelling.

Perth Final – 24/07
Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle

Autumn Sage, Bailey Perrie, Brandon Poletti,
Carl Zoller, Dwayne De Mello, Damien Binder,
Danella, Darren Gillis, Don’t Tell Daisy,
Georgina Dacheff, Sally Jane.

Winner: North & Elsewhere
Runner Up: The Quokkas

Newcastle Final – 07/08
The Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield

Brian Daly, Cameron Marshall, Cassie Corder,
Cat Mead, Clover Lane, Deih Hudson,
North and Elsewhere, The Quokkas.

Winner: Dwayne De Mello
Runner Up: Brandon Poletti

Hobart Final – 12/08
Altar Bar, Hobart

Katy Hanson, Mia Barron,
Mia Fairlie, Sam McMeekin,
Samuel Marshall.

Event poster for the 'Gold Coast Final' music event at Den Devine in Broadbeach on Thursday, August 27th, 2026. Features a cityscape with beach and buildings, focusing on music and songwriting themes.

Brisbane Final – 26/08
The Junk Bar, New Farm

Bianca Mantarro, charles, Elke Louie,
Evie Williams, Georgia Scarlett, Jess Irvine,
Li Laurent, Liam Higgins, Ruby Flowers,
Sam Shepherd, SAMARA, Sonic Keys.

Winner: Sam McMeekin
Runner Up: Katy Hanson

Brisbane Tickets

Gold Coast Final – 27/08
Den Devine, Broadbeach

Arianna, Bridgette Louise, Cloe Luchetti,
Frank Swaby, The Goldhearts,
Nine Year Sister, Taylah Little, TRILLA,
Tyler Lock, Zayden Kennedy.

An event poster for 'The Songwriting Project - The Next Chapter' featuring a final event in Newcastle, ending on August 7th at The Stag & Hunter Hotel in Mayfield. The background shows an aerial view of a coastal cityscape with water and land. The poster includes event details, logos of sponsors, and a circular logo with musical symbols and design elements.
SOLD OUT

Bendigo Final – 04/09
Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo

Dan Duggan, The Darlings Family Trust,
Isaac Staines, Jeremy Beggs,
Kimberly Jane, Natasha Mills,
Sasha Bronshtein, Soulty, Steffii.

Bendigo Tickets

Melbourne Final – 05/09
Wesley Anne, Northcote

Ally Row, Elizabeth Riordan, Emma Yue,
Lily Jones, Maeve Grieve, Mareya,
No Promises, Paige Barnard,
Ryan Oliver.

Event poster for the Bendigo Final music competition. It features a circular logo with a music note, puzzle pieces, and an electrocardiogram. The poster displays the date, 4th September, and the location, Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo. The background shows a park or garden with trees, grass, flowers, and a historic building. The banner at the top encourages listening to music, and the bottom contains sponsor logos.
Melbourne Tickets

Canberra Final – 16/09
Gang Gang Cafe, Downer

Candid Remark, Eden Plenty,
Jack Biilmann, Jaida Champney,
LIV LI, Leila, Ruby Holden,
Tilda Irene.

Canberra Tickets
Poster for Adelaide Final music event, showcasing a cityscape with tall buildings and water in the foreground, featuring a circular graphic with musical notes, a heartbeat, and puzzle pieces, with event details stating it is on Saturday, September 19 at Rhino Room, Adelaide.

Adelaide Final – 19/09
Rhino Room, Adelaide

Alison Newman, Charmaine Jones,
EMERAULD, Jen Lush, Jo Page,
Rob Edwards, Rueful Ben,
Zara Chantelle.

ADELAIDE Tickets
A promotional poster for the Hobart Final music event in Hobart, featuring a cityscape with boats and buildings, a neon sign with event details, and a circular logo with music symbols, date, and tagline.
SYDNEY Tickets

Sydney Final – 26/09
Blackwattle Bar + Brewery, Alexandria

ALIBII, GENEVIEVE, Giselle Kwong,
The Great Emu War Casualties, Louella,
Lucienne, NEIIA, Nikkita, Ruby Archer,
Vanessa Jade.

Event advertisement for Melbourne final music event. Features city skyline background with event title, date, location, and sponsors.
Event poster for the 'Sydney Final' music event, scheduled for Saturday, September 26th, at Black Wattle Bar & Brewery in Alexandria. The poster features a black and neon color theme with a background image of the Sydney Opera House reflected in water. It emphasizes the theme 'The Songwriting Prize & The Next Chapter' and includes logos of sponsors at the bottom.
A digital graphic poster for the Brisbane Final event, featuring a city skyline with high-rise buildings, a river, and boats. The poster includes event details such as date, location, and sponsors, with a circular logo in the center that has a music note, puzzle pieces, and a heartbeat line, and the text 'The Songwriting Prize 2026 The Next Chapter'.
Event poster for Canberra Final, Wednesday 16th September at Gang Gang Cafe, Downer. Features a city skyline with a hill and tower, overlaid with a circular symbol including a musical note and puzzle pieces, surrounded by a pink glow. Text includes event details and sponsors at the bottom.