Are you looking to take your songwriting career to the next level? 6 x NZ$5000 grants are available to help fund activities that will help develop your career in songwriting/composing.
The Professional Development Awards are presented to New Zealand songwriters and composers who have demonstrated a passionate work ethic in their field alongside a commitment to their craft through discipline and motivation. A prize of $5000 is intended to help emerging artists engage in songwriting workshops, music education courses, composer seminars, participate in co-writing opportunities, and attend other relevant activities domestically or internationally.
2021 recipients were Emi Pogoni, Jolyon Mulholland, Lisa Crawley, Maree Sheehan, Phodiso Dintwe, and Valentine Nixon. Read about their projects and intended use for the 2021 Professional Development Awards.
Applications close midnight Monday 11 July 2022
Note: the awards are not intended to fund tours, recording, publicity, music videos, or ad campaigns. They are intended to support your creative development to become a better songwriter/composer/musician/artist through education, collaboration, and opportunities to be mentored or trained.
Can I use it to fund our next album?
The Awards are not intended for recording purposes – please consider this before applying.
Can I use it to help promote my work – publicity / music video / advertising campaigns?
No. The Awards are intended to develop your skills as a songwriter or composer, not to pay for professional services to promote your work.
Do I apply for the PDA in New Zealand or Australia?
As an APRA AMCOS Member you can apply for either – dependant on where you are a legal resident. As an example: To enter the New Zealand 2021 PDAs, you must be a citizen or a legal resident in New Zealand for a minimum of 2years on 1 July 2021.
I am a Screen composer (for film, tv, gaming etc) what files of examples shall I supply?
Please provide audio-visual samples of your work – a showreel if you have one. These samples can be pre-existing or created for entry – they should not exceed 5minutes in duration. Additionally, Screen entrants are encouraged to provide scores where available for the submitted pieces.
I am in a band – can the band submit an application?
Applications are only available for individual songwriters – although the band’s music can be considered, the individual songwriter’s application responses will be considered alone. Additionally, the funds will be provided to the individual alone.
I'm an artist manager. Can I submit an application on behalf of a songwriter I represent?
You can, but please ensure that you complete all fields with the writer's name and details, not yours. We do also want to hear directly from our writer members about how an Award will support their development, so the responses should come from them.
I've already released an album and/or have a record deal. Can I apply?
You sure can. The Professional Development Awards are intended to help songwriters and composers move into the next phase of their musical careers. Make sure you use your application to tell us how winning will help you do this.
Is my information secure online?
The PDA application form and all submitted materials are stored on a highly secure server that ensures privacy and security for all APRA AMCOS data. Your application will only be viewed by select APRA AMCOS staff and the Judging Panel.
My songs won’t be mastered until after the deadline, can I provide updated tracks when they are available?
All applications will be considered final and complete when submitted – as we must adhere to strict deadlines in terms of judging, we cannot replace files within an application after the closing deadline. However, our judging criteria places importance more on the content of the application than the recording quality of the submitted pieces.
What are the Professional Development Awards for?
The Awards are intended to help emerging songwriters/composers attend songwriter workshops, music education courses, composer seminars, participate in co-writing opportunities and attend other relevant activities either domestically or internationally. Activities that will develop their career in songwriting/composing.
Why do I need to provide a bio and photo?
This information may be published online and/or in print if your application is shortlisted and/or you are a winner.
Why do I need to provide Proof of ID?
To ensure that all applicants adhere to the Terms and Conditions – Proof of ID is required to ensure that applications are directly from the applicant in question.