Entries are open each year from the first week of April to the middle of June. 2023’s Grand Finalists have now been announced! Full details below.
Every year we host a nationwide songwriting competition, The Songwriting Prize, inviting songwriters, from all across Australia, to write and/or submit an original song in response to a mental health theme.
The Songwriting Prize judges shortlist songs from set groups to perform at a regional Semi Final. We hold regional Semi Finals across the country during Aug-Oct, and this year that includes events in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney and Wagga Wagga. The finalists, picked from across our Semi Finals, will then go on to perform at our Grand Final, with one winner taking out the coveted spot of The Songwriting Prize Overall Winner.
Over the years, we have seen thousands of musicians come through our songwriting competitions. Previous winners include BOI, NEAV, Velvet Bloom, Leonie Kingdom, Seb Mont, Tempus Sun and 2022’s winner; Timothy Wolf.
Grand Final – Thursday 16th November
Abbey Rose – Home Is In Your Heart
Chloe Gill – Circulated Fantasies
Eden Plenty – Limbo
Elaska Young – More Than One
ELEEA – Climbing Trees
FVNERAL – Happy Anniversary
Gaia Scarf – Time & Landslides
Isaac Staines – You Broke The Silence
Jaylien – Quicksand
Katie Brooke – Too Much, Not Enough
Magdalia – Great Expectations
Mareya – ADHD & Me
Piper Butcher – My Drug
Serendipiti – Human
Sophie Edwards – Chest
The Songwriting Prize is the first competition in Australia with a mental health focus, so we encourage artists to be raw, vulnerable and write something to reflect each years’ theme.
We welcome songs from all genres and categories. Songs might be just lyrics, music, or both. We do not judge based on the quality of the recording, or the performance, but on the songwriting itself, and its relation to the theme.
This year we have our biggest ever prize pool with prizes for our overall winner, all Grand Finalists, all Semi Finalists and the Top 50 from the preliminary judging pool. All entrants from the Top 50 will receive an AT2020USB+ condenser mic recording kit from Audio Technica, the Semi Finalists and Grand Finalists will receive Audio Technica earphones and the overall winner will receive those prizes plus a day at Studios 301, more audio equipment from Audio Technica, a photoshoot package from Spaghetti Wolf Studio, a videoshoot package from Dreamscape Creative Agency and a ton of mental health resources, training and tools to help support positive mental health.
The theme for the 2023 competition is “Belonging” and entries are open until Friday 16th June at 23:59 AEST.
After the preliminary round is completed each year, we invite you to attend one of our regional Semi Finals across various locations in Australia, and also to our Grand Final, to show your support for emerging artists performing at their most vulnerable.
Each event will feature each shortlisted song, being performed live by the songwriter or another musician. Our events have been described as “supportive”, “spell-binding” and “healing”. Be prepared for a night of community building, togetherness and incredible music.
Where words fail, music speaks. -Hans Christian Andersen
