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.