APRA AMCOS is bringing back its Professional Development Awards – a funding and support initiative which has helped 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 offers 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)
The winners will receive the cash boost plus a microphone and headphone package courtesy of PDA sponsor Audio Technica.
In addition, the winner of the Film and Television category will also win a scholarship to the ASCAP Film and Television workshop in LA.
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 midnight on Tuesday 25th August.
For more information on how to apply, Terms and Conditions, categories, prize packs and Partner Organisations, visit apraamcos.com.au/pda
APRA AMCOS is also proud to announce The Smugglers of Light initiative, which will form part of the 2015 PDAs.
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/sol.Music Business Worldwide
