40th APRA Music Awards celebrate songwriting superstars

The Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year is STAY performed by The Kid LAROI (Sony Music Publishing) and Justin Bieber (Universal/MCA Music Publishing).

The Kid LAROI was named Songwriter of the Year and Genesis Owusu (Kobalt Music Publishing obo Ourness Song) took out Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year.

The APRA Music Awards were held on Tuesday 3 May at Melbourne Town Hall.

A mix of Australian songwriters and industry gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the APRA Music Awards, the event recognising the talented songwriters and music publishers that have achieved outstanding success across 15 categories in the past year.

A mix of Australian songwriters and industry gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the APRA Music Awards, the event recognising the talented songwriters and music publishers that have achieved outstanding success across 15 categories in the past year.

APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston said, “It was an absolute joy to celebrate the success and artistry of the Australian songwriters who have persevered and kept us entertained and connected over the last couple of challenging years. Congratulations to the winners, nominees and performers, who helped to create such a memorable night in honouring 40 years of the APRA Music Awards.”

The Kid LAROI has scored an APRA Music Awards trifecta. The 18-year-old has taken out the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year for STAY, the global sensation co-written with Justin Bieber. He has also won Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work for Without You. And to cap off an incredible year, the 2021 Breakthrough Songwriter has now been named Songwriter of the Year.

The Kid LAROI said, “Thank you for awarding me with Songwriter of the Year. I really appreciate the support and I want to give a quick shout out to fans back home. I’m stoked to be on my way back and I can’t wait to perform the END OF THE WORLD TOUR with you guys. I miss you all and I’ll see you soon.”

Also having a spectacular rise is the unstoppable Genesis Owusu who is the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. With his songwriting and debut album Smiling with No Teeth receiving a lot of high praise, Genesis most recently took out first-place in the 2021 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.

Tones And I (Kobalt Music Publishing) is a dual winner for the second year in a row, scoring two gongs for two different songs. Fly Away is the Most Performed Pop Work and her worldwide hit Dance Monkey is the Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.

The full list of winning writers and publishers is available here. Congratulations to all!

Image generated by DALL-E, a tool powered by OpenAI, with description and input by Charlie Pierre.

AMPAL and Music Publishers Canada (MPC) collaborate on first joint songwriting camp; hold joint Board meeting including new AMPAL Directors

CREATE Song Camp participants Paul Beard (left) and ASHY (right).

Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited (AMPAL) and Music Publishers Canada (MPC) are pleased to have collaborated on the CREATE Song Camp, a joint initiative to showcase Australian, New Zealand and Canadian songwriting and production talent through a virtual writing camp. 

The CREATE Song Camp took place in March, and featured 40 published songwriters, producers, and artists from Australia, New Zealand and Canada in virtual writing rooms across three days writing original songs together in the pop and singer-songwriter genres.  The song camp was coordinated by respected music industry consultant Danny Keenan.

The AMPAL and MPC Boards of music publisher executives also met during the week, virtually, to learn more about the key issues for music publishers in each association’s markets and explore how the two associations and their music publisher members can work together in the future to advance the interests of their songwriter and composer partners.

It was one of the first AMPAL meetings for recently elected AMPAL Directors Linda Bosidis (Mushroom Music Publishing), Karen Hamilton (120 Publishing Pty Ltd), Tim Prescott (Double Drummer Music) and Damian Rinaldi (Alberts).  In 2021, AMPAL Directors Steve McPherson (formerly Hillsong Music Publishing Australia), Ian James OAM (Mushroom Music Publishing), Philip Walker (Origin Music) and Rachel Kelly (formerly Downtown Music Publishing) stepped down from the AMPAL Board after many years of service to the organisation and the Australian and New Zealand publishing sector between them.

AMPAL Chair Matthew Capper (Warner Chappell Music Australia) remarked: “As a music publisher it’s always incredible to be involved in the creation of a new song, and to hear what all of the amazing writers achieved together in such a short space of time was extraordinary. I’d like to thank Margaret McGuffin, MPC, Danny Keenan, and all of the contributors to what was a fantastic and invaluable international event.”  

Clive Hodson (AMPAL Deputy Chair, Perfect Pitch Publishing) added: “A cowriting experience for any writer is invaluable in developing their craft. To do that with someone they’ve just met, remotely and in a short time frame is priceless on so many levels for a songwriter/performer. Amela was jumping out of her skin over the experience and the outcome. We shared that excitement on hearing the songs. Thank you AMPAL/MPC for the great experience”.

The export of Australian and New Zealand songs is driving growth for Australasian music publishers and is increasingly important in the globalised music market.  AMPAL and its music publisher members want to ensure that Australian and New Zealand songs and stories continue to be heard around the world.

Sydney-based producer Paul Beard (Wise Music) said:

“I had a terrific time writing songs for the recent AMPAL-MPC Australasia-Canada song camp. Both days were fresh and super productive. The dynamic trio of artist, writer and producer was just the right creative balance and I’m convinced we created at least one future hit!” 

New Zealand artist and songwriter, ASHY (Native Tongue Music Publishing), also said: "It was so incredible to be included in this songwriting camp & work with such talented people. A pleasure to be amongst masters at their own craft!”

The Australasian song camp participants included:

Alex Wildwood (Sony Music Publishing)

Ali Barter (Native Tongue Music Publishing)

ALIUS (120 Publishing)

Amela (Perfect Pitch Publishing)

ASHY (Native Tongue Music Publishing)

BOI (Universal Music Publishing Group)

Charlotte Adelle (Shout! Music Publishing)

Chí (Mushroom Music Publishing)

Claire Nakazawa (Third Side Music)

CLYPSO (BMG Australia)

Damien Leith (Wise Music)

Dylan Ollivierre (BMG Australia)

ILUKA (BMG Australia)

Jack Carty (Wise Music)

JXN (Kobalt Music)

Lucy Parle (Origin Music Publishing)

Matilda Pearl (Kobalt Music)

NGAIIRE (Wise Music)

Oscar Dawson (Native Tongue Music Publishing)

Paul Beard (Wise Music)

Sir Jude (peermusic) 

They were joined by Canadian counterparts:

Aaron Allen (Arts & Crafts)

Alex Sampson (Sony Music Publishing)

Ava Kay

Aysanabee

Cayne McKenzie (Red Brick Songs)

Dan Davidson (Red Brick Songs)

Demetri James (Ultra Publishing)

DRMS (Bloc-Notes Music)

Erin Costelo (Cymba Music)

FAMBA (Sony Music Publishing)

Flower Face (Nettwerk)

Hill Kourkoutis (Daytripper)

Isabelle Banos (Third Side Music)

Jeremy Voltz (HyveTown)

KELLAND (Cadence Music Group)

L’isle (Bravo Musique)

Lucas Marston (HyveTown)

Mike Schlosser (Pop Guru)

Talltale (Cymba Music)

2021 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Comp winners announced!

First place in the 2021 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition goes to Canberra’s Genesis Owusu for the stunning ‘Gold Chains’, co-written with Andrew Klippel, Kieran J Callinan, Michael Di Francesco and Julian Sudek.

Courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and Sony Music Publishing, Owusu and his collaborators win a $50,000 cash prize, the largest first place prize for any songwriting competition in the world.

The groove-laden single’s lyrics explore the trade-offs that come with music industry fame, with the chorus repeating ‘When it looks so gold, but it feels so cold inside these chains.’

Owusu said the song was “inspired by life, the music industry and the reality of certain situations compared to outside misconceptions of them.”

‘Gold Chains’ made Barack Obama’s annual Favorite Music playlist and Owusu and band performed it for their US late night TV debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Second place and $10,000 courtesy of Banki Haddock Fiora goes to Melbourne artist and songwriter Jerome Farah for the soulful ‘Mikey Might’, a song that addresses racial identity with lyrics 'Way too white to be a black kid, right? / Not enough to live that white kid life, am I ever gonna feel right?'

Farah is a double APRA Music Award-winner for co-writing Kian’s hit ‘Waiting’, but it took him seven years to build the confidence to release ‘Mikey Might’.

“Just want to say thank you to the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition for picking ‘Mikey Might’. Being recognised and appreciated for the art I create is an experience and makes the countless hours and effort feel worth it. Couldn’t feel more grateful!” Farah said.

Third-place winner MAY-A is a songwriter and singer to watch. She takes home $5,000 courtesy of Aon for the indie-pop tune ‘Time I Love to Waste’, co-written with Roberto De Sa and Christian Lo Russo. It’s a song she wrote on the same day as her Honourable Mention winner ‘Apricots’. Both were “inspired by falling in love for the first time in high school with a girl and dealing with a lot of queer discovery,” she said.

“Feeling very blessed to win third place. I didn’t think I was very good so it’s nice to be told otherwise (haha),” MAY-A said.

Last year’s second place winner Baker Boy (Danzal Baker) wowed the judges again, this time with his buoyant single ‘Move’ winning the $5,000 AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize, provided by AMPAL. The unpublished songwriter and artist co-wrote the song with Dallas Woods, James Iheakanwa and Willie Tafa.

For the second year in a row the prize money extended to ten Honourable Mention winners from the Top 40 finalists list. Each receives a runner-up prize of $1,000, courtesy of an anonymous donor wishing to help songwriters during the pandemic. From that list is Budjerah’s collaboration with MAY-A ‘Talk,’ Yirrmal’s soon-to-be-released ‘Shining Light’, Gang of Youth’s ‘unison’, Amyl and The Sniffers’ ‘Guided by Angels’ and more.

For the full list of winners, see here.

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!

Image generated by DALL-E, a tool powered by OpenAI, with description and input by Charlie Pierre.

AMPAL 2021 AGM and Board election results

The Australasian Music Publishers’ Association Limited (AMPAL) has held its Annual General Meeting as a virtual meeting hosted from the registered office of the company on 23 November 2021. 

At the AMPAL AGM, Ian James OAM (Mushroom Music Publishing), Rachel Kelly (Downtown Music Publishing) and Philip Walker (Origin Music Group) stepped down from the AMPAL Board, and Steve McPherson (Hillsong International) had previously stepped down from the AMPAL Board in August.

The results of the election of Directors were declared at the AGM as follows:

Matthew Capper (Warner Chappell Music Australia), re-elected

Jane English (Wise Music), re-elected

Linda Bosidis (Mushroom Music Publishing), newly elected

Damian Rinaldi (Alberts), newly elected

Simon Moor (Kobalt Music Group), re-elected

Matthew Donlevy (Frankdon Music), re-elected

Karen Hamilton (120 Publishing), newly elected

Tim Prescott (Double Drummer Music), newly elected.

AMPAL is the industry association for Australasian music publishers with over 55 members, and is governed by a Board of 15 elected member representatives.  The AMPAL Board is elected by the AMPAL membership, and the current Board is shown at: www.ampal.com.au/ampal-board/.

Australian and New Zealand music publishing industry valued at more than AUD$300 million

The 2020 survey of AMPAL members has valued the Australian and New Zealand music publishing industry at just over AUD$300 million for the year. The survey included data from the industry collecting society APRA AMCOS, but it only related to royalties flowing through to music publishing companies and did not include royalties paid directly to songwriters and composers. AMPAL members provided confidential information to auditors Rosenfeld Kant who aggregated the data.

The Australasian Music Publishers' Association Limited (AMPAL) is the industry association for Australian and New Zealand music publishers, and works on behalf of its members and their songwriter and composer partners to promote the importance and value of music and music publishing in Australia and New Zealand - both culturally and economically.

AMPAL’s music publisher members invest in songwriters across all genres of music. They nurture talent, promote the works of their songwriters and find avenues for their work to be heard. Music publishers are a vital part of an industry that contributes to the cultural and economic future of Australia and New Zealand.

Nominations for 2021 AMPAL Board Elections now open

In accordance with the Australasian Music Publishers' Association Limited (AMPAL) constitution, nominations for the position of board director can be received up until 60 days prior to the date of the annual general meeting (AGM).

The date for the 2021 AMPAL AGM is Tuesday 23 November 2021. Accordingly, nominations for the position of AMPAL board director must be received by the Company Secretary by no later than 5pm AEST Friday 24 September 2021.

Details of nominees will be provided to all eligible full members prior to the AGM and in accordance with the AMPAL constitution. The constitution is available at http://www.ampal.com.au/ampal-constitution.

For a copy of the AMPAL board Nomination Form and to discuss your eligibility for nomination, please contact the AMPAL Company Secretary and General Manager, Matthew O’Sullivan, email matthew.osullivan@ampal.com.au.

Our Soundtrack Our Stories

Australian music’s artists, leading businesses and industry bodies are sending out a different kind of S.O.S. to the nation’s corporations, media and anyone willing to listen: it’s time to add our soundtrack to our stories.

Our Soundtrack Our Stories, launched today, is an initiative to soundtrack Australian lives with Australian music. It’s that simple. But one simple move will have a monumental impact on the lives of our homegrown, globally-loved, local artists whose livelihoods have been rocked by the ongoing pandemic. This campaign is about celebrating Australian music and the people making it.

Greater support from corporate Australia means greater reach for our artists, which translates to everything from higher streams, new fans and increased royalty revenue. That support could not come at a more important time, with over $64,000,000 in revenue lost since 1 July 2021 among just 2,000 respondents to the I Lost My Gig survey. With 99% of that revenue revealed to be uninsurable, the real figure is significantly higher. This push will invite everyday people to view this country's music in a new light.

The initiative arrives exactly one week after Jack River, real name Holly Rankin, posted the now viral call-to-arms for Australian media and business to get behind homegrown music as it struggles under the pressure of a new wave of lockdowns – all but eliminating prospects for live touring for the foreseeable future – the initiative calls for public commitment to increase the inclusion of diverse Australian artists in the commercial and mainstream landscape.

The post has already led to action from Channel 7, Channel 9, Coles, 7-Eleven and Bank Australia; with the likes of Baker Boy, Lime Cordiale, Vera Blue, Alex The Astronaut, Sarah Wilson, Turia Pitt, Chantelle Otten adding their support to the original post.

Our Soundtrack Our Stories is an open invitation from our country's music community to the rest of Australia to discover, champion, share, and consume more local music. It exists to promote our artists, promote the enormous economic and cultural contribution of local music, and to ensure a bright, bold, diverse and exciting future for the next generation of musicians and music lovers alike.

Join the movement. Get involved today by clicking the links below:

• Show your support by sharing these social assets.

• Check out the factsheet here to learn more about how to support.

• Follow @OurSoundtrackOurStories on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter for more and use #OurSoundtrackOurStories.

Together we acknowledge First Nations peoples’ unbroken connection to country, and the experience that they bring to the music landscape. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future, as we continue our journey of listening, and work towards true kinship and equality.

Our Soundtrack Our Stories is created by ARIA in collaboration partners - full list here.

2021 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition now open - AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize on offer!

The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition returns for 2021, calling songwriters of all genres and career stages, from anywhere in the world, to enter their song for the chance to win a career-boosting cash prize.

The winning songwriter takes home a first-place cash prize of A$50,000, courtesy of Australasian music rights management organisation APRA AMCOS, Alberts and Sony Music Publishing.

The 2020 first-place winner was Thelma Plum for ‘Better in Blak.’ Plum’s win for her empowering anthem was an inspiring one, coming eight years after she was the competition’s 2nd runner-up.

“Vanda & Young was kind to me early in my career when I received a runner-up prize for ‘Breathe In Breathe Out,’ I could never have imagined then that one day I would win!," said Plum upon winning Vanda & Young. Plum wrote the song with Alexander Burnett and Oliver Horton, and she is signed to Sony Music Publishing.

Runners-up also win impactful cash prizes, with a 2nd place amount of $10,000 thanks to legal experts Banki Haddock Fiora, and 3rd place receives $5,000 courtesy of Aon.

AMPAL is proud to again sponsor the AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize, awarded to an up-and-coming unpublished songwriter, comes with $5,000 cash for the recipient.

When last year’s competition deadline was extended to give songwriters more time to enter during the challenges of COVID, an anonymous donor stepped in to furnish an additional 10 runner-up prizes of $1,000 each. The competition is excited to announce that those 10 cash prizes have again been provided by the generous donor.

Songwriters were eager to get their music heard in new ways during 2020, resulting in more than 4,000 entries – the most ever. Entries from 46 countries raised $203,000.

As always, the full entry fee goes to support the transformative programs of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (Noro). Since 2009, songwriters have contributed more than A$1.4m to help make NORO’s transformative programs accessible to its participants and their families.

The local arm of BMG was a valued first-place prize co-sponsor from 2017 through the 2020 competition.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Heath Johns and the team at BMG for their support of Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition over the past four years, particularly last year as we faced significant challenges in the context of COVID-19. Their support enabled us to think strategically and invest in developing programs while we couldn’t physically see many our participants, and this saw us emerge from the 2020 lockdown in a strong position, as we will again in 2021,” said Belinda Leonard, CEO, Noro.

“On behalf of Sony Music Publishing Australia, we are thrilled to be partnering with Alberts in support of the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition. As a music publisher, we regard it as a particular privilege to be honouring the legacy of two of this country’s greatest ever songwriters, while at the same time, raising much needed funds for Nordoff-Robbins’ life-changing music therapy programs,” said Damian Trotter, Managing Director, Sony Music Publishing Australia.

Named after the iconic songwriters and founding members of The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and the late George Young, the long-running competition has honoured a range of songwriting talent: Plum in 2020, Matt Corby and Dann Hume (2019), Amy Shark (2018), Gretta Ray (2016), Husky Gawenda (2014), Isabella Manfredi (2013), Kimbra (2011) and Megan Washington (2009), as well as top finishers including Baker Boy, Ruel, Kaiit, Sarah Aarons, Gotye, Meg Mac and Gang of Youths frontman David Le’aupepe.

A judging panel comprised of influential artists, producers, media and music industry professionals will be announced soon.

Entries close Friday 8 October 2021. For more information and to enter, see the website here.

Jackie Alway appointed Chair of ICMP

Jackie Alway OBE has been appointed as the new Chair of the International Confederation Of Music Publishers (ICMP), the global industry body for music publishers.

Alway is currently EVP International Legal & Industry Affairs for Universal Music Publishing Group, and is also Chair of MCPS. Alway also serves on the Boards of the UK Music Publishers Association, PMLL, PRS For Music, MPA Ireland and MCPS Ireland.

Alway is the first woman to hold the Chair position at ICMP. Chris Butler of Wise Music Group retires as Chair, and has been in the role since 2017.

For more information, see the ICMP website.

Winners announced for 2021 APRA Music Awards

After a year of virtual recognition, the APRA Music Awards have made a welcome return as a live event in Sydney. The first major Australian music awards ceremony to do so since COVID struck, the 2021 APRA Music Awards last night celebrated the achievements of songwriters who have excelled in the past year.

APRA members have chosen Gadigal Land as the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year. Written by Rob Hirst (Sony Music Publishing), Gadigal poet Joel Davison and Bunna Lawrie (Universal Music Publishing), the song is an uncompromising recount of what happened on Gadigal land, and elsewhere in Australia, since 1788. The song was Midnight Oil’s first single in 17 years, and is part of The Makarrata Project, a themed mini album of collaborations with Indigenous artists.

Kevin Parker (Sony Music Publishing) has been named Songwriter of the Year for his ingenious sonic masterpieces on The Slow Rush, the fourth studio album by Tame Impala with all songs written, produced, recorded and mixed solely by Parker. Steeped in psychedelic disco sounds, the album was embraced by critics and reached the top 10 on numerous record charts around the world, debuting at Number 3 on the US Billboard chart and landing the top spot in Australia. Kevin was presented his award virtually by superstar producer and collaborator Mark Ronson.

Charlton Howard pka The Kid LAROI (Sony Music Publishing) is the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. His success has been nothing short of meteoric, with debut mixtape F*ck Love peaking at Number 3 on the US Billboard chart. Along with a string of accomplishments, the First Nations rapper became the youngest Australian solo artist ever to hit Number 1 on the ARIA album charts earlier this year at just 17 years of age.

Continuing her APRA winning streak is Tones And I (Toni Watson - Kobalt Music Publishing), who has pulled off a double taking out Most Performed Pop Work and Most Performed Australian Work for Never Seen the Rain, the third single from her hugely successful debut EP The Kids Are Coming.

The Rubens (Scott Baldwin / Elliott Margin / Sam Margin / Zaac Margin / William Zeglis - Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music) have won Most Performed Alternative Work with Live in Life, the lead single from the band’s fourth studio album 0202. Taking out Most Performed Country Work for the fourth consecutive year is Morgan Evans (Warner Chappell Music), this time for love song Diamonds which he co-wrote with international collaborators Evan Bogart (Kobalt Music Publishing) and Chris de Stefano (Sony Music Publishing).

Glitchy dance song Rushing Back, written by Harley Streten (Flume) (Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic), Celia Pavey (Vera Blue) (Universal Music Publishing), Eric Dubowsky (Kobalt Music Publishing) and Sophie Cates (Sony Music Publishing) has won Most Performed Dance Work, while the Most Performed Blues & Roots Work is Over Drinking Over You, a song about when fun habits stop being fun, written and performed by Busby Marou (Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou - Sony Music Publishing) with co-writers Ivy Adara (Kobalt Music Publishing), Jon Hume (Native Tongue Music Publishing) and Lindsey Jackson (Native Tongue Music Publishing).

The 2021 APRA Music Awards saw the introduction of two new categories. The Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work is Misunderstood , written by first time nominee Filipo Faaoloii, who performs as Youngn Lipz, and the Most Performed R&B / Soul Work is Rain, written by Josh Teskey, Sam Teskey, Liam Gough and Brendan Love (The Teskey Brothers - Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music).

Renowned songwriter Don Walker (Sony Music Publishing) has won the APRA Music Award for Most Performed Rock Work for Getting The Band Back Together, the first single from the Cold Chisel album Blood Moon, which features Jimmy Barnes and guitarist Ian Moss sharing vocal duties.

Dean Lewis (Kobalt Music Publishing obo Specific Music) and Jon Hume’s (Sony Music Publishing) heartbreak anthem Be Alright is the Most Performed Australian Work Overseas, and as previously announced Dua Lipa (Universal Music Publishing) and co-writers Caroline Ailin (BMG Rights Management), Ian Kirkpatrick (Warner Chappell Music) and Emily Schwartz (Kobalt Music Publishing) took out Most Performed International Work for the impossibly catchy Don’t Start Now.

Two powerhouse women were recognised before their peers with the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. The 2021 recipient is country music trailblazer Joy McKean, who was in attendance to accept the honour presented by her children Anne and David Kirkpatrick. In a taped acceptance Traci Donat, daughter of 2020 recipient the late Helen Reddy, said “My mother was very proud of being Australian and she was proud of using her voice, her success and her visibility to elevate others. In the final years of her life, she was incredibly optimistic and moved to see so many young women passionately carrying the torch. Thank you for honouring her legacy.”

For the full details of all winners, see the APRA AMCOS website.

AMPAL congratulates all winning songwriters, composers and music publishers!

2021 APRA Music Awards nominees

In a roll call that celebrates songwriters spanning pop, rock, country, R&B, hip hop, rap, soul, blues & roots, and dance genres, today APRA has announced the nominees for the 2021 APRA Music Awards.

The peer-voted APRA Song of the Year contenders are songwriters Rob Hirst (Sony Music Publishing), Bunna Lawrie  (Universal Music Publishing) and Gadigal poet Joel Davison for Gadigal Land, Midnight Oil’s first single in 17 years. Tim Minchin (Kobalt Music Publishing) s nominated for Carry You, the song performed by Missy Higgins on Tim’s television series Upright. Guy Sebastian (Universal Music Publishing) returns with a back-to-back nod for Standing With You. Making the cut as a nominee for APRA Song of the Year is Kevin Parker (Sony Music Publishing), who won the top song gong in 2013 and 2016. This year his peers have placed him in the final five for Lost in Yesterday. Amy Shark (Mushroom Music) and co-writer Joel Little (Sony Music Publishing) round out the peer-voted category with Everybody Rise. Amy is nominated for the 5th consecutive year, a streak that began in 2017 with breakout hit Adore and saw her win APRA Song of the Year in 2019 with I Said Hi.

Amy Shark, Kevin Parker and Guy Sebastian have made the dual nominee list for 2021, which also features Tones And I, The Rubens, Andrew Farriss, Flume featuring Vera Blue and Dean Lewis.

Singer-songwriter Miiesha is both a dual AND first-time nominee, as are brothers Louis and Oli Leimbach aka Lime Cordiale. Miiesha appears in the brand new Most Performed R&B / Soul Work category for Twisting Words (with co-writers Stephen Collins and Mohamed Komba), while Lime Cordiale have landed a spot in Most Performed Alternative Work for Robbery.

Both Miiesha and Lime Cordiale are also recognised in the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year category, which is determined by the APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors. Joining them in this heavyweight group are first-time nominees Grace Shaw pka Mallrat and songwriter, rapper, singer and producer, The Kid LAROI, who at 17 is the youngest nominee in 2021. Thelma Plum, recent winner of the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, rounds out the Breakthrough honours.

A total of 49 Australian songwriters have received their first ever APRA Music Awards nomination. They include; Joel Davison, Bunna Lawrie, DMA’s and co-writers Thomas Crandles, Joel Flyger and Liam Hoskins (their touring band members), Casey Barnes, MSquared (Michael Paynter, Michael Delorenzis), Brad Cox and co-writer Joseph Mungovan, Andy Mak, Melanie Dyer, John Courtidis, Winston Surfshirt, Isabella Kearney-Nurse, Spacey Jane, Hockey Dad and The Amity Affliction.

From those debuts comes the rise of fresh songwriters across two brand new Award categories Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work and Most Performed R&B / Soul Work, a whopping eight of the 10 nominated songs feature first time APRA nominees. They include Day1, No Money Enterprise, ONEFOUR, Youngn Lipz, Milan Ring and co-writer BLESSED, Becca Hatch and her four co-writers Maribelle Anes, Jamie Muscat, Willie Tafa and Solo Tohi.

For the first time, music fans will be able to watch rolling highlights on the night via the official APRA AMCOS YouTube channel. Stayed tuned for more details and an announcement of live performances.

The 2021 APRA Music Awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Sydney International Convention Centre Grand Ballroom on Wednesday 28 April, hosted by Julia Zemiro, Ziggy Ramo and Georgia Mooney.

Playlists of the nominated songs can be streamed on YouTube Music, Spotifyand Apple Music.

For the full list of nominated songwriters, composers and music publishers - see the APRA AMCOS website here.

Winners of the 2020 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition Announced!

(L-R) - Thelma Plum, Baker Boy, Ruel and Carla Geneve have all taken out prizes in the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition

The winner is in! The top prize for the 2020 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition goes to Thelma Plum for ‘Better in Blak’, (writers: Thelma Plum* / Alex Burnett / Oliver Horton; publisher: Sony Music Publishing*) a song that brings together frank and honest lyrics with soaring melodies.

Courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and BMG, Plum wins a $50,000 cash prize, the largest first place prize for any songwriting competition in the world. The Gamilaraay singer-songwriter was a runner-up in the 2013 competition for her song ‘Breathe In Breathe Out.’

“I am so honoured that ‘Better in Blak’ has won the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, I can’t even really describe it. My heartfelt thanks to Alex Burnett and Oli Horton for their creativity and to everyone who connected to a song that is deeply personal, written when I was feeling very alone.

“I don’t feel alone today.

“Vanda & Young was kind to me early in my career when I received a runner-up prize for ‘Breathe In Breathe Out,’ I could never have imagined then that one day I would win!"

Plum collaborated with Australian songwriter-producer Alexander Burnett and London-based Oli Horton on the song, which is the title track to Plum’s acclaimed debut album. Released in 2019, ‘Better In Blak’ was a top five finalist in the 2020 Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year and came in at #9 in the triple j Hottest 100.

The competition’s $10,000 2nd place prize, courtesy of Banki Haddock Fiora, goes to hip-hop artist Baker Boy aka Danzal Baker for his powerful track ‘Meditjin,’ (writers: Danzal Baker / Jess Bourke* / Dion Brownfield^ / Jerome Farah+ / Dallas Woods^; publishers: Native Tongue Music Publishing* / Kobalt Music Publishing^ / Mushroom Music+) with lyrics both in English and the Yolngu Matha language.

“I was blown away that I even made the shortlist so to come 2nd for the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is just crazy. It feels really special that my Yolngu Matha lyrics are getting this kind of recognition!

“Couldn't have done it without my co-writers: JessB, Jerome Farah, Dallas Woods and Dion Brownfield,' said Baker Boy.

In 3rd place and the winner of $5,000 courtesy of Aon is Sydney performer and songwriter Ruel for ‘Painkiller’ (writers: Ruel Van Dijk / Sarah Aarons* / Mark Landon; publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing*). Since emerging on the scene in 2017, the teenager has built a global fanbase through his soulful pop songs.

"I feel so honoured to make it to the top 3 in this year's Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition! I’ve been working hard to improve my songwriting every day, so it feels amazing to be recognised at this level and be mentioned alongside incredible artists like Thelma Plum and Baker Boy," said Ruel. He wrote the song with producer M-Phazes and acclaimed songwriter Sarah Aarons, and it comes from the Free Time EP.

AMPAL is proud to sponsor the inaugural $5,000 AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize, which goes to Fremantle, WA’s Carla Geneve, who takes out the honour for the sublime ‘The Right Reasons.’ She follows in the esteemed footsteps of previous winners Mallrat and Kaiit, winning the award for an outstanding unpublished songwriter.

“I can't say how excited I am to be even considered for the competition, let alone taking home a prize. I see myself as primarily a songwriter over anything else, so this means a lot to me. I'm excited to keep writing!” said Geneve. Her song is from the recently released Dog Eared EP.

For the first time in the competition’s history, 10 runners-up from the top 40 shortlist each take home $1,000 cash. The prize money comes from a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The list includes Gordi for ‘Volcanic’ and ‘Extraordinary’, The Teskey Brothers, Lime Cordiale, up-and-coming artists Shannen James and Annie Hamilton and more.

ICMP Evolution: New Board Appointments & Restructure - Matthew Capper (AMPAL Chair and MD of Warner Chappell Music Australia) appointed to ICMP Board

A vote by global trade body the International Confederation of Music Publisher’s (ICMP) membership has:

• Approved expansion of the Board from 16 to 18 Directors. The Board maintains its 50/50 composition of Major and Independent music company Execs and now has Directors from 12 national trade associations from 4 continents worldwide. Matthew Capper (AMPAL Chair and Managing Director of Warner Chappell Music Australia has been appointed to the ICMP Board, with Ian James (Mushroom Music) as alternate director.

• Approved a strategic restructure of the organisation which includes establishing four ICMP Global Regional Groups - Europe; North America; Latin America; AAAA (Australasia, Asia, Africa). These will gather the ICMP Executive, senior company reps and heads of ICMP’s 64 national trade association members in each region, thereby evolving to best tackle issues for today’s industry.

ICMP Board Chairman Chris Butler stated: “Following the revision to ICMP’s bylaws the expansion of our Board is now complete with the addition of Matthew Capper (AMPAL) and Antal Boronkay (Hungarian MPA). I am delighted to welcome such experienced and accomplished music publishers to the ICMP Board and look forward to their contribution in the months and years ahead.”

ICMP Director General John Phelan commented: “Congratulations to two outstanding executives in Matthew Capper and Antal Boronkay. As representatives of the Australasian and Hungarian music industries, from a Major in Warner Chappell Music and Indie in Editio Musica Budapest, they exemplify ICMP as a global trade body. With our work ongoing on 6 continents, we’re keen for their contributions to our daily mission: growing the value of music while defending the rights of our member companies and creator partners. Similarly, approval of the restructure plan will enable us to deliver ever better for our members worldwide.”

Matthew Capper (Managing Director Warner Chappell Music Australia, Chairman Australasian Music Publishers' Association Limited (AMPAL), newly appointed ICMP Board Director) stated: “ICMP’s global role is incredibly important to our industry. The boundaries of our markets continue to blur, and we all face the same challenges in demanding respect for our rights. With the support of Ian James (Mushroom Music), I’m looking forward to working with Chris Butler and the ICMP Board, John Phelan and the ICMP team to support the interests of the worldwide music publishing community as AMPAL’s representative.”

Antal Boronkay (Director, Hungarian Music Publishers’ Association, newly appointed ICMP Board Director) said: “In my new post I look forward to leading implementation of the latest copyright related and digital industry goals in Europe. I have been working in ICMP since 2005 when I was appointed MD of Editio Musica Budapest, a Universal company, and have been a proud member of ICMP’s Classical Bureau for 10 years. I’m looking forward to continuing to drive positive change for the music industry via ICMP.”

Music and live entertainment industry implores Australian Government to extend JobKeeper in Open Letter

3500 music industry artists, workers, venues and businesses have signed an Open Letter to the Australian Government about the end of JobKeeper

• The constant wave of lockdowns, state border closures and audience limitations has made it impossible for the music and live entertainment industry to properly restart

• New analysis shows live music alone is operating under 4 per cent of pre-COVID levels

Jenny Morris, The Cat Empire, Mo’Ju, Kate Miller-Heidke, Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, Courtney Barnett, The McClymonts, Laneway Festival, Missy Higgins, Archie Roach, Josh Pyke, L-FRESH The LION, Gordi, Stella Donnelly, Abby Dobson, Sarah Blasko, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Don Walker, Katie Noonan, Graham ‘Buzz’ Bidstrup, Bluesfest, Bushwackers Band, Ocean Alley, Ian Moss, Alex the Astronaut, Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, Birds of Tokyo, Lime Cordiale, Killing Heidi, The Presets, Birdz, Dan Sultan, Methyl Ethel, John Watson Management, Bill Cullen One Louder, Jebediah, Boy and Bear, The Living End, Xavier Rudd, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Didirri, KLP, The Living End, Polish Club, Midnight Oil, Sneaky Sound System, Spiderbait, The Preatures, Diesel, Anna Laverty, Something For Kate, Hunters and Collectors, Secret Sounds, The Avalanches, Jen Cloher…. sign urgent Open Letter with more than 3500 music and live entertainment industry artists, workers, venues & businesses.

An Open Letter published today seeks to bring attention to the continuing devastation the COVID-19 pandemic is having on Australia’s music and live entertainment industry with an appeal to the Australian Government to establish an industry rescue program to replace the end of JobKeeper.

“Each time there is another COVID-19 cluster or a quarantine breach, any plans to trade again are halted. Musicians, sole traders, venues, clubs, festivals, music businesses and the industry remain out of work. Billions of dollars for hospitality and tourism generated from Australian music remains stifled. We are an industry in crisis,” the Open Letter says.

“We applaud the work of local, state and federal authorities, as well as the community and acknowledge the situation in Australia is much different to most nations around the world. But Australia remains in a cycle of lockdowns and border closures to keep on top of the insidious COVID-19 pandemic.”

Despite Australia being ahead of most countries around the world, new figures released today by music rights organisation APRA AMCOS reveal that live music alone is operating at under 4 per cent of the level compared to this time last year, showing the devastation that has hit Australia’s live music industry and on the thousands of people who work to make live music happen.

Pre-COVID, APRA AMCOS members submitted live performance reports, representing payment for over 3 million performances of their works. The same period during COVID-19 saw the number of performances of works plummet to approximately 100,000 - representing under 4 per cent of activity pre-COVID*.

Since March last year there has not been a single national tour undertaken by an Australian artist and there has not been a single festival run at full capacity. Night clubs remain closed and what venues are open are trading at an average of 30 per cent due to social distancing capacity regulations.

“Extending JobKeeper, or providing an industry specific wage subsidy package, will keep the show on the road. This doesn’t just make cultural sense, it makes economic sense. The arts and entertainment sector contributes around $15 billion per year in GDP, employing close to 200,000 highly-skilled Australians. Australia Institute research has found that for every million dollars in turnover, arts and entertainment produce 9 jobs while the construction industry only produces around 1 job,”
the Open Letter continues.

Research shows three dollars are generated from every $1 spent on live music. The inability for the music industry to trade has a direct knock-on effect on the hospitality and tourism industries across major metropolitan and regional centres across the country and an unprecedented loss to the economy.

“Every live music venue and festival in a city, town centre or regional area is part of an intricate network that supports our industry. Sitting behind these venues and events is an army of musicians, managers, agents, promoters, crew, technicians, music teachers and many other industry professionals,” the Open Letter says.

“We can’t afford to lose the skills and businesses of our industry. The result for Australian music and live entertainment would be catastrophic.”

The music and live entertainment industry urges the Australian Government to extend JobKeeper for music and live entertainment workers or provide an industry specific wage subsidy.

For the full letter and other details, see the APRA AMCOS website.

AMPAL 2020 AGM and Board election results

The Australasian Music Publishers’ Association Limited (AMPAL) has held its Annual General Meeting as a virtual meeting hosted from the registered office of the company today. 

The results of the election of Directors were declared at the AGM, with Damian Trotter (Sony/ATV Music Publishing), Jaime Gough (Native Tongue Music Publishing), Clive Hodson (Perfect Pitch Publishing), Ian James OAM (Mushroom Music Publishing), and Rachel Kelly (Downtown Music Publishing) re-elected to the AMPAL Board.

Nominations had also been received from Bernard Depasquale (Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB)) and Jan Hellriegel (Songbroker).

At the meeting, AMPAL Chair Matthew Capper (Warner Chappell Music Australia) congratulated the re-elected directors, and thanked all of the nominees for standing for election, noting the strong interest in the operations of the association. AMPAL General Manager Matthew O’Sullivan spoke about the organisation’s work throughout the year on behalf of the association's Australian and New Zealand music publisher members and their songwriter and composer partners.   

AMPAL is the industry association for Australasian music publishers with over 55 members, and is governed by a Board of 15 elected member representatives.  The AMPAL Board is elected by the AMPAL membership, and the current Board is shown at: www.ampal.com.au/ampal-board/.

Winners Announced for the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards

The wnners of the 2020 APRA Silve Scroll Awards have been announced in a ceremony that was moved online this year due to COVID-19.

Stella Bennett (Benee), Joshua Fountain, and Djeisan Suskov have won the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award for their hit song Glitter (published by Sony/ATV Publishing and Universal Music Publishing).

Following on from Soaked in 2019, this is the second consecutive nomination for the trio of songwriters and Stella Bennett was thrilled to win the Silver Scroll for the first time.

The ceremony included the much-treasured performances of each Scroll nominee in a studio environment.

The winners of all awards were:

APRA Silver Scroll Award: Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djeisan Suskov – Glitter – performed by Benee (published by Sony/ATV Publishing and Universal Music Publishing)

APRA Maioha Award: Rob Ruha – Ka Mānu

SOUNZ Contemporary Award – Te Tohu Auaha: Michael Norris – Mātauranga (Rerenga)

APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award: Karl Steven – Come To Daddy

APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award: David Long – The Luminaries (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)

For the full details of the awards see the APRA AMCOS website here.

Congratulations to all nominees and winners!

Australian and New Zealand music publishing industry valued at more than AUD$280 million

The 2019 survey of AMPAL members has valued the Australian and New Zealand music publishing industry at just over AUD$280 million for the year. The survey included data from the industry collecting society APRA AMCOS, but it only related to royalties flowing through to music publishing companies and did not include royalties paid directly to songwriters and composers. AMPAL members provided confidential information to auditors Rosenfeld Kant who aggregated the data.

The Australasian Music Publishers' Association Limited (AMPAL) is the industry association for Australian and New Zealand music publishers, and works on behalf of its members and their songwriter and composer partners to promote the importance and value of music and music publishing in Australia and New Zealand - both culturally and economically.

AMPAL’s music publisher members invest in songwriters across all genres of music. They nurture talent, promote the works of their songwriters and find avenues for their work to be heard. Music publishers are a vital part of an industry that contributes to the cultural and economic future of Australia and New Zealand.

Nominations for 2020 AMPAL Board Elections now open

In accordance with the Australasian Music Publishers' Association Limited (AMPAL) constitution, nominations for the position of board director can be received up until 60 days prior to the date of the annual general meeting (AGM).

The date for the 2020 AMPAL AGM is Wednesday 18 November 2020. Accordingly, nominations for the position of AMPAL board director must be received by the Company Secretary by no later than 5pm AEST Friday 18 September 2020.

Details of nominees will be provided to all eligible full members prior to the AGM and in accordance with the AMPAL constitution. The constitution is available at http://www.ampal.com.au/ampal-constitution.

For a copy of the AMPAL board Nomination Form and to discuss your eligibility for nomination, please contact the AMPAL Company Secretary and General Manager, Matthew O’Sullivan, email matthew.osullivan@ampal.com.au.

Top 20 Announced for 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award

The Top 20 has been announced for the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award. The list was chosen from over 200 entries by a judging panel of 10 fellow songwriters, who have each made wonderful contributions to the NZ music community.  

The Top 20 songs are:

• Best Thing In The Room, written by Lisa Crawley and Robert Kleiner, performed by Lisa Crawley (Published by St Music ANZ Pty / Songtrust Blvd) 

• Bone Dat Needs Pickin’, written and performed by Steve Tofa (Published by Songbroker) 

• Don’t You Know Who I Am, written and performed by Reb Fountain (Published by Mushroom Music) 

• Get The Devil Out, written and performed by Nadia Reid (Published by Blue Raincoat Songs / Kobalt Music Publishing) 

• Glitter written by Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djesian Suskov, performed by Benee (Published by Universal Music Publishing / Sony/ATV Publishing) 

• Guilty Talk, written by Stephanie Brown and Fen Ikner performed by Lips  

• Hands, written by Bella Cook and Shannon Fowler, performed by Belladonna (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

• I Might Disappear, written by Gussie Larkin, Lily West and Abraham Hollingsworth, performed by Mermaidens  

• In The Air, written by Arapekanga Hayden Adams-Tamatea, Brad Donald Kora, Hiriini Stuart Kora, Joel Charles Shadbolt, and Miharo Boaz Gregory, performed by L.A.B (Published by Loop Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing)

• Let’s Just Stay In Bed, written by Cass Mitchell and Bic Runga, performed by King Sweeties (Published by Mushroom Music) 

• Mighty Invader, written and performed by Troy Kingi (Published by Loop Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing) 

• Remote, written by Annabel Alpers and performed by Hamerkop (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

• Ruffle, written by Matthew Barus and Lauren Barus, performed by Terrible Sons (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

• Superfan, written by Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Leroy Clampitt, performed by Chelsea Jade (Published by EMI Music Publishing Australia / Stellar Songs /

• Avant-Garde LOL / These Are Songs of Pulse / Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

• Take, written by Finn Scholes, Tam Scholes, Siobhanne Thompson, Cass Mitchell and Alistair Deverick, performed by Carnivorous Plant Society 

• Trouble, written by Mona Sanei and Frank Eliesa, performed by CHAII (Published by Big Pop Music Publishing / BMG Rights Management) 

• Walk, written by Ria Hall and Laughton Kora, performed by Ria Hall (Published by Loop Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing)

• War Outside, written by Elijah Manu, Albert Purcell and Rory Noble, performed by Church & AP  

• Who?, written by Lance Fepuleai, Tony Tz, Harry Huavi and Stephen Atutolu, performed by Team Dynamite feat. Diggy Dupe

• You Were Mine, written by Tamara Neilson and Joshua Neilson, performed by Tami Neilson (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

All APRA members are now invited to vote for their top five songs from this list of 20. 

These votes from the APRA membership will determine the five finalists and winner of the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award. 

The APRA Silver Scroll Award will be presented with other awards at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday October 14. 

For more information see the APRA AMCOS website here.

Australia's music industry puts out an SOS in open letter to government

Australian music industry unites behind an Open Letter imploring the Australian Government to provide sector support to ensure its survival during the COVID-19 crisis

Jenny Morris, Archie Roach, Tina Arena, Jimmy Barnes, Nick Cave, John Farnham, Guy Sebastian, Peter Garrett, Deborah Conway, Kev Carmody, Marcia Hines, Josh Pyke, Stella Donnelly, Genevieve Lacey, Little River Band, Jessica Mauboy, Lee Kernaghan, Thelma Plum, Regurgitator, Montaigne, Paul Grabowsky, Icehouse, David Hirschfelder, San Cisco, Gotye, The Teskey Brothers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Julia Jacklin, Carl Vine, Alex Lahey, Jack River, Savage Garden sign urgent Open Letter with more than 1000 leading music industry artists, workers, venues & businesses.

“Australian music is a proud national asset that entertains, comforts, and uplifts our communities. It helps to define who we are as a nation, is a central pillar of our health and well-being and is a key driver of learning in schools. Our artists and industry are always there to come to the aid of our nation during a crisis. Now it is time for the nation to come to our aid,” the Open Letter says.

“The Australian music sector fell off a cliff on 13 March when Government made the correct and prudent decision to shut the nation down. Without the ability for artists to play and venues to open around the country, the industry lost billions of dollars in revenue. It is estimated the box-office loss in relation to live music alone will be half a billion dollars over six months.”

The Open Letter has five key asks of the Australian Government, including the expansion of JobKeeper to artists and individuals who have been excluded, an extension of the scheme until at least the end of the year, direct business grants to ensure the survival of thousands of music businesses and venues, a boost to Australia Council funding and tax offsets and red-tape reduction for the sector.

“While much of the economy starts to re-open, the ongoing restrictions on large gatherings means our industry will continue to be held back from returning to work. Without immediate government intervention, the Australian music sector will be hit twice as hard as the rest of the economy and thousands of jobs will be lost within months,” the Open Letter continues.

“The long-term cost to Treasury, the economy and the damage to our cultural infrastructure will be immense and long-lasting. Most of the four thousand plus venues that present live music across Australia are closed with no certainty as to when a restart is likely or viable.
 
“We are a highly skilled workforce with thousands of businesses that continuously adapts to technological change. We contribute $16 billion to the economy and we are an asset that is a lynchpin for the tourism and hospitality sectors and a powerful driver of metropolitan and regional economies and export to the world.
 
“Our industry is resilient, innovative and creative. We fight to stand on our own two feet and in normal circumstances we are self-sufficient. Yet these are not normal times, and we need the support of the Australian Government to help us get to the other side of this crisis.”
 
AMPAL supports and has signed the open letter.

Read: The Full Open Letter