Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition

With thanks to Alberts, Sony Music Publishing, Aon and APRA AMCOS, a combined AUD$80,000 in cash is awarded to the prize winners.

1st
AUD$50,000 cash prize courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and Sony Music Publishing

2nd
AUD$10,000 courtesy of Banki Haddock Fiora

3rd
AUD$5,000 courtesy of Aon

Runners-up
10 runner-up prizes of AUD$1,000 each

The AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize
AUD$5,000 courtesy Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited (AMPAL)

Honourable Mention
10x AUD$1,000 runners-up prizes, courtesy of an anonymous donor

This is a global competition open to all songwriters – published or unpublished. All dollar amounts are in Australian dollars. Read the full terms and conditions.

Proudly sponsored by:

Alberts

Founded in 1885, Alberts is an independent Australian company which has been managed by the Albert family for five generations. Its history has intertwined with the evolution of Australia’s media and popular culture from its early days of sheet music and music publishing through to commercial radio and television and helping establish and develop Australia’s music industry.

Alberts has been a longstanding supporter of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia through its mission to transform lives through the provision of music therapy. Alberts collaborated with APRA AMCOS in 2009 to establish the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, named after the iconic songwriters Harry Vanda and the late George Young, to support and raise the profile of the non-profit organisation, Nordoff-Robbins Australia, and the work it does to change the lives of many.

Banki Haddock Fiora

Banki Haddock Fiora is a progressive commercial law firm providing boutique intellectual property, technology, media and other legal services. All our partners are specialists in their fields. The firm and its partners are listed in the highly respected global surveys, Managing Intellectual Property, Chambers, The Legal 500 and World Trade Mark Review. Half of our partners were named by The Australian Financial Review in its Best Lawyers Australia list.

Sony Music Publishing

Sony Music Publishing celebrates the power of songwriting to connect cultures and bring people together. Our company ethos is to put songwriters at the forefront, honouring their vision, artistry and goals. We lift up our songwriters by supporting their careers, amplifying opportunities, fostering collaboration and defending their rights.

Sony Music Publishing is the world’s No. 1 music publishing company headquartered in New York with a network of 38 offices across the globe. With its songwriter-first mission, Sony Music Publishing provides best-in-class services on a global scale to all of its songwriters.

In addition to Vanda & Young, Sony Music Publishing is home to Australia and the world’s greatest classic and contemporary songwriters, including AC/DC, The Beatles, Queen, Tame Impala, Motown, Carole King, Midnight Oil, Thelma Plum, Sarah Blasko, Ed Sheeran, Paul Kelly, Leonard Cohen, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Sarah Aarons, Rihanna, Angus and Julia Stone, AB Original, 5SOS, The Avalanches, Don Walker, Alex Hope, Empire of the Sun (Luke Steele), Hilltop Hoods, Gurrumul, May-A and Miiesha to name a few.

AMPAL

The Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited (AMPAL) works on behalf of its members to promote a better understanding of the value of music, both culturally and economically. AMPAL has more than 50 music publisher members in Australia and New Zealand who invest in songwriters across all genres of music. They nurture talent, promote the works of their writers and find avenues for their work to be heard. They are a vital part of an industry that contributes to the cultural and economic future of Australia and New Zealand. AMPAL members represent over 90% of the economic value of the music publishing sector.

Aon

Aon brings together its depth of risk and people solutions to enhance business outcomes. They understand the requirements of all sectors of Australian business from large corporates, consultants and associations to micro, small & medium businesses, government and private individuals. Aon clients have access to an unparalleled range and depth of resources. Their global network means we can access the right expertise, delivered locally.

Jaxsta

Jaxsta’s mission is to be the go-to platform for the ‘who, what, when and where’ of music creation. We only source data from official music channels – be it a record label, publisher, rights organization or industry association. When you search Jaxsta you only get music information you can trust.

It’s easy to enter via the online entry portal; all you need is:

• Your song/s in MP3 format
• A digital photo of yourself (Max. 5MB)
• Your biography (Max 300 words)
• A scanned letter of authority from your parent or guardian if you are under 18

This is a global competition open to all songwriters – published or unpublished.

Entry fee is AUD$50 per song. All proceeds go directly towards the work of Noro Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA), which uses music therapy to help people cope with the struggles of living with a wide range of needs. These include children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, autism, trauma, illness, dementia, behaviour disorders and learning difficulties.

Since 2009, over one million dollars has already been raised for Noro Music Therapy through the competition.

In 2009, Alberts collaborated with APRA AMCOS to establish an international songwriters competition, acknowledging great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins.

Alberts is an independent music company which has been managed by the Albert family for five generations. Its history has intertwined with the evolution of Australia’s media and popular culture from its early days of sheet music and music publishing through to commercial radio and television and helping establish and build Australia’s music industry.

Alberts has been a longstanding supporter of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia through its mission to transform lives through the provision of music therapy.

The competition was fittingly named after iconic writers Harry Vanda and the late George Young who have written a string of hits since the 60’s performed by both local and international artists. Worldwide their songs have been replicated by the likes of Grace Jones to Tom Jones, David Bowie and Meatloaf.

Read more about the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.

Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia

All proceeds raised by the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition go to not-for-profit organisation Noro Music Therapy Australia.

Research shows that listening to and playing music can dramatically improve the lives of children and adults affected by a range of physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional and social difficulties.

Music can change moods, refocus attention, elicit emotions, express feelings, improve speech and motor skills, as well as promote social interaction.

With thanks to Alberts, Sony Music Publishing and APRA AMCOS, the 2021 winning songwriter, Genesis Owusu took home a cash prize of A$50,000 and joined the eminent company of past winners:

• Megan Washington (2009)
• Kimbra (2011)
• The Preatures (2013)
• Husky Gawenda (2014)
• Gretta Ray (2016)
• Amy Shark (2018)
• Matt Corby & Dann Hume (2019)
• Thelma Plum (2020)
• Genesis Owusu (2021)

View past winners