Contests
Results of the 2009 Australian Songwriting Contest:
| AUSTRALIA | |||
| 1 | The Dreaming | Ingrid Racz / Karen Anne Waters | NSW |
| 2 | Old Bush Tracks | Brent Lillie | QLD |
| 3 | Dinki Di Aussie | Phil Splitter | VIC |
| 4 | Singing Up A Storm | Brent Lillie | QLD |
| 5 | Glebe Point Road | Mark Cryle | QLD |
| 6 | Windows Of A Train | Brian Stitt | NSW |
| 7 | The Name Of The Game Is Rugby League | Brent Lillie | QLD |
| 8 | A Man Who Works The Land | Magdalena Macdonald | VIC |
| 9 | Hands Across The Nation | Glenys Anderson | QLD |
| 10 | Ronald Ryan | Mark Cryle | QLD |
| BALLAD | |||
| 1 | Treasure Box | Brent Lillie/Adrian Stuckey/Jennifer Matthews | QLD |
| 2 | We Are No More | Oliver Jones | VIC |
| 3 | Photographs and Memories | Noel Gardner | QLD |
| 4 | Moody Moments | Stuart Parnell Hall | NSW |
| 5 | One More Reason | Bianca Tropeano | SA |
| 6 | Beyond Control | Nichole LaPorte/ Craig Morrisson | NSW |
| 7 | Jimmy’s Coming Home | Deb Beckett | WA |
| 8 | Beyond Blue | Robert McIntosh/ Stewart Peters | NSW |
| 9 | Story Of You | Andi Gallaher | QLD |
| 10 | Just For A Moment | Christo Carlsen | ACT |
| CONTEMPORARY POP/DANCE | |||
| 1 | One More Reason | Bianca Tropeano | SA |
| 2 | Barely Alive | Ryan Enright | VIC |
| 3 | Available | Conchita Henneberry | NSW |
| 4 | Juliet | Michael Law | SA |
| 5 | D*N*A | John Delaney | VIC |
| 6 | The Darkness | Cameron and Clayton Driessen | VIC |
| 7 | Got No Friends | James Hampton | VIC |
| 8 | Matador | Skii Harvey | NSW |
| 9 | Yamma Tree Man | Ash Morse | NSW |
| 10 | After Midnight | Lucy Milan | NSW |
| COUNTRY | |||
| 1 | I’m Not So Sure Anymore | Stuart Parnell Hall | NSW |
| 2 | I Wasn’t Gonna Cry | Katrina Burgoyne | QLD |
| 3 | She’s The One | Danny Hooper | SA |
| 4 | Not A Day Goes By | Tahlia McGahey | NSW |
| 5 | From Time To Time | Magdalena Macdonald | VIC |
| 6 | Come Home | Brad Cole | NSW |
| 7 | Please Wait For Me | Melanie Dyer | NSW |
| 8 | Not Worth The Time | Kristal Collins | SA |
| 9 | When We’re Old | Tony King | NSW |
| 10 | Ramblin’ Girl | Glenyss Rae | NSW |
| FOLK/ACOUSTIC | |||
| 1 | Mirror Mirror | Sabrina Orwin | NT |
| 1 | When We’re Old | Tony King | NSW |
| 3 | Black Heart Ache | Douglas Sandrini | NSW |
| 4 | I Will Love You | Douglas Sandrini | NSW |
| 5 | Everything I Said | Nic Alexander | NSW |
| 6 | Magic | Annie Carment | NSW |
| 7 | Divine Justice Coming Down | John Morris | NSW |
| 8 | My Father’s Mandolin | Luciano Mesiti | NSW |
| 9 | We Live | Ross Hannaford | VIC |
| 10 | Dare To Be You | Phil Splitter | VIC |
| INSTRUMENTAL | |||
| 1 | It’s Not Easy | Joe Robinson | NSW |
| 2 | Sand Storm | Marcela Taylor | VIC |
| 3 | Ivanka’s Swing | Marcela Taylor | VIC |
| 4 | Barnyard Bounce | Marcela Taylor | VIC |
| 5 | So Many Things To Say | Stewart Dudley | NSW |
| 5 | Without You | Marcela Taylor | VIC |
| 7 | Kev The Rev | Geoff Hook | VIC |
| 8 | Border Town | Geoffrey Warner | QLD |
| 9 | Flinders Lane | Shaun Gardener | VIC |
| 10 | The Mighty Murray River | Ray Clarke | NSW |
| INTERNATIONAL | |||
| 1 | When You Gonna Figure It Out? | Brett Perkins | DEMARK |
| 2 | Cliche | Andrea James | CANADA |
| 3 | The Cheesecake Song | Ben Sands | IRELAND |
| 4 | Best Of Me | Brooke Supple | UK |
| 5 | When It Comes My Turn | David Myles | CANADA |
| 6 | Easy Lover | Ian Simpson | NEW ZEALAND |
| 7 | Spanish Moon Cafe | Kaye Reznick | USA |
| 8 | Reach Out | Rolf Schnyder | SWITZERLAND |
| 9 | Que Fado E Este Que Trago | Helder Moutinho | PORTUGAL |
| 10 | Seven Wonders | Ryan Martinez | USA |
| LYRICS | |||
| 1 | Billy’s Dream | Tony King | NSW |
| 2 | Fishing With Me Dad | Manfred Vijars | QLD |
| 3 | Still In Love With You | Steve Montgomery | NSW |
| 4 | Thank God (Don’t Mention the War) | Steve Montgomery | NSW |
| 5 | Limestone Ridge | Alec Raymer | QLD |
| 6 | Memories of Lambing Flat | Robert McIntosh | NSW |
| 7 | House of Sorrow | Carl Cleves/Parissa Bouas | NSW |
| 8 | Spirit of Australia | Bunty Bisharah | NSW |
| 9 | One Hand on the Cross | Alec Raymer | QLD |
| 10 | Awkward Strangers | Cill Van Der Velden | NSW |
| 10 | Baayami (It’s Raining on the Rock) | Simon Ludowyk | VIC |
| OPEN | |||
| 1 | When We’re Old | Tony King | NSW |
| 2 | Under My Skin | Mirinda Eyre | VIC |
| 3 | Heaven Knows | Craig Morrisson | NSW |
| 4 | Please Wait For Me | Melanie Dyer | NSW |
| 5 | Why Won’t You Talk? | Dave Gillam | WA |
| 6 | Divine Justice Coming Down | John Morris | NSW |
| 7 | Beliefs Divide | Robert Nobilia | QLD |
| 8 | Beyond Blue | Stewart Peters/ Robert McIntosh | NSW |
| 9 | Trading Places | Magdalena Macdonald | VIC |
| 10 | Crashing Down | Jason Campbell-Smith | ACT |
| 10 | We’re So Sorry | George Begbie | TAS |
| ROCK/INDIE | |||
| 1 | Love Is A Cruel Machine | Ben Stewart | QLD |
| 2 | Broken Soul | Cam Mackellar | NSW |
| 3 | No One Else | Bianca Tropeano | SA |
| 4 | Here I Am | Steve Simmons | VIC |
| 5 | Isabelle | Kate Lush | NSW |
| 6 | This Is How We Survive | Sean Bower | QLD |
| 7 | Convict Me With Affection | Ryan Enright | VIC |
| 8 | Inside Moves | Peter Hall | NSW |
| 9 | Kings | Daniel Maguire | ACT |
| 10 | Chasing The Dragon | Cory Hargreaves | QLD |
| 10 | Love Pollution | Jamie Holden | QLD |
| SONGS FOR CHILDREN | |||
| 1 | Super Strong Bones | Keren Alexander | NSW |
| 2 | Zippedy Zed | Paul Owen | NSW |
| 3 | Funkey Monkey | Phil Splitter | VIC |
| 4 | A Christmas Lullaby | Samantha Mooney | QLD |
| 5 | Does A Millipede | Rocky Pergoleto | SA |
| 6 | Banana Boomp | Rocky Pergoleto | SA |
| 7 | I Want To Join The Circus | Michelle New | NSW |
| 8 | Clap Your Hands | Sonia Hardie | NSW |
| 9 | Down At The Fish Shop | Marni Sheehan | VIC |
| 10 | Smart At Something Else | Ann Austin | NSW |
| SPIRITUAL | |||
| 1 | You Don’t Need Wings To Fly | Danny Hooper | SA |
| 2 | I Believe, I Do | Ryan Black/Michelle Black/Matt Hooper | VIC |
| 3 | When We’re Old | Tony King | NSW |
| 4 | Pray | Sarah Newman | WA |
| 5 | Light Up The Way | James Hampton | VIC |
| 5 | Shine On | Stephen Fearnley | NSW |
| 7 | I’m Going Home | Andy Pobjoy | VIC |
| 8 | Rain Down | Ryan Black/Michelle Black | VIC |
| 9 | Take This Heart | Samantha Mooney | QLD |
| 10 | Emmanuel (God Is With Us) | Ryan Black/Michelle Black/ Matt Hooper | VIC |
| YOUTH | |||
| 1 | Eye Candy | Alexandra Valmorbida | VIC |
| 2 | I Can’t Tell You | Alexandra Valmorbida | VIC |
| 3 | Forget It | Madeline Perrone | VIC |
| 4 | I’d Give Anything | Alexandra Valmorbida | VIC |
| 5 | I’m Over You | Alexandra Valmorbida | VIC |
| 6 | Walk Naked | Holly Denton | WA |
| 7 | Daydreamer | Alexandra Robotham | NSW |
| 8 | Free Therapy | Alexandra Robotham | NSW |
| 9 | Black Jeans | Caitlin Wilson | VIC |
| 10 | For Tonight | Caitlin Wilson | VIC |
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 via Sonicbids (more ecomonical option), 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 2444
Email: asanationaloffice@bigpond.com
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. Judges recieve material with idenifying numbers and song names only.
Two-tiered Judging
There are two levels of judging.
Preliminary Round – All songwriters who make the top 30 list of any of the judges, are notified that they have been short-listed in the preliminary round of the judging process. Depending on how many of the judges pick the same songs, the size of the short list will vary.
The judges assess songs according to the 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. This method best allows for fairness to the entrant, considering that some judges may be low scorers or high scorers across the board.
Finalist Round – The Top 25 songs, based on the total ranked assessment of all the Preliminary Judges for each Category, are then forwarded to a second round of judges (minimum of 3 respected music industry professionals per Category).
Again the same equalising ranking process is used to establish the Top 10.
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. 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 (link available on Home Page.