Ready to take the next step in your songwriting or composing career?
APRA AMCOS has announced the return of the APRA Professional Development Awards, a career boosting initiative which has helped further the musical success stories of Gotye, Morgan Evans, Caitlin Yeo, Julia Jacklin, Gordi, Ecca Vandal, Andrea Keller, Briggs, Ngaiire, Deline Briscoe and many more.
What are the PDAs?
These awards exist to provide support to emerging songwriters and composers. This year, nine individual winners will each take home $10,000 cash and a prize courtesy of Australis Music.
The Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award also returns in 2021 to provide an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander music or media practitioner with a grant of $12,000, as well as a prize from Australis Music. The award is supported and assessed by the Smugglers of Light Foundation, set up in memory of Eli Westlake.
Hip Hop/Rap/Soul/RnB is now a standalone category, acknowledging the genre’s exponential growth and influence. There is also a new Music Theatre/Stage category offering funding for workshops.
It is expected that the funds will help recipients attend workshops, music education courses, composer seminars, co-writing sessions and other relevant activities.
Applications are now open across the following categories:
- Popular Contemporary – (2 Awards) – includes Pop, Rock, Alternative, Blues, Roots, Folk, Metal, Christian and Children’s
- Country/Americana
- Jazz & Improvised Music
- Classical & Experimental
- Dance/Electronic
- Film and Television/Gaming
- Hip Hop/Rap/Soul/RnB
- Music Theatre/Stage – workshop funding only
- Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award
Each winner of a 2021 Professional Development Award will receive:
- $10,000 cash courtesy of APRA AMCOS; or
- $12,000 cash Smugglers of Light Foundation Music and Media Award
- Prize from Australis Music
