Professional Development Awards 2021

You must complete the Professional Development Award application form online. The form is not linked to your APRA writer login, so you will need to create a new account.

The cash prize is intended to help emerging songwriters and composers attend songwriting workshops, music education courses, composer seminars, co-writing sessions and other relevant activities either domestically or internationally.
The Awards are NOT intended to fund recording. Please consider this when writing your responses, as Partner Organisations will only assess applications that demonstrate a commitment to using the prize for professional development.

The application form has three parts; personal details, works and responses to questions. Each section is judged individually so please take care when responding.

1. Choose a category

You may only choose ONE of the following categories to apply to:

• Popular Contemporary (two awards are given in this category which covers Pop, Rock, Alternative, Blues, Roots, Folk, Metal, Christian and Children's)
  
• Country/Americana
  
• Jazz & Improvised Music
  
• Classical & Experimental
  
• Dance/Electronic
  
• Hip Hop/Rap/Soul/R&B
  
• Film and Television/Gaming
  
• Music Theatre - workshop funding only
  Click here for application details
  
• Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award
  

  See below for application details

2. Choose a partner organisation

APRA AMCOS teams with a variety of partner organisations who help to review applications before a shortlist is provided to our judges. Look through the list of partner organisations below and choose who you would like to nominate to assess your application. Please note the Partner Organisations are not there to answer questions about your application - please address all queries to [email protected].
Note: If you are submitting for Music Theatre you will not be required to choose a partner organisation.

3. You must supply:

• A high-res photo of yourself and brief bio for print.
• A digital photo of some identification such as your drivers license. If you are under 18, please upload a letter of authority from your parent or guardian which can be found here. Both files need to be jpeg/png.
• Three of your works or songs as MP3 or MP4 for our judges to listen to.
  - Mp4 files are only submitted in the Film & Television category, please do not submit music videos or performances of works.
• Depending on your chosen category, the lyrics/scores for your works or songs:

  - Popular Contemporary, Country, Dance & Electronic and Hip Hip/Rap/Soul/R&B and the Music and Media Award: Lyrics are required (if applicable).
  - Jazz and Classical & Experimental: Scores are required (if applicable).
  - Film & Television / Gaming: Entrants must provide 3x audio-visual samples of their works composed for film/television/gaming. These samples can be pre-existing or created for entry – they should not exceed five minutes each in duration. Music videos are not considered sufficient samples. If you do not have three samples, you may download this approved clip, and compose a piece of music as part of your entry to supplement your other works. This may not be your only submission of film & television/gaming work.

4. You must submit responses to:

1. Details of your achievements in composing or songwriting.
2. Details of your current engagement in musical studies, songwriting, performing, recording, etc.
3. What are your ambitions for a future career in composing and songwriting and how do you propose to achieve those ambitions?
4. How will winning an APRA Professional Development Award help you achieve your goal?

If you have queries about the application form, please contact [email protected]

To avoid your application timing out, we recommend preparing everything before you begin, and remember to save each page before continuing onto the next one.

Applications will close 5.00pm AEDT Thursday 25 March 2021.

APRA AMCOS works with a variety of organisations to process Professional Development Award applications. These organisations are selected based on their expertise and involvement with the music industry, and will review each application before we provide a shortlist to our judges.

Every applicant must choose one organisation to assess their application (excluding Music Theatre).

There are both national and state/territory based organisations, so you do not have to select an organisation based on your location. Choose the organisation that you think will best be able to assess your music and application, noting that some organisations will only be able to assess specific categories. These are outlined below.

All partner organisations will use the same scoring criteria.

PDAs 2021 PARTNER ORGANISATIONS

• 2SER (Sydney based community radio station)
• 4ZZZ (Brisbane based community radio station)
  
• Arts OutWest (Regional arts organisation in NSW Central West)
• Arts North West (Regional arts organisation for South East NSW)
  *Only assessing Classical/Experimental & Film and TV/Gaming*
• Association of Artist Managers (Peak body representing artist managers in Australia)
• Association of Independent Record Labels (Peak body representing Australian owned record labels and independent artists based in Australia)
• Australian Guild of Screen Composers (National association for professional screen composers)
  *Only assessing Film and TV/Gaming*
• Australian Music Centre (National organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting art music)
  *Only assessing Classical/Experimental and Jazz*
• Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (Organisation dedicated to supporting Aboriginal Music and culture)
  
• Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (National organisation representing community broadcasters)
• Country Music Association of Australia (National organisation representing the Australian country music industry)
  *Only assessing Country*
• FBi Radio (Sydney based community radio station)
• Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (Non-profit organisation supporting the creation of electronic sound and music)
  *Only assessing Dance/Electronic*
• Melbourne Jazz Co-Operative (Non-profit organisation supportive live jazz in Melbourne)
• Multicultural Arts Victoria (Body supporting the development and promotion of diverse art, heritage and culture)
• Music ACT (Peak body for contemporary music in Australian Capital Territory)
• MusicNT (Peak body for contemporary music in the Northern Territory)
• Music Tasmania (Peak industry body representing Tasmania’s music community)
• Music Victoria (Peak body for contemporary music in Victoria)
• Music NSW (Peak body for contemporary music in New South Wales)
• NLMA's / Heath Media (media business responsible for the National Live Music Awards, the AU Review among others)
  
• PBS FM (Melbourne based community radio station)
• QMusic (Queensland’s music industry development association)
• Regional Arts Victoria (Peak body for the arts in regional Victoria)
• RRR (Melbourne based community radio station)
• RTR FM (Perth based community radio station)
• Smugglers of Light Foundation (provides assistance for young Indigenous musicians and film-makers)
  *Only assessing Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media*
• South East Arts (Regional arts organisation for South East NSW)
• Talent Development Project (Youth training and development project)
  
• The Push (Victoria based youth music organisation)
• West Australian Music (Peak body for contemporary music in WA)

The Music Theatre Professional Development Award is a new addition to the Professional Development Awards and will be announced as part of the 2021 ceremony. This award will give one APRA member $10,000 to be used towards a workshop of their musical theatre piece, and a prize from Australis Music.

Please be aware this is funding for a workshop only.

You will not be required to choose a partner organisation for this award.
When you start your application you must select 'I am applying for the Music Theatre category'.

Application Details

1. Works and supporting material

• Title of Production
• Duration of full production
• Cast and character breakdown
• Details of any previous productions or workshops, if any.
• Overview of story: outline the story and number of works in the production. Please also include a full script (or at least 10 pages) and a web link (if applicable).
• Workshop summary details: no of actors required/no of songs being workshopped/duration of workshop (one pdf, maximum 3 pages)
• 2 musical works from the production
• Letters of support: musical and script writing collaborators, theatres, producers, mentors, managers etc. Must upload at least one, with a maximum of five.

2. Responses to Questions

Please answer the following questions with as much detail as is relevant.

1. Details of your current engagement in musical theatre, composition, script writing, songwriting, recording etc.
2. What are your ambitions for a future career in musical theatre?
3. How do you propose to achieve those ambitions?
4. How will winning an APRA Professional Development Award help achieve your goal?

Email queries to: [email protected]

The Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award will be announced as part of the 2021 Professional Development Awards and will provide a promising Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander music or media practitioner a grant of $12,000.

This particular award has been established by the founders of The Smugglers of Light in memory of Eli Westlake, who was tragically killed in Sydney on 7th June 2008 at aged 21. One of the purposes of the Smugglers of Light Foundation is to encourage music education and training through scholarships, research grants and travel grants to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Nominations for this award will be directed to The Smugglers of Light Foundation for assessment. Applicants may not apply to a genre category AND the Smugglers of Light Foundation Award - they must choose one.

Email queries to: [email protected]

Eligibility for the Smugglers of Light Music and Media Award

• The Award is offered to music or media practitioners from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and is open to a wide range of music & media disciplines.
  (An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which they live.)
• Nominees must be not less than 16 years of age on 1 January 2021. If you are under 18 years of age you must enclose a signed form of consent from your parent or guardian.
• Nominees must be an Australian citizen or have been legally resident in this territory for a minimum of two consecutive years on 1 January 2021.
• Nominations may be made by an individual music or media practitioner, or group.
• Previous winners of an APRA Professional Development Award are ineligible to apply.
• The Award may be used for individual professional development.
• The Award may be used to facilitate the development, commissioning & creation of original music. For example, music associated with a specific project such as film, dance, theatre or mixed media. (Applications for specific projects must supply relevant project detail as part of the supporting nomination including details of tangible outcomes.)

Application Details

1. Material

You must supply two works/songs or media projects (can be audio or video) with appropriate credits.

2. Responses to Questions

Please answer the following six (6) questions with as much detail as is relevant.

1. Details of achievements in media / composing or songwriting
2. Current engagement in media or musical studies/activities, songwriting, performing, recording etc.
3. Ambitions for future career in media, &/or music
4. How do you propose to achieve those ambitions
5. How winning Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Music and Media Award will help achieve your goals.
   (If you wish to use the award to facilitate the commissioning of music for a specific project, please provide as much detail as possible pertaining to your project, including performance / release schedules)
6. Please provide some insight into your underlying passion and creative drive. (i.e. what drives you to create?)

Email queries to: [email protected]

Each winner of the Professional Development Awards will receive $10,000 courtesy of APRA AMCOS (excl. ATSI Music & Media Award) and a prize courtesy of Australis Music.

• Popular Contemporary - Epiphone Electric Guitar
  
• Country / Americana - Epiphone Acoustic Guitar
• Jazz & Improvised Music - Ibanez Guitar
• Dance / Electronic - Behringer Analog Synth
• Film & Television / Gaming - TC Helicon Go XLR
• Hip Hop / Rap / Soul / R&B - Behringer Analog Drum Machine
• Classical & Experimental - Behringer Polyphonic Synthesizer
• Music Theatre - Beale Keyboard
• ATSI Music & Media Award - Behringer Studio Recording Bundle

About Australis Music Group: Australis Music Group is a specialist distributor and producer of Musical Instruments and Professional Audio products, providing outstanding quality service and value added solutions based on over 45 years of industry experience. https://australismusic.com.au/

1. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The following information forms part of the terms and conditions of entry to the 2021 APRA Professional Development Awards (Professional Development Awards). By entering the Professional Development Awards, Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

2. ORGANISER

The organiser of the Professional Development Awards is Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (ABN 42 000 016 099) of 16 Mountain Street, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, AUSTRALIA (Organiser).

3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARDS PERIOD

Entries open at 9:00am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEDT) on Monday 15 February 2021 and all entries must be received online no later than 5:00pm AEDT on Thursday 25 March 2021. Late entries will not be accepted.

4. ELIGIBILITY

Entry into the Professional Development Awards is limited to songwriters who:

1. are APRA members;
2. Australian or New Zealand citizens or have been a legal Australian resident for minimum of 2 consecutive years on 1st January 2021.
3. have not previously won an APRA Professional Development Award; or
4. Have not been shortlisted for or won an APRA NZ Professional Development Award
5. comply with these terms and conditions of entry

Employees of the Organiser (and members of their immediate families) are ineligible to enter.

5. ENTRY CRITERIA AND AWARD CATEGORIES

Entries may only be lodged by individual songwriters (co-writers should nominate separately). Entrants must gain consent from any co-writer (and, if the work is the subject of a publishing agreement, the consent of the publisher) prior to entry. Entry is limited to once per APRA member.

Entrants may enter the Professional Development Awards in any one of the following Award Categories:

• Popular Contemporary (including Pop, Rock, Alternative, Blues, Roots, Folk, Metal, Christian and Children’s) – 2 Awards are given in this Award Category: All entrants in this Award Category are required to provide lyric files (where applicable) for each submitted song.
• Country/Americana: All entrants in this Award Category are required to provide lyric files (where applicable) for each submitted song.
• Jazz & Improvised Music; All entrants in this Award Category are encouraged to provide scores for their submitted works (where applicable);
• Classical & Experimental: All entrants in this Award Category are encouraged to provide scores for their submitted works;
• Dance/Electronic: All entrants in this Award Category are required to provide lyric files (where applicable) for each submitted song.
• Film & Television/Gaming: All entrants in this Award Category are required to provide audio-visual samples of their works composed for film and/or television. These samples can be pre-existing or created for entry – they should not exceed five minutes in duration. Music Videos are not considered sufficient samples. Additionally, entrants in this Award Category are encouraged to provide scores where available for the submitted pieces;
• Hip Hop/Rap/Soul/RnB: All entrants in this Award Category are required to provide lyric files (where applicable) for each submitted song.
• Music Theatre/Stage
• The Smugglers of Light Foundation ATSI Music and Media Award: All entrants in this Award Category are to identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; and are required to provide lyric files (where applicable) for each submitted song.

Eligible Entrants may only enter in respect of one Award Category

6. ONLINE ENTRY

To enter, Eligible Entrants must visit the Professional Development Awards portal at pda.apra.com.au and follow the prompts to:

• properly complete and submit an online Entry Form, completing all required details, agreements and acknowledgements;
• upload three (3) recordings of original musical compositions written or co-written by the Entrant in MP4 format (Submitted Recordings); and
• include lyrics in the Entry Form for the Submitted Recordings (if applicable)

(Entry Materials).

7. ENTRY MATERIALS

It is the Entrant's responsibility to ensure that the recording submitted in respect of each Submitted Recording is complete and playable. The Organiser is not responsible for incorrect, inaccurate, late, damaged, or misappropriated entries. All Entry Materials submitted will not be returned to Entrants. Copies of Entry Materials may be retained and used by the Organiser strictly for promotional purposes in accordance with these terms and conditions. Any false information provided as part of an Entrant's Entry Materials will result in the automatic disqualification of that Entrant.

8. OWNERSHIP

All Entrants (or their publisher if applicable) will retain all copyrights and all other rights controlled by them in all songs entered in the APRA Professional Development Awards. For the avoidance of doubt, no copyrights in any song entered will be assigned to the Organiser by virtue of an Entrant entering the Professional Development Awards.

9. JUDGING

All judges are subject to APRA's Conflict of Interest Policy which can be viewed online here.

All entries will initially be judged by the Organiser in conjunction with its Partner Organisations. Entrants will choose a partner organisation at the time of entry. Entrants' nominations of Partner Organisations may be changed at the Organiser's discretion. At the end of the Awards Period, a short-list of Eligible Entrants will be compiled by the Organiser (Short-listed Entrants). No final decisions as to Short-listed Entrants or Winners will be made by the judges prior to the end of the Awards Period.

Short-listed Entrants for each Award Category will then be referred to separate judging panels for each Award Category, with each judging panel made up of composers, songwriters, publishers, broadcasters, producers and educators. Entries will be judged equally on melody, composition, originality, and lyrics (when applicable) (Judging Criteria).

Production value and quality of performance will not be considered. The judging panels will not be in a position to provide Entrants with feedback or a critique in relation to entered songs. Each judging panel's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

This is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winner. All valid entries received during the Awards Period will be judged by the Organiser on their merits in accordance with the Judging Criteria.

10. NOTIFICATION OF SHORT-LISTED ENTRANTS AND WINNERS

The Organiser will notify all Short-listed Entrants by email by Tuesday 1 June 2021 using the contact details provided on the online Entry Form, that they have been short-listed for an Award. The Winner of each Award Category (including the 2 winners of the Popular Contemporary Award) will be announced on Thursday 24 June. The Organiser will not be held liable for any unforeseen delays in the judging process.

11. PRIZES

Each Winner (except for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander winner) will receive:

• • $10,000 cash courtesy of APRA AMCOS

The Smugglers of Light Foundation ATSI Music and Media Award Winner will receive:

• • $12,000 cash courtesy of The Smugglers of Light Foundation

All winners will also receive a prize from Australis Music Group, valued at up to $1599.

Total prize value $110,000.

12. PRIZE CONDITIONS

Each Winner's entitlement to all prizes described above is subject to the following:

• Each prize (or any part thereof) is not redeemable for cash, transferable or exchangeable. The Organiser is not liable in any way if a Winner cannot receive, accept or use any element of a prize for any reason. A prize (or any part thereof) may be cancelled in the Organiser's discretion if a Winner attempts to transfer it.
• The Organiser will not cover any associated costs in connection with each Winner's enjoyment of a prize other than those expressly stipulated above or on the Professional Development Awards online Entry Form. Any taxes payable in relation to prizes are the sole responsibility of the Winner.
• Organiser reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, at any time during the Awards Period, to vary, withdraw, postpone or cancel the Professional Development Awards, including without limitation, in circumstances where it cannot conduct the Professional Development Awards or grant any part of an Award for any reason beyond its control.
• In the event that the Organiser postpones or varies the Professional Development Awards or any part of an Award or associated prize, the Organiser (and any party associated with the Professional Development Awards) shall not be liable to any person for any loss or damage of any kind (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss or loss or damage caused by the Organiser's or other party's negligence) arising out of, or in connection with, the postponement or variation of the Professional Development Awards or Award (or part thereof). Nor will the Organiser or other party be liable for any loss, damage, payment or expense of any kind (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss or loss or damage caused by the Organiser's or other party's negligence) or personal injury or other damage suffered or sustained as a result of the entering, judging, running, cancellation or acceptance, enjoyment or use of the Professional Development Awards or Award (or part thereof) except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law.
• The Organiser has the right to refuse to allow a Winner to take part in all or part of a prize or Award, if the Organiser deems, at its discretion, that a Winner is not in an appropriate physical or mental condition to ensure the safety of the Winner or the other parties involved, or the Organiser otherwise deems that it is not appropriate for a Winner to take part in all or part of a prize for any reason.
• Organiser reserves the right to amend or substitute any of the prizes described above at its discretion without notice to Entrants.
• All prizes must be claimed within one year of them being presented to the winner. Unclaimed prizes after this period cannot be redeemed.
• If a Winner is under the age of 18 years, the prizes will be awarded to the Winner's parent or guardian on the Entrant's behalf.

13. WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS

Entrants warrant and represent that:

• each of their Submitted Recordings comprises an original musical work written (or co-written) by them, which does not infringe third party copyrights, or contravene any applicable statute, law, order, rule or regulation;
• if any of their Submitted Recordings are co-written or co-created, they have the consent of their co-writers to submit the Submitted Recordings, grant the licenses and releases herein, and participate in the Professional Development Awards;
• they own and control all copyrights and other rights in and to the Entry Materials they provide to Organiser hereunder in connection with the Professional Development Awards, or are otherwise legally able to grant the rights set forth herein;
• if they are engaged under a publishing or recording agreement, they will obtain all necessary authorisations, consents and licences in order to participate in the Professional Development Awards and to allow the use of their Entry Materials by Organiser as set forth herein;
• their Submitted Recordings were recorded and otherwise prepared in all respects in accordance with the rules and regulations of all unions and similar associations having jurisdiction;
• any songwriter, publisher, artist and/or producer credits that they provide to Organiser will be accurate; and,
• they have read these Terms and Conditions and that they meet all the eligibility requirements to participate.

14. PRIVACY AND RELEASES

Entrants agree that, as a condition of their entry for a Professional Development Award, they:

• release the Organiser and its employees, directors, officers, subsidiaries, affiliates, promotional agents, and judging panellists from any and all liability, claims, or actions in connection with their participation in the Professional Development Awards;
• agree that their name, photos, or likeness, statements, Submitted Recordings may be publicised, published, communicated, or used at or in connection with the Professional Development Awards, without compensation, by the Organiser, in any Organiser or Organiser-partner media or publication, including internet sites, press releases, Organiser conferences or award shows, and for distribution by Organiser to media organisations or any third party requesting such materials in connection with Organiser or the Professional Development Awards; and
• grant a worldwide perpetual non-exclusive license to Organiser to reproduce, communicate to the public and publicly perform the songs and recordings submitted, in whole or in part, via all media, in any manner including digital streaming or download technology, for the Organiser's promotional and archival purposes
• acknowledge that their entries and details will be held in accordance with the APRA AMCOS Privacy Policy.

15. NO SALES OR EXTRAORDINARY PAYMENTS

The Organiser will not sell copies of any Submitted Recordings or otherwise distribute copies of Submitted Recordings other than for Organiser's promotional purposes. Entrants acknowledge that they will receive no royalty payments or payments of any kind from the Organiser, including for the performance of their Submitted Recordings in connection with the Professional Development Awards, other than those that they may be eligible to receive through APRA' s usual distribution system.

16. JURISDICTION AND CHOICE OF LAW

The Professional Development Awards and these terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New South Wales and all Entrants irrevocably and unconditionally consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of New South Wales.

By entering the 2021 Professional Development Awards you agree to the terms and conditions as listed above.