APRA AMCOS to host first ever awards in London

26 February 2020 - Press release

PART OF THE INAUGURAL GLOBAL APRA MUSIC AWARDS HONOURING AUSTRALASIAN SONGWRITERS IN LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE AND LONDON

 

• CATEGORIES AND NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
• HOSTED BY GEORGIA MOONEY
• TAKING PLACE IN LONDON ON 6 MARCH 2020
• PERFORMANCES BY DANIEL MERRIWEATHER AND CHIARA HUNTER WITH MALI-KOA

  

APRA AMCOS is excited to announce the nominees and event details for the inaugural Global APRA Music Awards. Ceremonies will take place in Los Angeles (26 February, at the GRAMMY Museum, Clive Davis Theatre, hosted by Maya Jupiter), Nashville (1 March, at Clementine Hall, hosted by O'Shea) and London. Hosted by Georgia Mooney, one of Australia's premier singer-songwriters and one quarter of indie-folk band, All Our Exes Live in Texas, the London event will take place on 6 March 2020 at Ham Yard Hotel Soho. Awards will be presented to Australasian songwriters, composers and music publishers achieving artistic excellence and commercial success in international markets. 

The Global APRA Music Awards join the suite of Awards presented annually recognising success and achievements within Australia (APRAMusic Awards, APRA Screen Music Awards and APRA Art Music Awards), and within New Zealand (Silver Scroll Awards and Song Awards). 

Global APRA Music Awards will be handed out in each city for the following categories:

• Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
• Overseas Recognition Award
• Songwriter of The Year
• Distinguished Services Award

"The launch of the Global APRA Music Awards is a reflection of the incredible success that Australian and New Zealand songwriters and composers are achieving internationally. APRA AMCOS strives to be there for our members in their creative and professional endeavours every step of the way, wherever they are, and I so look forward to celebrating their talent, ambition and all that they have accomplished at these special events," said APRA Chair Jenny Morris.

 

LONDON
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year London is packed with intriguing talent. Songwriter Cloves (Kaity Dunstan) brought her debut One Big Nothing to live audiences and new fans this year. Chiara Hunter has been busy crafting stunning songs with others this year, including Jessica Mauboy's hit 'Little'. Noah Hill, Anatole Serret, Louie Swain, Patrick Hetherington and Jules Crommelin are Berlin-based electropop band Parcels. The quartet toured on the back of their self-titled album with appearances at Glastonbury, Way Out West, Latitude and more. Steven Manovski relocated from Sydney to London and established his in-demand Tileyard studio. He is a co-writer on the Cheat Codes song 'Highway,' among many, many others.

Overseas Recognition Award London nominees' pursuits are varied. Both Cloves and Parcels are nominated as is acclaimed film composer Jed Kurzel, formerly of Sydney blues-rock band The Mess Hall. Kurzel has scored music for Snowtown, Assasin's Creed, Alien: Covenant, and collaborated again with his filmmaker brother Justin Kurzel on the recently released True History of the Kelly Gang. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jordan Rakei blazed a trail in 2019 on the back of his indie-soul LP Origin, worldwide touring, and co-writing with UK hip-hop artist Loyle Carner.

Per the APRA Music Awards tradition, there will be performances of selected songs written by the evening's honourees. Pop writer/artists Chiara Hunter and Mali-Koa will team up on stage and R&B stylist Daniel Merriweather will also perform. 

 

LOS ANGELES
The list of Global APRA Music Awards Los Angeles nominees spans under-the-radar to superstar talent. In Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year Los Angeles category, renowned wordsmith Mallrat (Grace Shaw), who released the EP Driving Music, performed on US late night TV, and supported Maggie Rogers in an extensive touring schedule is nominated alongside expert collaborator Kito ( Maaike Lebbing) who has written with Ruel and Jorja Smith and released her solo EP HAANI. The producer collective known as Twice as Nice (Nicholas Audino, Lewis Hughes, Khaled Rohaim and Te Whiti Warbrick) are Breakthrough nominees for a range of work in the last year including songwriting credits for Post Malone, Zayn and Lil Dicky; and, also in the running is Ruel, who has had a massive year with the release of the Free Time EP, worldwide touring and an MTV Europe Music Award. 

Nominees for Overseas Recognition Award Los Angeles are veritable songwriting heavy-hitters. Alex Hope is known for her range, working extensively with Troye Sivan, and crafting songs with Ingrid Michaelson, David Guetta, and Ben Platt and producing the new Tegan and Sarah album. Flume (Harley Streten), a previous APRA Songwriter of the Year, released his Grammy-nominated mixtape Hi This Is Flume to critical acclaim and headlined music festivals worldwide in 2019. New Zealand's Joel Little is one of the world's top songwriters and producers, and was a key collaborator on Taylor Swift's #1 Lover album, as well as on songs by Jarryd James, Jonas Brothers and Tove Lo. Having won APRA Songwriter of the Year at the 2019 APRA Music Awards, Sarah Aarons continued her songwriting blitz with collabs on tracks for John Legend, Hilltop Hoods, Khalid, Jonas Brothers and Ingrid Michaelson (to name a few).

 

NASHVILLE
In the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year Nashville category are nominees are Mitchell Thompson and Thomas Jordan, the Sydney Northern Beaches childhood friends who perform as country-pop duo Seaforth. They released their debut EP Love That on Sony Nashville in 2019 and have been touring it in the States. Also in the running is songwriter/musician Paul Mabury, who won a Grammy at the 2019 ceremony for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance as a co-writer on Lauren Daigle's 'You Say,' which spent a record 65 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart. Rebecca Chilcott -- you know her as Americana singer-songwriter Ruby Boots-- made a big move to Nashville a few years back, signed a record deal with Bloodshot Records and released her acclaimed album Don't Talk About It, for which she toured relentlessly this year. Nashville-via-Sydney singer-songwriter Sinead Burgess is a rising star on the back of her album Damaged Goods and her latest single 'Reno.' 

Nominees for Overseas Recognition Award Nashville include the aforementioned Seaforth and Paul Mabury, respectively. Songwriter Mia Fieldes got her musical start in Sydney with Hillsong and has gone on to write for Nashville and Christian music stars including Michael W. Smith and For King & Country. A lot has happened since Rick Price won the 1992 APRA Song of the Year for 'Heaven Knows', with the songwriter-producer-performer relocating to Nashville in the last decade to draw upon the gospel, soul and country influences in the city.

 

CRITERIA FOR GLOBAL APRA MUSIC AWARDS 
In line with APRA Music Awards Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, nominations are based on key achievements during the calendar year, including album and single releases and works, charts, awards and tours/supports. Recipients can also be considered within the Australian and New Zealand suite of awards. 

In the Overseas Recognition Award, the nominations are reflective of achievements in the calendar year based predominantly on international single and album releases, international charts, awards and tours/supports. This award identifies members predominantly achieving international success and residing overseas. This award replaces the current award presented at the APRA Music Awards. 

Each of the four categories are based on key criteria, reviewed by an independent Advisory Group, with final determinations made by the APRA Board of Directors. 

In all cases of nominations, the APRA members must be residents in the territory for a minimum of consecutive six months. 

In addition to Awards being handed out, there will be live performances. A host has been confirmed for each city: artist and rapper Maya Jupiter will host in Los Angeles; Mark and Jay O'Shea, the country-duo, will co-host in Nashville, and singer-songwriter Georgia Mooney, of All Our Exes Live in Texas, will lead the festivities in London.

 

Full list of nominees:

LONDON 6 MARCH | HAM YARD HOTEL SOHO | HOST: GEORGIA MOONEY

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year

Writer: Chiara Hunter

Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Writer: Kaity Dunstan pka Cloves

Publishers: Universal Music Publishing obo Canal Music Publishing

Writers: Noah Hill, Anatole Serret, Louie Swain, Patrick Hetherington and Jules Crommelin (Parcels)

Publishers: Warner Chappell Music obo Kitsune

Writer: Steven Manovski

 

Overseas Recognition Award

Writer: Jed Kurzel
Publishers: G Schirmer Australia obo Chester Music 

Writer: Jordan Rakei

Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Writer: Kaity Dunstan pka Cloves

Publishers: Universal Music Publishing obo Canal Music Publishing

Writers: Noah Hill, Anatole Serret, Louie Swain, Patrick Hetherington and Jules Crommelin (Parcels)

Publishers: Warner Chappell Music obo Kitsune

 

Songwriter of the Year

Winner announced at Awards event

 

Distinguished Services

Winner announced at Awards event

 

LOS ANGELES 26 FEBRUARY | GRAMMY MUSEUM, CLIVE DAVIS THEATRE | HOST: MAYA JUPITER

 

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year

Writer: Grace Shaw pka Mallrat

Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Dew Process

Writer: Maaike Lebbing pka Kito

Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Writers: Nicholas Audino*, Lewis Hughes*, Khaled Rohaim+ and Te Whiti Warbrick^ (Twice As Nice)

Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing* / BMG Rights Management obo Orange Factory Repertoire + / Universal/MCA Music Publishing obo Electric Feel Music^

Writer: Ruel Van Dijk pka Ruel

Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

 

Overseas Recognition Award
Writer: Alex Hope
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing 

Writer: Harley Streten pka Flume

Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic

Writer: Joel Little

Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Writer: Sarah Aarons

Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

 

Songwriter of the Year

Winner announced at Awards event

 

Distinguished Services

Winner announced at Awards event

 

NASHVILLE 1 MARCH | CLEMENTINE HALL | HOSTS: O'SHEA

 

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year

Writers: Mitchell Thompson^ and Thomas Jordan* (Seaforth)

Publisher: Warner Chapell Music^ / ABC Music Publishing*

Writer: Paul Mabury

Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Writer: Rebecca Chilcott pka Ruby Boots

Publisher: ABC Music Publishing

Writer: Sinead Burgess

 

Overseas Recognition Award

Writer: Mia Fieldes
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing 

Writers: Mitchell Thompson^ and Thomas Jordan* (Seaforth)

Publisher: Warner Chapell Music^ / ABC Music Publishing*

Writer: Paul Mabury

Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Writer: Rick Price

 

Songwriter of the Year

Winner announced at Awards event

 

Distinguished Services

Winner announced at Awards event