2021 Screen Music Awards

The Screen Music Awards represent the successful marriage of two defining elements of contemporary Australian culture: music and film. Presented by APRA AMCOS in conjunction with the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), the ceremony is our chance to acknowledge excellence and innovation in the field of screen composition.

The Screen Awards honour music composers across thirteen categories. APRA AMCOS uses statistical analysis to define nominations based on performance activity, as reflected by earnings, for two categories: Most Performed Screen Composer - Australia, and Most Performed Screen Composer - Overseas. Panels of highly respected Australian film and television composers determine four nominees across each of the remaining ten categories. The Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award is given at the discretion of the APRA Board of Directors.

Nominations close Thursday 22 July, 5pm AEST

Publishers, producers, and directors may enter on behalf of a composer. The account should be made in the name of the person submitting the application (this can be the composer or not), and applications can be made on behalf of multiple composers .

The work must have been for a production which has received its first public screening, broadcast or release in the relevant 12 month period (1st July 2020 - 30th June 2021).
The eligibility period for Feature Film Score of the Year requires that the production must have received its first public screening, broadcast or commercial release in the relevant 15 month period (1st July 2020 - 30th September 2021. This includes first releases on YouTube, Facebook, Netflix or any other platform.

APRA AMCOS will not accept any physical applications. To avoid your application timing out, we recommend preparing everything before you begin.

You must submit responses to:

• Details of the work's first broadcast (date/location)
• Composer information
• Any additional composer/s

You must supply:

• Photo and Biography (maximum 300 words) of the main composer
• Your works as mp4, MOV or mp3/m4a (soundtrack only), or as a direct link accessible with or without a password. Please note only standard definition files are required, using H.264 as the default output and a maximum height of 720. All submissions must have audio-visual elements, with the exclusion of soundtrack.
• Cue Sheet with time codes (only required for Television Series, Mini-Series/Telemovie, Children's programming, Documentary & Feature Film)
• A sample of the main score (mp3 or m4a), approx 2-4 minutes. This is required for possible adaptation/orchestration by the Musical Director for the orchestral ensemble at the awards ceremony.
• Any additional material that could be used for possible adaptation/orchestration by the Musical Director - lead sheets, MIDI files, manuscripts etc.

Category information:

• You may apply in as many categories as you like, but may only submit a maximum of 3 entries in any one category
• For submissions in Television Series, Mini-Series/Telemovie & Children’s Television you must upload one entire episode that you feel best reflects your work. If you are not the main composer of the episode, please list any additional composers
• For submissions in Best Original Song composed for the Screen, you must upload a cut of the film showing where the song is featured, or the entire film/program with a note where the song is featured.

For the full rules & guidelines please click here.

Any queries email [email protected] or call (02) 9935 7900.

The Screen Music Awards cover thirteen award categories.

The following awards are given based on APRA AMCOS's statistical analysis:

• Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia
• Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas

The following awards are judged by panels of leading screen composers from across Australia:

• Best Music for a Documentary
• Best Music for a Short Film
• Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
• Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
• Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
• Best Television Theme
• Best Music for Children’s Programming
• Best Music for an Advertisement
• Feature Film Score of the Year
• Best Soundtrack Album

A special Award is given at the discretion of the APRA Board of Directors

• Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award

A. THE AWARDS

1. Thirteen Awards are conferred.

• Best Music for an Advertisement
• Best Music for a Documentary
• Best Music for a Short Film
• Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
• Best Soundtrack Album
• Best Music for Children's Programming
• Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
• Best Television Theme
• Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
• Feature Film Score of the Year
• Most Performed Screen Composer - Australia
• Most Performed Screen Composer - Overseas

A special Award is given at the discretion of the APRA Board of Directors

• Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award

2. The Award is in the form of a trophy suitably inscribed.

B. ELIGIBILITY

• The work must have been written by an Australian Citizen or Resident composer.
• The work must be an original score.
• The work must have at least a 50% composer interest by an APRA Composer Member
• The work must have been for a production which has received its first public screening, broadcast or release in the relevant 12 month period (1st July - 30th June in any given year) for which the award is made (excluding Feature Film Score of the Year).
• The eligibility period for Feature Film Score of the Year, requires that the production must have received its first public screening, broadcast or commercial release in the relevant 15 month period (1st July - 30th September) for which the award is made.
  Note: If a viewing copy of an eligible film is not available for submission due to restrictions placed upon it's non-commercial release, then it may be entered in the Feature Film category the following year - please contact us in this instance.
• Mini-Series or Telemovie entries shall be limited to a production that tells one single story in a limited number of episodes, usually fewer than a whole season (whole season - 10+ episodes). TV Series or Serial entries will refer to a connected set of program episodes (whole season) that runs under the same title, possibly spanning many seasons.
• In the case of any tv series, mini series or documentaries with more than one episode, composers are to choose one episode only for submission into any one category.
• A Television Theme is a piece of music that is played at the beginning of each episode in a Television or Mini Series.
• An entire work can only be entered into one category, such as Short Film OR Documentary, not both. However, portions of the same work can be entered, e.g. Feature Film Score of the Year & Best Original Song Composed for the Screen, or Television Series & Television Theme.
• All Short Films submitted should be limited to 45 minutes duration.
• All Advertisements submitted should be limited to 3 minutes duration.
• Original Song Composed for the Screen must be an original song written for that purpose, not a previously released song featured in a program or film. The category for Original Song does not include advertisements, jingles, promos or station IDs.
• All feature length submissions for Documentary must be submitted in the Best Music for Documentary category. These will not be accepted in Feature Film Score of the Year.
• Categories can include both factual and fiction entries.
  
• The jury reserves the right to nominate any entry into another category if it deems that category more suitable. Not every category will necessarily be awarded if, for example, there is no suitable entry in a category.

C. NOMINATIONS PROCEDURE

• Nominations can be entered by the composer, their employer, the production company or a third party i.e. Director or Publisher.
• There is a maximum of three entries permitted in any one category. However, any individual composer can only receive a maximum of two nominations in any one category.
• Nominations within the categories of Most Performed Screen Composer - Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer- Overseas are determined by performance activity only.
• Nominations in the visual categories must be submitted as an mp4 or mov file and accompanied by a detailed cue sheet. Exceptions to this ruling are for the Soundtrack Album, Short Film, Television Theme, Original Song and Advertisement categories, where it is not necessary to provide music cue sheets.

D. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

• Nominations will be assessed based on their compositional craft, creativity, originality and excellence.
• Nominations within the categories of Most Performed Screen Composer - Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer- Overseas will be assessed based on performance activity as reflected by earnings, according to APRA's records.

E. DECISION MAKING PROCEDURES

• Awards will be decided by judging panels from nominations submitted
• A judging panel may not include any member who is a subject of a nomination. Should such a situation arise, either the nomination must be withdrawn or the member must be replaced.
• There will be five (5) to eight (8) judges per category. Judges will receive material to review individually before making final decisions via a conference call.
• Each judging panel will be overseen by an external Chairperson.
• Decisions reached by the judging panels are final and no discussion regarding the result shall be entered into once the process is complete. If the panel is unable to reach a final decision the chairperson will have the casting vote.
• Judging panels may reserve the right not to make an award in a category where there is not an outstanding achievement.
• Judging panels may reserve the right to alter the category for which a nomination has been received, if another category is deemed more appropriate.
• For the categories of Most Performed Screen Composer - Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer- Overseas no judging panel is required as APRA collates the composers' performance activity to determine the final nominees. The APRA board has final endorsement.
• The Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award encompasses outstanding contribution to the Film and Television industry, including, but not limited to producers/directors, philanthropists, educators, music supervisors and event producers that provide promotion, opportunities and education for Australian Composers

F. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

All entrants are required to provide the following items for possible adaptation by the Music Director on the night;

a) An MP3 or M4A recording of the main theme (s)

b) Any material that can be used for orchestration - lead sheets, MIDI files, manuscripts etc.

Please note our arrangers and orchestrators will adapt your music scores to suit our orchestral line up.

The entrant shall (or shall cause the copyright owner of the entry if different from the entrant) to permit APRA AMCOS and any person APRA AMCOS authorises to perform the entry in and as part of any APRA AMCOS award ceremony and to record it for those purposes and for the purposes of communication to the public or promotional use.

The entrant agrees to allow APRA AMCOS to use audio and video from the APRA & AGSC Screen Music Awards for promotional purposes.