Contests

The Top 10 place-getters in the prestigious 2011 Australian Songwriting Contest are listed below. Congratulations to all named songwriters for the great achievement of making this list!!! Photos of the National Songwriting Awards where our awesome winners performed on Wed 30 Nov, will be put up on this site soon. Three cheers also for this year's inductee into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame - STEVE KILBEY, as well as the winner of the APRA/ASA Songwriter of the Year - BRIAN M CHAPMAN, and the Rudy Brandsma Award Winner - KATIE HARDYMAN!

Top 10 in each Category of the 2011 Australian  Songwriting Contest: 

AUSTRALIA

1 Real People Christopher Pye QLD
2 Crosses At The Gate Magdalena Macdonald VIC
2 Sunset On Ben Buckler Jarrad Grimmond NSW
4 Counted Every Penny Mick McHugh NSW
5 The Land We Call Down Under Ted Roberts SA
6 First Time Around (The Fight) Dom Gannon NSW
7 Friday On My Mind 2 Andrea Barnett VIC
8 Things I Should Be Doing Manfred Vijars QLD
9 Eddie Gilbert's Dream Mark Cryle QLD
9 Kalgoorlie Girl Mark Cryle QLD
9 Tidy Towns Luciano Mesiti NSW

BALLAD

1 My Fire Dani Karis NSW
2 Only In My Dreams Stuart Parnell Hall NSW
3 Try To Understand Katie Hardyman NSW
4 Always And Ever Douglas Hendry QLD
5 Paper Memories Samantha Mooney QLD
6 Now Your Gone Alec Raymer and Michael King QLD
7 My Everyday Guy Walton NSW
8 Were Ever Mine Robert Cini QLD
9 The Chapter You Wrote In My Life Nicola Milan WA
10 Don't Look Right Through Me Bob Corbett NSW
10 In These Photographs Magdalena Macdonald VIC
10 Sunset On Ben Buckler Jarrad Grimmond NSW

CONTEMPORARY POP/DANCE

1 Decent People James Hampton VIC
2 Across The Line Brian M Chapman VIC
3 Closer Brad Gandy WA
4 Find Me A Girl Frank Jones VIC
5 Black Widow Aimee Chapman VIC
6 Rosy Glasses Brian M Chapman VIC
7 Apples Andrew Brown QLD
8 Nothing 2 Something Bob Corbett NSW
9 Adrenaline Alexandra Jae VIC
10 Rollinstone Terry Mandryk NSW

COUNTRY

1 Hot Kinda Love Craig Morrison NSW
2 Play To Win Paul Owen, Sabrina Alison and Roger Corbett NSW
3 Slow Dancing Bob Corbett NSW
3 The Devil Made Me Do It Paul Owen, Sabrina Alison and Roger Corbett NSW
5 Fireproof Katie O'Donnell WA
6 Make A Man Out Of You Paul Owen, Sabrina Alison and Roger Corbett NSW
7 Rain Tonight Luella Widt QLD
8 You Should've Said Kathleen Coleman NSW
9 Where's The Man Katie O'Donnell WA
10 Awkward Vanessa Lea NSW
10 Inevitable Jon Roberts and Dick Haynes WA

FOLK/ACOUSTIC

1 Practise The Lamplights QLD
1 She Kept On Swimming Tony King and Kris Ralph NSW
3 Get Me Some Lovin' Paul Penton VIC
4 My Best Sue Germein SA
5 On My Way Bob Corbett NSW
6 Before The Bells Dani Karis NSW
7 You Are My Friend Jay Lisle VIC
8 Kalgoorlie Girl Mark Cryle QLD
9 Friendly Fish Andrew Brown QLD
10 Aborigine Bob Corbett NSW

INSTRUMENTAL

1 Good Month Bad Month Arabesk NSW
2 Jack The Lad Simon Self NSW
3 Big Swell Jeff Cripps NSW
3 Gypsy Rocks Marcella Taylor VIC
5 Blasted Simon Bartlett NSW
6 Haunted Forest Tobias Moldenhauer QLD
7 That Boisterous Border Collie Peter Hawkes VIC
8 Choose Your Identity Andrew Christie VIC
9 It's The Vibe Antonello Palmisani NSW
10 Dancing Heart Orchestra Peter Westheimer NSW

INTERNATIONAL

1 No Bridge Unburned Michael McGee and Jeff Oxford USA
2 Eleven Rolf Schnyder SWITZERLAND
3 Troubles Reed Daly USA
4 Love In Ruins Jen D'Angora USA
5 I Belong Bruce Parker USA
6 Color Of Blue James Burnevik USA
7 Danny Ryan Sy USA
8 The Duchess And The Crown Dom Gannon AUSTRALIA
9 New Day April Henry USA
10 Kisses Like Cocaine Rolf Schnyder SWITZERLAND

LYRICS

1 Chillagoe Soil Simon Self NSW
2 Dreaming On Paul Dillon NSW
3 The Son You Wanted Clem Gorman NSW
4 Please Go Clem Gorman NSW
5 Does Keith Urban Need A Turban H.G. (Steve) Adams QLD
6 Girl's Night Out - A Pop Opera Paul Dillon NSW
7 One Last Goodbye Elsa Pemburton QLD
8 When Graeme Sang For Me H.G. (Steve) Adams QLD
9 Love Bird Wyane Adam ACT
10 Open Your Heart Jacquie Wise VIC

OPEN

1 Across The Line Brian M Chapman VIC
2 Movie Star Name Brad Gandy WA
3 I Will Michael Law SA
4 Venomous Kirsten Allendorf QLD
5 You Know I'm Right Brian M Chapman VIC
6 I'm Yours Again Brian M Chapman VIC
7 Crashing Down Jason Smith ACT
8 The One And Only Tony King NSW
9 My Everyday Guy Walton NSW
10 Better Man Magdalena Macdonald VIC
10 Rainbow Debris Daniel Maguire ACT
10 The Last Manly Ferry Jarrad Grimmond NSW

ROCK/INDIE

1 Beautiful Steven Lymburn and Carly Van VIC
2 Keith St Natalie Bell VIC
3 Hearing Voices Ryan Enright VIC
4 Mum Killed Princess Di Jon Roberts and Sam Air WA
5 Stressed Out Aexandra Stengl NSW
6 There's Been A Change Brad Gandy WA
7 Carousel Vanessa Selwyn and PJ Penton NSW
7 Into The Sun Radi Safi NSW
9 Numb Tiffany Gow NSW
10 Untrue Cliff Kent WA


SONGS FOR CHILDREN

1 The Hopping Mouse The Lamplights QLD
2 Rock And Rolling Nana Glen Naylor VIC
3 Pick It Up Michelle New NSW
4 Go Get Grubby Hewey Eustace NSW
5 Happy Birthday Dear Lord Carmel Charlton WA
6 Life On A Farm Michelle New NSW
7 Prawn Crackers Jayde Bond NSW
8 Tony's Farm Alita Fahey NSW
9 Happy Mother's Day Paul McGee, Neil McCann and John Littrich NSW
10 Grandaddy's Rocking Chair Barbara Whitnell WA
10 Litterbug Peta Stevens NSW

SPIRITUAL

1 Gold Kylie Kain SA
2 Spiritual Journey Peter Hawkes VIC
3 Unfettered Sarah Gracie TAS
4 Hey Everybody Suzanne Serelle  NSW
5 His Way - Your Way Sheryl Jollie Briggs WA
6 Miracle Anna Weatherup QLD
7 If I Stay Katie Hardyman NSW
8 Emotional Suicide Kirsten Allendorf QLD
9 Remember Me Madeline Perrone VIC
10 Canon Owen Maskiell NSW


YOUTH

1 Three Little Words Madeline Perrone VIC
2 Make The Change Alexandra Jae VIC
3 Adrenaline Alexandra Jae VIC
3 The Power's In Our Hands Melanie Dyer NSW
5 Save My Brother First Romany Elmas QLD
6 Set Me Free Olivia Kierdal NSW
7 But It's Too Late Olivia Kierdal NSW
8 Why Jazz Darcy QLD
9 Remember Me Madeline Perrone VIC
10 Blind Kelly Griffith NSW
10 Starting Line Ray-Lee Russell QLD

General facts about the Australian Songwriting Contest:

The ASA’s Australian Songwriting Contest began in 1979, and is Australia’s longest running national songwriting contest for professional and amateur songwriters. Songs are submitted on CD or online(more ecomonical option) via Sonicbids or SongCentral,  and are judged by Music Industry experts on originality and craftsmanship. The song does not have to be performed by the songwriter, but it must be original and unpublished at the time of entry (i.e. the song must not be signed to a publishing company). The recording quality of material is not relevant to the judging process.

Professional song feedback can also be ordered by entrants. See Feedback Service under Members tab for more details.
Contact:
ASA National Office
Locked Bag 18/178
Newtown NSW 2042
Australia

Ph/Fax: 02 9516 4960
Email: asanationaloffice@asai.org.au

Results Archive:

• 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999

Categories

There are 13 Categories in the Australian National Songwriting Contest, including an open-genre International Category which citizens from any country of the World can enter (including Australians). Most of the other Categories are genre specific, and are for Australian songwriters only. It is up to you as the entrant what category you enter your song in, although if the judges feel that a song has been mis-categorised by the entrant, they will re-enter it in a more appropriate category to give it a better chance.

Entries Are Anonymous

We ask manual entrants not to put identifying information on their entries, but if they do, their entry will be rendered anonymous before judging takes place. Online entries are also rendered anomymous before being judged. All songs are labels with idenifying numbers and song names only.

Three-tiered Judging

There are three levels of judging.

Preliminary Round -  All songs are heard by a team of at least 3 music industry judges. Every songwriter who makes the top 30 list of any of the judges, is short-listed in the preliminary round of the judging process and notified accordingly. Depending on how many of the judges pick the same songs, the size of the short list will vary.

The judges assess songs using the ASA criteria, to arrive at a total mark for each song from each individual judge. An equalising process is then used to rank the songs by giving 30 pts to the most favoured, and 29 the next and so on.  These rankings are then added together to give a final mark for that entry. So, for example, if a song scored 90 points as a final mark after using the ranking system, that would mean it was the top choice of three judges. If it scored 30 points, that would mean that only one judge absolutely loved it! Usually scores are much more varied than this. The ranking system ensures fairness to all entrants, by taking in to account that some judges may be low scorers or high scorers across the board.

Finalist Round – The Top 25 songs are then chosen from the shortllisted group, by a fresh panel of judges. These results are then put up on the website (usually 4-5 weeks before the National Awards Night).

The Top 10 placegetters are decided by a third group of judges (minimum of 3 respected music industry professionals per Category), who vote individually without consultation with each other. Their results are combined and equalised to give eventual Top 10, which are announced live to the audience at the ASA National Songwriting Awards. 

Results

Once the top ten placings are decided, the first place winners of the Major Open Categories and Youth Category will receive a phonecall and/or be notified in writing. This is so that they can be invited to perform at the Awards.

The remaining Top 25 Finalists for each Category are encouraged to attend the National Awards Night, where they can find out in person if they made it to the Top 10! Even those who don’t get into the Top 10 have a great time at this event, as they are able to hear the winning songs played live on the night, and network with other successful songwriters and industry people as part of the fraternity. As a major industry event, the ASA National Awards Night is important for serious songwriters.  Subsequently (usually within 48 hrs after the National Awards Night) the final Top 10 results will be posted on this site.

Those who recieve nominations for the Songwriter of the Year and the Rudy Brandsma Award will be notified prior to the Awards Night.

In the event of a tied mark, entries are awarded equal placings and any prizes will be split between the entrants.

Judging Criteria

Songs are judged on aspects of the songwriting craft:

• lyrics
• melody
• structure
• arrangement
• and originality

Because the major concern of the Association is songwriting, the songs are not judged on the performance or the quality of the recording.
The ASA chooses the judges but is not responsible for their decisions. The ASA selects the winner of the Songwriter of the Year from among the Category Winners, and the Rudy Brandsma encouragement award from among member songwriters who have done well in the competition, or who display some outstanding element that cannot be overlooked.

For the Australian Songwriting Contest Categories, Rules & Conditions & Sponsors see this year’s entry form.