The search for the next musical success story!!
APRA AMCOS is proud to announce the return of the Professional Development Awards, a career boosting initiative which has helped further the musical success stories of Gotye, Abbe May, screen composer Caitlin Yeo, Husky Gawenda, Georgi Kay, country songwriter and performer Morgan Evans and others.
Held every two years, the APRA Professional Development Awards aims to create serious opportunities for emerging songwriters and composers. In 2015, the awards prize pool continues to grow, offering eight individual winners more than $15,000 worth of career support.
Applications for the 2015 APRA Professional Development Awards are now open to songwriters and composers who would like to enter in the following categories:
*Popular Contemporary (three awards are given in this category including Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Hip Hop, Dance and R&B) *Country *Jazz
*Classical *Film and Television *Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)
With a cash boost of $120,000 that will be shared by eight winners along with a microphone and headphone package courtesy of PDA sponsor Audio Technica, successful applicants will be catapulted into the limelight and richly rewarded on their songwriting or composing career.
APRA AMCOS is also proud to announce The Smugglers of Light initiative, which will form part of the 2015 PDA’s. The newly created Indigenous Music and Media Award will be announced as part of the 2015 Professional Development Awards and will provide a promising Australian Indigenous music or media practitioner a grant of $12,000. The Smugglers of Light foundation has been set up in memory of Eli Westlake aged 21, who was tragically killed in Sydney on 7th June 2008. For details on how to apply go to apraamcos.com.au/pda.
The judging panel for 2015 includes Lior, Andrea Keller, James Blundell, Mark Moffatt, Josh Pyke, Jenny Morris, Kav Temperley, Jon Hume, Rai Thistlethwayte and more including international judges Gary Go (songwriter and music producer extraordinaire) and Swedish based music producer, songwriter, film composer and mixing engineer Erik Lewander.
Applications for the 2015 APRA Professional Development Awards close at 5.00pm on Tuesday 25th August.
