2019 APRA Music Awards nominations announced

The nominations have been announced for the 2019 APRA Music Awards, the annual event that celebrates excellence in contemporary music and honours songwriters and music publishers that have achieved outstanding success in their fields.

In a category that is 100% determined by APRA songwriter and publisher members, the final five contenders for the prestigious Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year can now be revealed.

Joel Ma (Joelistics) (Mushroom Music) and first-time nominees Mojo Juju and Rita Seumanutafa are nominated for Native Tongue, performed by Mojo Juju. Another songwriter receiving her first nomination is Angie McMahon (Kobalt Music Publishing), who secured peer support for her song Slow Mover. McMahon just took out the prestigious SXSW Grulke Prize for developing artists at the annual US music conference. Receiving back-to-back nods in the Song of the Year category is Ainslie Wills (Sony/ATV Music Publishing), who with co-writers Bram Inscore (Kobalt Music Publishing) and MoZella (Sony/ATV Music Publishing), has been nominated for Society, a track written at SongHubs The Tower in 2017. Last year’s Song of the Year recipient and songwriting luminary Paul Kelly (Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is nominated for With the One I Love, the first single from his recent LP, Nature. And appearing for the third consecutive year in the Song of the Year category is Amy Shark (Mushroom Music obo UNIFIED Music Publishing), this time with I Said Hi, a punchy, melodic anthem which was the lead track from Shark’s debut chart-topping album Love Monster.

Leading all contenders is last year’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, Sarah Aarons (Sony/ATV Music Publishing Allegro), with four nominations. Aarons continues to consolidate her reputation as a global hit-maker, thanks to high-profile collaborations with Peking Duk, The Rubens and co-writing credits on the Zedd worldwide smash Stay, and the Grammy-nominated The Middle. Amy Shark and 2019 Young Australian of the Year Danzal Baker, professionally known as Baker Boy, have three nominations a-piece.

Featuring a dynamic group of emerging songwriters that are having huge success both here and abroad are the five nominees for the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. They are hip-hop standout Danzal Baker (Baker Boy), global sensation Dean Lewis (Kobalt Music Publishing obo Specific Music), multi-talented drummer-singer-songwriter Georgia Flipo (G Flip) (Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic), Holly Rankin (Mushroom Music), who writes and performs as the psych-pop solo artist Jack River, and Tash Sultana (Kobalt Music Publishing obo Tash Sultana), an explosive live artist who has commanded global attention and continues to sell out major arenas around the world. The winner will be determined by the APRA Board of Directors.

The 2019 APRA Music Awards will be presented on Tuesday 30 April at Melbourne Town Hall.

For the full list of nominations, see: http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2019/march/sarah-aarons-leads-an-all-star-line-up-of-songwriters-in-2019-apra-music-awards-noms/.

Congratulations to all nominees!

New Sounds Australia subsidy for AMPAL Members to register for MIDEM

Sounds Australia and AMPAL are pleased to announce a new subsidy for AMPAL members registering for MIDEM 2019 to assist with the costs for publishers to attend the event.

Sounds Australia will provide a total subsidy pool of AUD$5,000, to be split equally amongst AMPAL member companies who register for and attend MIDEM. The payments will be made to AMPAL members at the conclusion of the conference.

MIDEM is a leading music industry conference and event held annually in Cannes, France. The 2019 event will be held from 4 - 7 June.

For more information and to apply, please contact AMPAL at info@ampal.com.au.

For information on MIDEM 2019, see https://www.midem.com/.

For information on Sounds Australia, see http://www.soundsaustralia.com.au/.

2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition now open

The 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is now open for entries. Songwriters from around the world are invited to enter the competition.

The first-place cash prize of A$50,000 is the biggest of any songwriting comeptition in the world, and is courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and BMG.

AMPAL is proud to once again sponsor the second place price of A$10,000, with third place receiving A$5,000.   

And back again is the 'Unpublished' category, which comes with A$5,000 cash for the winner .

APRA Music Award winner Amy Shark won the 2018 first place prize with her song Adore, the breakthrough single that propelled her to a debut #1 ARIA album with Love Monster, sold-out arena tours and international TV performances. "Adore connected with fans in a magical way and opened so many doors for me. Winning the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition was an incredible honour and helped me fund the next phase of my career," said Amy.   

Last year's competition brought in an all-time high 4,056 entries from 3,296 songwriters in 30 countries. And in the decade since the first Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition was won by Megan Washington, songwriters have helped raise over A$1 million to help fund the important work of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA). 

100% of the $50 per song entry fee goes to supporting NRMTA's programs, which use music therapy to help children and adults cope with the struggles of living with a wide range of needs due to physical and intellectual disabilities, autism, trauma, illness, dementia, behaviour disorders and learning difficulties. 

A judging panel of 64 influential artists, producers, media and music industry professionals have come on board, including award-winning songwriter Lior, previous Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition first-place winner Isabella Manfredi of The Preatures, triple j Unearthed's Dave Ruby Howe, and producer Franc Tetaz. 

Founding partner, David Albert, Chief Executive of Alberts said: "Alberts is proud to be once again presenting the 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition in conjunction with partners APRA AMCOS and BMG. Now in its 10th year, this wonderful initiative continues to support the vital services provided by Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia while recognising the legacy of Harry Vanda and the late George Young." 

Matthew O'Sullivan, General Manager of AMPAL said: “AMPAL is extremely proud to again support the 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition to recognise ad celebrate exceptional songwriting, while also contributing to the vital work of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.”

Entries close 12 April 2019, with the winners announced in July.

For more information and entry details, go to: http://apraamcos.com.au/vandayoungsongcomp/ 

Enrol today for free copyright history course from CISAC and FutureLearn, starting March 18th

Discover more about creative and cultural industries over the centuries in “Exploring Copyright”, the free online course from CISAC and FutureLearn. Learners from over 160 countries have participated on the journey from Gutenberg to the digital era.

“Exploring Copyright” is a four-week online course examining how creators and authors earned their protections to receive remuneration for their works. It also examines how authors’ rights contributed to economic growth and international trade. You will also learn how changing technologies have influenced authors and efforts in receiving remuneration over the course of history. 

The course, commissioned by CISAC, is led by professor, copyright lawyer and former UBC Executive Director Marisa Gandelman.  

Whether you are a creative professional, author or just curious about culture, the MOOC is made for you. Enrolment for this version of the CISAC and FutureLearn course is now open in English.

The course begins March 18th, 2019. Use #FLexplorecopyright to engage with learners from throughout the world.

For more information and to enrol, visit http://www.cisac.org/Newsroom/Articles/Enroll-today-for-free-copyright-history-course-from-CISAC-and-FutureLearn-starting-March-18th?fbclid=IwAR2LAWLI6f2jHt4dMTuSJi-lhdqoPS_SjauHFgg0KvqYNqUs5jnDnWXD7uU.

APRA Song of the Year shortlist revealed

The shortlisted challengers for the title of Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year have been announced. Dean Lewis, Courtney Barnett, A.B. Original’s Adam Briggs and Daniel Rankine, Amy Shark, Sarah Aarons - who is also nominated for the Grammy Song of the Year for her shortlisted work The Middle - and Young Australian of the Year Danzal Baker (Baker Boy) are among the songwriters shortlisted for the coveted APRA Song of the Year. This award is 100% determined by APRA songwriter and publisher members, and is the biggest peer-voted music award in Australia.

The list of contenders also features songs by fresh faces including Mojo Juju, Kaiit, The Teskey Brothers and Ziggy Alberts, who appear on the list alongside experimental jazz legends The Necks plus Suze DeMarchi and Dave Leslie of Baby Animals, The Living End, John Butler and 2018 APRA Song of the Year co-winner Paul Kelly.

The final five nominees will be revealed in March and the winner announced at the 2019 APRA Music Awards when they return to Melbourne on Tuesday 30 April. The 2019 awards will be the first to be staged under new APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston.

For the full shortlist, see: http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2019/february/peer-voted-apra-song-of-the-year-shortlist-revealed/.

Congratulations to all writers and publishers!

AMPAL 2018 AGM and Board Elections Results

The Australasian Music Publishers’ Association (AMPAL) has held its Annual General Meeting on 21 November. 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.  Amongst the key issues raised, Mr O’Sullivan welcomed AMPAL’s engagement with the current Parliamentary inquiry into the Australian music industry.

Also at the AGM, Bob Aird (Universal Music Publishing Group), Matthew Donlevy (Frankdon Music Pty Ltd), Jane English (Music Sales), Simon Moor (Kobalt Music Group), and Philip Walker (Origin Music Group) were declared as re-elected to the AMPAL Board.

Nominations had also been received from Bernard Depasquale (Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB)), Karen Hamilton (120 Publishing), Rachel Kelly (Downtown Music Publishing), Jess Ossington (Audio Network), and Gary Seeger (peermusic).

Matthew Capper (Warner/Chappell Music Australia) was returned as Chair, and Clive Hodson (Perfect Pitch Publishing) as Deputy Chair of the Board.

Mr Capper and Mr O’Sullivan 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 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/.

2018 National Songwriting Competition Winners

The winners of the 2018 Australian Children’s Music Foundation National Songwriting Competition have been announced. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists, and thank you to all of the fantastic entrants in the competition. Since its inception, over 30,000 songs have been written for the Competition!

To view the list of winners and listen to the songs, see: http://acmf.com.au/nsc-2018-winners/.

AMPAL is proud to support the work of the ACMF.

2018 Screen Music Award Winners Announced

Australian screen music and film luminaries have gathered for the annual Screen Music Awards to celebrate the composers that made an impact in the previous year. The event, staged jointly by APRA AMCOS and the AGSC (Australian Guild of Screen Composers) was held at the City Recital Hall in Sydney and paid tribute to screen composers across 12 categories who impressed an independent panel of judges with their work across TV, online, film and advertising. 
 
Screen composer Caitlin Yeo has taken out the Feature Film Score of the Year for her original score for The Butterfly Tree, a movie about an ex-burlesque queen (Evelyn) who puts a curse on single dad Al and his son Fin. The film’s soundtrack has earned Yeo a second Screen Music Award for 2018, in the category of Best Soundtrack Album. She has previously won Feature Film Score of the Year for The Rocket in 2013. It was a special evening for Yeo, who also attended in her capacity as President of the AGSC. 
 
Matteo Zingales has also received two Screen Music Awards - the first for Harrow, in the category of Best Television Theme. The second is for his collaboration with fellow screen composer Antony Partos. Together they have scored the award for Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie for the acclaimed ABC television series Mystery Road.
 
Celebrated film and television screen composer Nerida Tyson-Chew has won a gong in the category of Best Music for Children’s Television for her work on children’s animated television series The Deep (for the episode The Missing). Father and son composers Cezary and Jan Skubiszewski, who teamed up to create the driving music for the Picnic at Hanging Rock reboot (and published by BMG Rights Management obo Fremantle Media), have taken out the award for Best Music for a Television Series or Serial. This is the second time the duo has won an award in this category, winning in 2014 for Serangoon Road.
 
Tonight’s festivities introduced a new guard of composers with four first-time winners. The Best Music for a Documentary honour has gone to Perth-based musician and composer Sean Tinnion, who dazzled judges with his score for the ABC’s A Stargazer’s Guide to the Cosmos, delivering him his first win. Also scoring his first Screen Music Award win is Adrian Sergovich, whose formidable score for Screen Australia’s Lost and Found has generated praise around the globe. It has now landed him the award for Best Music for a Short Film.
 
First-time nominee Oscar Joe Gross (published by ABC Music Publishing) became a first-time winner with Now I Know from ABC drama Pulse, receiving the award for Best Original Song Composed for the Screen. Fellow debut nominee also collecting his first Screen Awards trophy is composer Jackson Milas, who has won the award for Best Music for an Advertisement for his music for the catchy Forty Winks campaign.
 
Long-time collaborators Dinesh Wicks and Adam Gock were named Most Performed Screen Composers – Australia; while 13 was certainly not an unlucky number for composer Neil Sutherland who is the Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas for the 11th consecutive year, taking his overall tally of Screen Music Awards to 13. The world over hears Neil’s signature work in the long-running MythBusters series.
 
Producer and Director Robert Connolly, this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Services to Australian Screen Award, was presented with his honour by composer Nigel Westlake who composed the original score for Paper Planes. “You would be hard pressed to find another individual who has given voice to the artistry of so many Australian composers, a man who has nurtured our community and provided the resources for our local talent to shine and realise their craft so thoroughly and with absolute integrity. The opportunity to work with Rob on Paper Planes was a highlight of my career. He is a filmmaker of the utmost integrity, a storyteller of immense facility, and has always believed in the power of cinema as a force for good,” said Westlake.
 
Westlake was joined by co-composer Lior (with special guest Jonathan Zwartz on double bass) to perform Ma Wadani Ahadun (Until the End of Time) from Ali's Wedding. Performing a musical tribute to Connolly was Jared Underwood (drums), Musical Director Jessica Wells on piano, Damian de Boos-Smith (guitar), Julian Langdon (keyboard) and Jonathan Zwartz for their rendition of The Boys II and Fife & Drum composed by The Necks from Connolly’s landmark film The Boys.
 
Singer/songwriter Ajak Kwai closed proceedings with Majokdit and Tita from the SBS television series Sunshine. And Musical Director Wells led an orchestra that provided beautiful renditions of the nominated Feature Film Score of the Year works throughout the ceremony. 
 
The Awards were hosted by dynamo Denise Scott, who was joined by presenters Gillian Armstrong, Marcus Graham, The Hon. Don Harwin MLC, Minister for Resources, Energy & Utilities and the Arts, Lynette Curran, Clayton Jacobson, and Kim Gyngell. 

Congratulations to all nominees and winners!

WINNERS 2018 SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS
 
Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award*
 
Robert Connolly
 
Feature Film Score of the Year
 
Title                             The Butterfly Tree
Composed by              Caitlin Yeo
 
Best Television Theme
 
Title                            Harrow
Composed by            Matteo Zingales
Published by              Sonar Music
 
Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
 
Title                           Picnic at Hanging Rock 
Composed by           Cezary Skubiszewski and Jan Skubiszewski

Published by BMG Rights Management obo Fremantle Media
 
 
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
 
Title                             Mystery Road
Composed by             Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales 
Published by               Sonar Music 
 
Best Music for a Documentary
 
Title                              A Stargazer's Guide to the Cosmos
Composed by              Sean Tinnion

Best Music for a Short Film
 
Title                             Lost and Found
Composed by             Adrian Sergovich
 
Best Soundtrack Album
 
Title                             The Butterfly Tree
Composed by             Caitlin Yeo
 
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
 
Title                             Now I Know from Pulse
Composed by             Oscar Joe Gross
Published by               ABC Music Publishing
 
Best Music for Children’s Television
 
Title                             The Deep: The Missing
Composed by             Nerida Tyson-Chew
 
Best Music for an Advertisement
 
Title                             Forty Winks
Composed by             Jackson Milas
Published by               Sonar Music
 
Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia**
 
Composers: Dinesh Wicks and Adam Gock
 
Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas**
 
Composer: Neil Sutherland
  
*Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award (as determined by APRA Board of Directors)
 **Determined by statistical analysis

More information: http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2018/november/2018-screen-music-awards-winners-announced/

2018 APRA Silver Scroll Winners Announced

Marlon Williams (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) has won the 2018 APRA Silver Scroll Award for his poignant ballad Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore (feat. Aldous Harding).

Williams is a second time finalist and was thrilled to win his first scroll for a song that has such a personal story.

Williams star has been on the rise for many years, having first garnered attention in Christchurch alt-folk band The Unfaithful Ways, before partnering with first Delaney Davidson and then Tami Neilson (both former Silver Scroll nominees, also published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) on two collaborative records.

He released his first solo album in 2016 to much acclaim (including a Silver Scroll finalist spot for his song Dark Child), and significant international attention, before cementing his name as one of New Zealand’s most charismatic singers and songwriters with his second solo album Make Way For Love released earlier this year.

The Silver Scroll Award is the metaphorical cherry on top. It acknowledges excellence in songwriting and has been given to some of the most recognisable names and songs in New Zealand music during its 53 year history, from the Swingers’ ‘Counting The Beat’ and Bic Runga’s ‘Drive’ to Scribe and P Money’s ‘Not Many’.

Critically acclaimed musician and songwriter Bic Runga was the musical director of tonight’s ceremony, which saw a host of other Kiwi songwriters collect awards.

Esteemed songwriter Ria Hall, along with co-writers Tiki Taane and Te Ori Paki took the APRA Maioha Award, recognising exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori, for their rich and heartfelt ballad Te Ahi Kai Pō. The song raises awareness of inter-generational cultural disenfranchisement and draws on Ria’s own family history.

Wellington composer Michael Norris won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for the second time (his previous win was in 2014 for Inner Phases), with his composition Sygyt for throat singer, chamber ensemble, and live electronics. Sygyt was commissioned by contemporary ensemble Stroma to explore the interesting textures and harmonics of throat singing.

Conrad Wedde, Lukasz Buda, and Samuel Scott (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing), who are best known for their work in The Phoenix Foundation, received the APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award for their nuanced and beautiful soundtrack for Australian TV series Cleverman, a futuristic drama with roots in Aboriginal mythology.

Local luminary David Long (The Muttonbirds, Teeth, published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) won the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award for his dramatic score for McLaren - the acclaimed documentary about NZ racing driver Bruce McLaren.

Rounding off the evening was the induction of Jenny Morris into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, with a wonderful tribute to the trailblazing rock n roll icon from long-time fan Jacinda Ardern, and a performance of Break In The Weather by Ladyhawke.

AMPAL congratulates all nominees and winners including AMPAL member Native Tongue Music Publishing.

Jaime Gough, Managing Director of Native Tongue Music publishing, said: “Congratulations to Marlon, Lukasz, Samuel, Conrad and David for their Silver Scroll awards. Native Tongue would also like to congratulate Silver Scroll finalists Tami Neilson, Troy Kingi, Steve Rusch and Julia Deans. We are privileged to work with such a great roster of New Zealand talent and are proud to be part of their teams".

The winner of all awards were:

APRA Silver Scroll: Marlon Williams – Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore (feat. Aldous Harding) (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)

APRA Maioha Award: Ria Hall, Tiki Taane, Te Ori Paki – Te Ahi Kai Pō

SOUNZ Contemporary Award: Michael Norris – Sygyt

APRA Best Original Music in a Series: Conrad Wedde, Lukasz Buda, Samuel Scott – Cleverman (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)

APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film: David Long – McLaren (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)

Hall of Fame: Jenny Morris

The event was hosted by Anika Moa, and broadcast across Radio NZ’s airwaves, as well as their Facebook page and website.

AMPAL Board presents the AMPAL Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music Publishing to Brett Cottle AM

At a recent presentation ceremony hosted by the AMPAL Board of Directors, the Chair of AMPAL, Matthew Capper (Warner/Chappell Music Australia), Deputy Chair, Clive Hodson (Perfect Pitch Publishing) and General Manager, Matthew O'Sullivan, presented the AMPAL Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music Publishing to Brett Cottle AM. The award recognises the immense contribution made by Mr Cottle to the Australian and New Zealand music publishing sector, and his work on behalf of songwriters and composers over many years.

Mr Cottle recently stepped down as CEO of APRA AMCOS after leading APRA since 1990 and APRA AMCOS since 1997. Mr Capper remarked that, "The music publishing industry was incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and fair-minded leader at APRA AMCOS for so many years. Brett steered the organisation into becoming the world-beating society that it is today, and his extraordinary legacy continues to be the benchmark in effective rights management". Mr O'Sullivan commented at the ceremony, "Brett has left an indelible mark on the Australasian music industry, and his vision and leadership of APRA AMCOS is respected internationally. AMPAL is extremely grateful for Brett's dedication and tremendous work on behalf of Australian and New Zealand music publishers, and their songwriter and composer partners".

It is only the second time that the AMPAL Board has presented the Award, following the presentation in 2016 to founding AMPAL member J. Albert & Son Pty Ltd (Alberts).

Music does the talking at NSW Parliament House event

The second NSW Parliamentary Friends of Australian Music (PFOAM) event rocked Macquarie Street last night, with a delegation of New South Wales songwriters, musicians, recording artists and key industry leaders highlighting the contribution the contemporary music industry makes to our economy, our community and our culture.

With over 100 Members, Ministers, Senators and Parliament House staff in attendance, Icehouse, William Barton, Leah Flanagan, William Crighton and KLP took to the stage to perform a few songs and discuss issues key to the contemporary music industry, including the importance of a strong live touring circuit, and support for music in a wide range of venues; music export opportunities; Australian content on radio and streaming services; music education; and the value of copyright.

The evening also saw up-and-coming Sydney band Spruced Moose introduced as the winner of this year’s AHA NSW Rockin’ The Puburbs competition, supported by APRA AMCOS, Music NSW and Young Henry’s. The competition, now in its second year, was initiated to support live music throughout NSW, and to create opportunities for the next generation of NSW musicians.

For more information, see: http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2018/september/music-does-the-talking-at-nsw-parliament-house-event/

ICMP appoints John Phelan as its Director General

The International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) has announced the appointment of John Phelan to the position of Director General of the organisation, effective as of 1 October. He succeeds Coco Carmona.

The news was made public during ICMP’s Central and Eastern European Music Publishers’ Congress in Bucharest, Romania.

An Irish national, Phelan brings a background encompassing law, Conservatoire training in music and several years as a professional musician to the Confederation. He also worked extensively in EU digital policy, including IP regulation, before spending the past three years at trade body IFPI, representing the recorded music sector.

In his new role, Phelan reports directly to ICMP’s Board of Directors.

Chris Butler, Chair of the ICMP Board said:

“On behalf of the ICMP Board, I would like to thank Coco for her significant contribution to the Confederation and I wish her all the very best in her future endeavours. John has impressive music industry credentials through his work at IFPI, and I have no doubt that he will play a key role in advancing the interests of music publishers across the globe.”

Commenting, John Phelan said:

“I am delighted to be given this opportunity and look forward to serving ICMP’s music publisher members worldwide. Copyright rules, market trends and the means of engagement with music are continually evolving. In the last week alone, both Europe and the US have addressed separate issues of major importance for online music. ICMP will be at the forefront of this evolution and we are keen to meet all the attendant challenges head on.”

Outgoing Director General Coco Carmona added:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Board, members and all of ICMP’s stakeholders across the world. It has been a privilege to be surrounded by such a knowledgeable group of professionals and I am proud to be leaving the Confederation in such good shape.”

Australian Children's Music Foundation 2018 National Songwriting Competition Now Open

The 2018 National Songwriting Competition is now open for entries!

Every year, every student from every school across Australia is invited to put pen to paper and enter their original song for a chance to win prize-money that can be allocated towards musical equipment and tuition, as part of the ACMF’s annual National Songwriting Competition. The National Songwriting Competition is a nationwide initiative designed to encourage creativity and self-expression through songwriting. “Songwriting is a highly creative process. We want kids to free their imagination and engage with learning in a fun way” said Don Spencer, Founder & CEO.  

AMPAL is proud to once again be sponsoring the National Songwriting Competition.  AMPAL General Manager, Matthew O'Sullivan, remarked that "AMPAL is very pleased to be able to support the work of the ACMF, encouraging the songwriters of tomorrow through the National Songwriting Competition.  We can't wait to hear the great songs that will be created."

Entries close 22 October 2018 and entry forms and other information is available at: http://acmf.com.au/national-songwriting-competition/ 

Nominations for 2018 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 AMPAL AGM is Wednesday 21 November 2018. Accordingly, nominations for the position of AMPAL Board Director must be received by the Company Secretary by no later than 5pm AEST Friday 21 September 2018.

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.

ICMP elects new Board and Bureaux

ICMP, the International Confederation of Music Publishers has held its Annual General Assembly during MIDEM in the presence of some 40 publishers and other key players from the music industry. A new Board and Bureaux for the term of 2018-2020 were elected.  

Elected to the Board of Directors were:
Nicolas Galibert (CSDEM, France), Ralph Peer II (NMPA, US), Kagenobu Kuwahata (MPAJ, Japan), Jodie Ferneyhough (CMPA, Canada), Ian James (AMPAL, Australia), Chris Butler (MPA UK), Kathleen Marsh (MPA US), Pekka Sipilä (FMPA, Finland), Götz von Einem (DMV, Germany), Paolo Franchini (FEM, Italy), Guy Henderson (Sony/ATV), Andrew Jenkins (Universal Music Publishing), Steve Clark (Warner Chappell), James Fitzherbert (IMPA), Ama Walton (BMG Rights Management), Pierre Mossiat (IMPF).
 
The Executive Bureau was appointed by the newly elected Board with unanimous approval for Chris Butler to continue serving as Chair, Nicolas Galibert and Guy Henderson as Vice Chairs, Ralph Peer II as Treasurer, and Götz von Einem as Secretary.
 
 “I would like to welcome the Board and Bureaux to the confederation,” said ICMP Chair Chris Butler.  “These two-year appointments are critical to the success and smooth running of our Confederation and I look forward to our continued collaboration over the coming year.”

Congratulations to all, including AMPAL Director and Mushroom Music Publishing MD Ian James who was re-elected to the Board representing AMPAL.

For more information see: https://www.icmp-ciem.org/news/icmp-elects-new-board-and-bureaux-1

2018 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition winners announced

The 2018 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition winners have been announced.  

Amy Shark has taken out the first prize in the 2018 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition with Adore.

Courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and BMG, Amy has received A$50,000 - the largest first prize for any songwriting competition in the world – saying,

“It’s such an honour to win the 2018 Vanda & Young Song Comp for Adore. I wrote this song in my bedroom and it's a testament to what just one piece of music can do and how important it is to keep doing what you love. I’m proud to be part of a legacy of songwriters that together have raised over $1 million dollars for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.”

Amy Shark was finally able to commit to being a full time musician when Adore soared to the prestigious #2 spot on Triple J’s 2016 Hottest 100, followed by winning two ARIA Awards (Best Pop Release and Breakthrough Artist) in 2017 and Pop Work of the Year at the 2018 APRA Music Awards.  Her debut album, Love Monster, is to be released on 13 July and Amy has just announced she will embark on the national Love Monster tour commencing in Adelaide on 24 August.

Amy also receives an additional A$5,000 Show Group travel package awarded in honour of the late Graham Fear OAM, the greatly-admired Show Group GM and long-time Nordoff-Robbins board member and supporter who passed away in December 2017.

David Le’aupepe, frontman of APRA and ARIA Award-winning rock outfit, Gang of Youths, has claimed both 2nd and 3rd prizes with Let Me Down Easy and The Heart is a Muscle respectively.  Currently on tour in the UK, Le’aupepe receives A$10,000 thanks to AMPAL and A$5,000 courtesy of media sponsor, Seventh Street Media.

On hearing of his dual win, Le’aupepe said “There’s a sense of discomfort I feel when it comes to these things, because accepting praise is not exactly my forte. I never in my wildest imagined that in a competition like this, among so many actually talented writers, that I would manage to place. Thank you to those Judges who saw beauty and value in these songs of mine/ours, for it’s a reminder to me that they may not be completely garbage after all. Thank you to the scores of writers more deserving and gifted than me for shining as bright as you do. Lastly, thank you APRA AMCOS and Vanda & Young for contributing to such a worthwhile initiative in NRMTA. Their work is well and truly the most extraordinary part of this.”

This year a new prize was added to the pool for Best ‘Unpublished’ Work and the inaugural winner is another Queenslander, Grace Shaw, aka Mallrat.  The Brisbane-based teenager with a knack for creating outrageously catchy pop tunes won for Better.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Grace Shaw said today, “I’m so honoured to be the first winner of the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition Unpublished prize. This category means a lot to me and all the unpublished writers out there entering songs, and I’m stoked that we helped raise over $1 million for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and their beautiful work.”

Applicants paid an entry fee of $50 per submission with all money raised going directly to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA). This year’s competition raised an astounding $203,000 from entries making a total of over $1million raised to date.

Named after the iconic songwriters and founding members of The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and the late George Young, the competition raises funds for NRMTA and its work with children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, autism, trauma, illness, dementia, behaviour disorders and learning difficulties.

APRA AMCOS Chief Executive, Brett Cottle, said, “Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all the songwriters who generously participated in the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. It’s a special competition for many reasons, with the tremendous support for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia very heartening. Songwriters truly make a difference.”

David Albert,  Group CEO, Alberts, added, “On behalf of Alberts, I would like to thank all the songwriters who entered and shared their work in this year’s Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. Their support has helped to push the overall amount raised to above $1 million since the competition’s inception; an incredible result and a demonstration of the commitment of the music industry to important community initiatives. It is a privilege for Alberts to partner with APRA AMCOS and BMG and we are proud to be able to continue the legacy of Harry Vanda and the late George Young.”

Amy Shark joins previous winners of this prestigious competition, Gretta Ray (2016), Husky Gawenda (2014), Isabella Manfredi (2013), Kimbra Johnson (2011) and Megan Washington (2009).

The complete winners’ details are:

1st Place – A$50,000: Adore
Amy Shark (Published by Mushroom Music Publishing)

2nd Place – A$10,000: Let Me Down Easy
David Le’aupepe of Gang of Youths (Published by Universal Music Publishing)

3rd Place – A$5,000: The Heart is a Muscle
David Le’aupepe of Gang of Youths (Published by Universal Music Publishing)

Unpublished Work – A$5,000: Better
Grace Shaw aka Mallrat (Unpublished)

Matthew O'Sullivan, General Manager of AMPAL said "Congratulations to the fantastic finalists and winners of the 2018 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, and a big thank you to all songwriters who were a part of the Competition this year.  AMPAL is very proud to support the Competition and the crucial work Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia."    

2018 APRA Music Award Winners Revealed

The 2018 APRA Music Awards have been held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney, celebrating the talented songwriters and music publishers that have achieved outstanding success in the past year. An exciting mix of established pros including Paul Kelly and Birds of Tokyo were honoured as was a new wave of songwriters such as Ben Abraham, Amy Shark, Morgan Evans and Sarah Aarons.  

Among the Award winners, Firewood and Candles, co-written by Australian national songwriting treasure Paul Kelly (Sony/ATV Music Publishing) and Melbourne music all-rounder Billy Miller (The Ferrets) has taken out the coveted peer voted APRA Song of the Year. 

A.B. Original (Briggs and Trials) took out the 2018 Songwriter of the Year award. The powerful duo set the music world ablaze with their debut album Reclaim Australia. 

The APRA Board of Directors have named Sarah Aarons (Sony/ATV Music Publishing) the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. 

The Overseas Recognition Award has gone to Ben Abraham and Kylie Sackley - two equally deserving songwriters both having huge success internationally.

Legendary rock group Midnight Oil accepted the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, an honor that APRA confers on a group or individual who has contributed immensely to Australian music. Midnight Oil embody every attribute that the Ted Albert Award seeks to achieve.  

Finally, APRA Chair Jenny Morris delivered a moving tribute to much respected, outgoing APRA AMCOS CEO, Brett Cottle who leaves with more than 40 years’ service to APRA AMCOS, and 28 of those years as its Chief Executive.

AMPAL congratulates all its APRA Award winning members, and all Award nominated songwriters and publishers.  

For the full list of the 2018 APRA Music Award Winners, see: http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2018/april/2018-apra-music-award-winners-revealed-paul-kelly-sarah-aarons-and-ab-original-honoured-among-peers/

 

Industry works together on Australian music

Commercial radio stations in Australia are required under the Commercial Radio Code of Practice  - Australian Music  - to play a percentage of music between 6am and 12 midnight seven days a week that is performed by Australian artists. In 2017, public comments were made after the BIGSOUND Conference in September that the music industry had concerns that some commercial radio stations were not consistently meeting their Australian music quotas. These comments followed discussions in a closed session at the Conference. 

APRA AMCOS and ARIA considered the issue, and the matter was raised directly with Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) in December 2017. More recently APRA AMCOS, ARIA and CRA met and agreed to work collaboratively to determine whether non-compliance is a real problem and, if so, the extent of the problem and how it could best be addressed.

The three organisations will now work together to obtain and review relevant data. While any stations that are not compliant will be contacted and requested to address the issue, it should be noted that CRA expects that the majority of Australian commercial radio stations will be found to meet their quotas and as in the past in some cases exceed them. This process is a voluntary joint process and does not form part of Code compliance requirements.

In general, in relation to any part of the Code (including the obligations relating to Australian music), if a listener has a complaint in relation to compliance the process is that they write directly to the station concerned.  The station must then reply in writing within 30 business days. If the listener is not satisfied with the response, they may then escalate the complaint to the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA), the regulator responsible for oversight of media and communications codes of practice. The Code can be found at commercialradio.com.au.

For the full statement, see http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2018/march/industry-works-together-on-australian-music/

 

2018 APRA Awards nominations announced

Nominees for the 2018 APRA Music Awards to be held on Tuesday 10 April in Sydney have been announced.

Leading the nominations with four nods a piece are Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer M-Phazes (Universal Music Publishing), who is nominated for his songwriting collaborations with Amy Shark and Illy, and PJ Harding, (pka Thief) (Universal Music Publishing) nominated for APRA Song of the Year with co-writers Ivy Adara (Kobalt Music Publishing obo Prescription Songs) and Louis Schoorl (Kobalt Music Publishing obo I Am A Sherpa Music, Amsterdam Central Music and Seven Peaks Music) for Fallin' (performed by Jessica Mauboy) among other categories.

In the hotly contested Song of the Year category, APRA members have voted for Amy Shark (Mushroom Music obo UNIFIED Music Publishing) for the second year in a row, this time for Weekends. Paul Kelly (Sony/ATV Music Publishing) and co-writer Billy Miller are nominated for Firewood and Candles while Gang of Youths frontman David Le’aupepe’s (Universal Music Publishing) song What Can I Do If The Fire Goes Out? is also a contender. Ainslie Wills and Lawrence Folvig (Sony/ATV Music Publishing) round out the category for Running Second.

For the full list of nominees, see http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2018/march/2018-apra-music-awards-nominations-announced-with-producer-songwriters-leading-the-charge/.

AMPAL congratulates all APRA Award nominated writers and publishers!