2015 APRA Professional Development Awards Finalists Announced

Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy), Thief, Ngaiire, Adam Eckersley, Dave Crowe, Jack Carty, Marlon Williams, L-FRESH The LION and many more in line for a share of $120,000 cash prize.

In 2015, the awards prize pool offers eight individual winners more than $15,000 worth of career support, inclusive of a microphone and headphone package courtesy of PDA sponsor Audio Technica, with the winners to be announced on Tuesday 24 November.

35 Australasian songwriters and composers across the genres of Popular Contemporary, Classical, Jazz, Film & Television, Country and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) have today been announced as finalists in the 2015 APRA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARDS (PDAs).

Held every two years, the APRA PDAs create serious opportunities for emerging songwriters and composers. Just ask previous winners Gotye, Georgi Kay, Abbe May, Husky Gawenda, Morgan Evans, Leah Flanagan and screen composer Caitlin Yeo who have benefited from this career boosting initiative.

From Briggs, Timothy Carroll (Holy Holy) and Montaigne, to classical composer and sound artist Mitchell Mollison, alt-country troubadour Ruby Boots, jazz singer and composer Gian Slater, MC and producer Daniel Rankine (aka Trials) and screen composerAmy Bastow, the finalists’ list features an exciting mix of Australasian songwriters and composers including some whose star is already on the rise.

A panel of local judges comprising Lior, Andrea Keller, James Blundell, Josh Pyke, Kav Temperley, Amanda Brown, Rai Thistlethwayte and Kevin Bennett, along with international judges Gary Go, Erik Lewander and Chris DeStefano have given their verdict to arrive at this group of composers who are in the running to receive one of the eight PDAs on offer when they are announced on Tuesday Nov 24th.

Three finalists have also been named in the newly created Indigenous Music and Media Award from the Smugglers of Light, a foundation set up in memory of Eli Westlake aged 21, who was tragically killed in Sydney on 7th June 2008. Jeffrey Zimran (Tjintu Desert Band), Kahl Wallis and Marcus Corowa each share an equal chance of being the recipient of this very special award to receive a grant of $12,000.

POPULAR CONTEMPORARY (3 Awards will be given in this category including Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Hip Hop, Dance and R&B)

Dave Crowe, Jack Carty, Jess Cornelius (Teeth and Tongue), Jessica Cerro (Montaigne), L-FRESH The LION, Marlon Williams, Ngaiire Joseph, Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy), Peter Harding (aka Thief) and Timothy Carroll (Holy Holy)

ABORIGINAL TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER (ATSI)

Adam Briggs, Daniel Rankine (aka Trials), Kahl Wallis, Marcus Corowa and Shellie Morris

CLASSICAL

Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh, Mitchell Mollison, Peter McNamara, R. E. Smith and William Gardiner

COUNTRY

Adam Eckersley, Chelsea Basham, David Garnham, Jared Porter and Rebecca Chilcott (aka Ruby Boots)

FILM & TELEVISION

Aaron Kenny, Amy Bastow, Henrique Dib, Jared Underwood and Pru Montin

JAZZ

Christopher Hale, Gian Slater, Jeremy Rose, Joseph O’Connor and Kristin Berardi

SMUGGLERS OF LIGHT

Jeffrey Zimran (Tjintu Desert Band), Kahl Wallis and Marcus Corowa

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 24 November 2015.

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