The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is nearing to a close, and this is the last chance to submit songs for your chance at a $50,000 grand prize.
For over a decade, the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition has been helping talented songwriters from around the globe forge their path in the world of music with the help of massive cash prizes, and this year’s edition of the competition is mere days away from ending on Monday the 8th of November.
Calling on people from all walks of life, no matter the location, language, background, or age, this annual competition is about seeing songs for what they’re worth, and bringing forth the talents that created them, while shooting them towards their destiny as a musician. Named after iconic duo of Harry Vanda and George Young (founding members of The Easybeats, producers for AC/DC and ARIA Hall of Famers) the competition is a celebration and show of support for songwriting talent.
By offering the biggest cash prize of any songwriting competition, this gives the first prize winner a massive leg-up when it comes to entering the music scene, as they can use the grant to buy music equipment, book in recording sessions, or anything that might bring them closer to putting their music out into the world.
Watch Jaxsta interview former winner Gretta Ray
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The runner-up prizes aren’t too shabby, either, with second prize grabbing $10,000, third receiving $5,000, and each of the ten runner-ups getting $1,000 each, as well as an additional AMPAL Emerging Songwriter Prize of $5,000 provided by Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited. That means, the prizes total to a brilliant $80,000 in total.
Past first-place winners of the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition include New Zealand pop artist Kimbra, Sydney rockers The Preatures, Melbourne indie-folk outfit Husky, and other export favourites like Amy Shark, Matt Corby & Dann Hume, and Thelma Plum, the stardom to gain from this competition truly cannot be understated.
Jaxsta recently spoke with a few of the past first-place, second-place, and third-place winners to get their story behind the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, and what the prizes did for their career, and as all three of them mentioned, it was a huge jumpstart for them in the music world.
Watch Jaxsta interview former runner up Joel Quarterman from Eskimo Joe
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2016 winner Gretta Ray, mused about her entrance to stardom which came to her during the middle of her year 12 examination, and how much winning the $50,000 prize meant to her and her music career: “The security that the prize gave me was that I could really take the time to work out what I wanted to do next, and how I wanted to present my artist project, which was so important to me.
“It meant that – though there was quite a bit of interest surrounding the project – I didn’t necessarily have to sign with the first label that was offered to me. […] I actually got to think about, ‘okay, what’s going to suit my artist project, and who’s going to be the best team for me.”
As for 2009 runner-up Joel Quarterman from alt-rock outfit Eskimo Joe, his experience with the songwriting competition was a bit emotional, especially when it came to choosing the lyrics for the song they submitted, ‘Foreign Land’: “It came from some news that we learned of in a shared experience when the band was in New York.
Watch Jaxsta interview former runner up Tia P
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“News had just broken that Heath Ledger had just passed away, and he was also in New York. […] That really knocked us for six. He was such a talented, important actor that was from our home town, and was in the same town [with us at the time], and we had just learned he passed away.”
2016 runner-up Tia P., her experience with the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition came with a bit more than just the 2nd prize title, as she was the first international artist to win a cash prize. Her song ‘4 Seats From Beyonce’ told the story of her journey as an artist: “We want to start at the bleachers, okay? The nose bleeds. And then run it down to the second tier, okay? Then, you get your floor seats, and then you’re on stage with her!
“[It’s] just a metaphor of the journey that we all take in this thing called the music industry. You struggle, you grind, you grind, you grind, to get to that pinnacle place that you want to get to,” which winning second prize definitely helped Tia P. reach.
Watch Jaxsta interview CXLOE
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Pop singer-songwriter CXLOE’s journey didn’t quite reach the top prizes, but her shortlisted song in 2019 titled ‘Show You’ has still racked up some massive fame with over 10 million streams, and counting, on Spotify. With that, it shows that even if you don’t wind the grand prizes, the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition helps in many more ways than just monetary, and can put your music in the spotlight.
Needless to say, the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is one that brings out the cream of the songwriting crop, with some of the finest names sharing their soon-to-be iconic efforts. Who knows, maybe you’re sitting on top of the next chart-topping single, the next triple j Hottest 100 winner, or maybe just a local anthem. Either way, you won’t know its potential until you enter the comp, so now’s your chance!
