Announcing the recipients for the 2023 APRA Professional Development Awards

Byllie-jean (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Pahauwera) is a multi-disciplinary storyteller who writes in te reo Māori and English exploring contrast and juxtaposition by combining acoustic rawness with electronica, heavy handed beats and street soul folk.

She holds a Master’s degree in Māori and Indigenous Leadership and a Bachelor of Music Arts from ARA Institute of Canterbury (BmusArts), going on to win the APRA Maioha Award Tohu Maioha for her single ‘Te Iho’ with AJA and Chris Wethey in 2022. Byllie-jean has released two further singles - 'Heck' in 2022, video 'Desperate Fools' earlier this year with another video ‘Running Amuck’ due out this September, closely followed by her EP Filter.

Byllie-jean identified three key areas to develop professionally. The first is undertaking intensive piano lessons with a highly qualified and skilled performer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound designer, bandleader, theatre performer and teacher. Byllie-jean will also undertake production lessons using Logic Pro with a producer who is an exceptional musician, songwriter, collaborator, and teacher. Thirdly and in a unique approach that inspired the jury panel, Byllie-jean will undertake stage craft development with a prolific multidisciplinary storyteller, producer, director, researcher and writer with many credits to their name. They will work with Byllie-jean with her on-stage performance, an area that Byllie-jean says she needs to be comfortable and vulnerable at the same time. The mentor uses methods of tikanga Māori principles such as wānanga which is a style of information sharing that aligns with and supports Byllie-jean's cultural learning abilities. Byllie-jean aims to use all these skills to give her more creative autonomy to better empower and contribute to her whānau, hapū, iwi and community.

Byllie-jean says “I am extremely grateful to receive this award. There are many barriers for wāhine Māori artists and one of the main ones is resource and opportunity. The PDA will allow me to explore my stagecraft and upskill in the areas of sound production and piano in order to step into a new level of creative autonomy that I have not thought possible until now. My intention is to use these skills to contribute well to the creative community, particularly wāhine Māori, by sharing these skills, knowledge and opportunities whenever possible.”

Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Damian Golfinopoulos has had a hand in engineering and recording with 50 bands in the mid-2000s and working in live sound before moving into film and television production. He has directed music videos for a number of artists such as Marlon Williams and Street Chant, as well as many short and long form documentaries.

In 2020 Damian went on to form electronic three-piece Grecco Romank. The band’s debut album Red Tower was nominated for best album in the 2021 Student Radio Network awards. Grecco Romank have had significant reach on the SRN network (having had top ten placements on all 3 albums), have been featured on Bandcamp daily and Rolling Stone and selected to showcase in the 2023 Going Global Summit.

The APRA Professional Development Award will support Damian to undergo a series of one-on-one mentorship sessions with a host of NZ musician luminaries and a residency. The self-structured mentorship plan includes working with four creatives, the first specifically targets the crossover appeal between pop structural techniques with modal, electronic music. Secondly working alongside a composition artist and remixes to work on the art of non-formal collaboration with professional and formal musicians. Damian will then work with two mentors on the foundations of electronic song structure, tips and tricks for making club music and the purpose and intent of rhythmic programming, how grooves compel crowds all around the world, to read international crowds and how to bring those techniques into his own practice. Finally, Damian will undergo mentorship through a weeklong residency researching and developing material that utilises bespoke, unique and vintage electronic instruments to make his own sonic tools.

Damian says “My songwriting is always seeking to extend how technology is used and the form it takes, and how this can subvert traditional electronic and popular music. The PDA is going to give me the opportunity to tailor design for myself through a series of mentorships, workshops and one-on-one sessions with producers and songwriters who I admire. I will be able to push this exploration of craft further, and to keep breaking down the alchemy of songwriting that blurs the line between popular music forms and new musical expressions.”

Fergus Fry is a composer of instrumental, live electronics, and fixed media works which defy traditional stylistic and genre divisions. Raised in Napier, Fergus relocated to Wellington in 2017 to pursue his studies in composition and sonic arts at the New Zealand School of Music. After completing his Bachelor of Music degree, Fergus ventured into the realm of freelance audio engineering before embarking on a new chapter by relocating to Auckland to pursue a Master of Music (Research) degree with David Chisholm and Chris Gendall.

Fergus's compositional style blends elements of jazz, rock, and pop within a contemporary classical framework, often utilising electronic elements to expand and enrich the listening experience. His works have been presented throughout New Zealand, including the 2023 Off Centre and Bloom 2019 festivals.

As a graduate of the University of Auckland's Master's program, Fergus's academic work delves into the examination of sustainability within the New Zealand Compositional Landscape (NZCL). Through in-depth interviews with 26 active New Zealand composers, Fergus conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of New Zealand composers in recent memory. This research culminated in the development of the PAPA model, a framework for understanding compositional practice, as well as a system for classifying compositional mediums, directives, and motivations within the NZCL.

Fergus Fry's multifaceted career as a composer, audio engineer, curator, and researcher reflect his dedication to pushing artistic boundaries, fostering collaboration, and promoting sustainability within the vibrant realm of contemporary music in New Zealand.

With a longlist of mentors and an already established network, Fergus will be using the PDA funds to observe, interview, and assist established composers to provide firsthand insights into their practices and expertise. Many of these composers who Fergus built relationships with during his master's study, are based across Aotearoa and funds would facilitate travel so that he can engage with these practitioners in person. In particular, Fergus will continue working alongside John Psathas and attend opportunities such as meetings, rehearsals, concerts and tours. This has previously been as an unpaid observer, resulting in having to take time off other paid work to attend, which can now be a paid role. Fergus has also been invited to assist Ryan Youens at Synthony's show in the Auckland Domain and undertake a short teaching internship with Reuben de Lautour at the University of Canterbury. Fergus will also use the PDA funds to strengthen existing relationships with performers and forge further creative endeavours through collaboration with Hannah Darroch, Johnny Chang, and Mark Menzies. Additionally, Fergus intends to forge ahead with opportunities to further his skills in arts management by shadowing professionals with short internships within some of New Zealand's most valued orchestras, specialist new music ensembles and media organisations.

Fergus says "This award lifts the weight of uncertainty that accompanies the ebb and flow of a career in music. A number of opportunities to engage with established and esteemed figures in the world of new music are now a reality and I plan to spend several months observing, interviewing, and collaborating with them. Additionally, I no longer have to divert time away from paid work in order to develop my practice, with the award allowing me to value my time for these activities. It is a privilege to be in this position, thank you APRA!"

Flo Wilson (they/she) is a composer, performer and artist from Tāmaki Makaurau/Aotearoa based in Berlin, Germany. Their creative work spans choral-based experimental electronic performance, immersive sound and video installation whilst utilising spatial sound design heavily throughout their practice. Flo's compositions often blur the boundaries between organic and synthetic elements, weaving together intricate layers of sound to create lush sonic tapestries.

Flo Wilson's work has gained recognition both within Aotearoa and on the international stage. Their sound installations and performances have been featured in renowned art galleries (Auckland Art Gallery, The Dowse, Moss Arts Centre - VA/USA), music festivals (Beacon, Outlier Festival, Audio Arts Aotearoa, Audacious Festival of Sonic Arts), highly-respected international conferences (NIME - USA, ACMC - AUS) and experimental venues (Audio Foundation, Verge Gallery - AUS), sharing a wide-ranging practice to a broad audience. Their contributions to sonic arts have been acknowledged through grants (Rebekah Wilson Scholarship for Sonic Arts, Creative New Zealand - Saplings), awards (Lilburn Trust Award), and residencies (with Olivia Webb for the Toi Pōneke/Te Kōkī Sound Art Residency), further solidifying their reputation as a resolute creative within the field.

Beyond their solo endeavours, Flo Wilson is an active collaborator, regularly joining forces with other artists from diverse disciplines, such as visual art (Olivia Webb, Ziggy Lever) and dance (Dance Plant Collective), to create multi-sensory experiences. Songwriting & production collaboration is another string to their bow; they were a co-producer on ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ by lau.ra ft. JessB through APRA SongHubs, which went on to get regular play on BBC1 and synced on Amazon Prime’s Alex Rider series in 2021.

In 2017 Flo independently released their debut EP (Please) Keep Breathing, with a 2018 tape release on New Zealand experimental label mfmp. Their major new sound work 'Prelude to a Requiem' was released bio-digitally through Saplings Records in 2022. This release raised enough money to plant over 1,000 mangrove trees through Eden Re-Forestation Projects to help fight coastal erosion.

Under Flo’s former performance alias Foxtrot, they toured NZ and AUS, including playing Camp A Low Hum, Chronophonium, and Lines of Flight festival. They have supported Suzanne Ciani, Baths, Dan Deacon, and Don McGlashan. Flo has worked as a professional audio engineer for Radio New Zealand. Credits include the Let's be TRANSparent podcast which won bronze at the New York Radio Awards, and The Detail podcast which won Best Factual Podcast at the New Zealand Radio Awards.

Flo holds a first-class honours degree in Composition - Sonic Arts from Te Kōkī – New Zealand School of Music, and their thesis was published in the proceedings of the Australian Computer Music Conference.

Currently based in Berlin, Flo will be using the PDA to undertake professional development residencies, workshops and camps in France and the UK while also building connections in the experimental music community in the Netherlands. This begins with the 5-day intensive residency ‘Hyperreal Environments, Kankyo Ongaku and Composing Beyond the Self with Visible Cloaks and Yoshio Ojima’ in France, Camp FR. Secondly Flo will attend the Real World Studio Producer Camp at Peter Gabriel’s iconic Real World Studios in the UK with other musicians, writers and producers while gaining in studio experience at one of the most iconic and boundary-pushing studio environments in the UK, with on-hand technical and practical assistance from some of the UK’s top engineers, producers and artists. Finally, the awards will support Flo to attend Berlin Atonal and Dekmantel, two of the largest experimental audio festivals in Europe to strengthen connections in the EU experimental music community.

Flo says “Receiving the APRA Professional Development Award is a major honour and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to develop my craft from my new home-base in Berlin. This award is a massive vote of confidence and will directly help me to attend residencies in the next year and develop my compositional practice under the guidance of multiple artists whose work I have deeply admired for a long time. To say I'm thrilled, is a pretty big understatement!”

Vicki Ormond, known as Yolanda Fagan on stage, is a prolific songwriter, composer, and performer. She has written, composed, produced, and performed in her own projects; Na Noise, Half Hexagon, Echo Ohs and BOZO, as well as performing with Guardian Singles, Vincent H.L. and Sulfate.

Most notably during 2019 and 2020 Vicki wrote, produced and co-recorded Na Noise’s album Waiting For You. This album was awarded ‘Best Independent Debut’ at the 2021 Taite Music Awards and 2021 saw Na Noise named ‘Best Alternative’ at the Aotearoa Music Awards. The strength of the album took the band on a 35-date tour of Europe and the UK early 2023.

Moving through the music scene as a completely self-taught musician, Vicki has leaned on community and mentorship throughout. The APRA Professional Development Award will first and foremost, enable Vicki to take an unpaid role as a songwriting and compositional assistant, in lieu of other paid work. Over this time, Vicki will be gaining first-hand learning from a multi-award-winning songwriter and composer on upcoming film and television projects and give Vicki the ability to commit to the film and television side of sonic arts. Alongside, Vicki will be undertaking an online course via the Udemy platform to educate herself further. Additionally, Vicki will be working in a mentor style relationship within the business side of music with a strong focus on becoming a songwriter, producer and composer with a new focus on film and television.

Vicki says “Receiving the Professional Development Award at this time is liberating. It feels like not only a large financial backing from APRA, but also an emotional one. I had already made the leap into the financial blackhole that is professional development outside of the corporate world and this award puts me back on my feet. I can be excited rather than terrified.”