New Zealand’s small studio space, Studio 11, is available for members to hire for free for the purpose of co-writing and collaborative projects. Studio 11 has seen over 100 APRA members use this space for writing sessions and songwriting development, as well as playing a role in projects like the recent Ka Hao album, Women About Sound, Parachute Song Week, Play It Strange mentor days and more.
Aotearoa celebrated waiata reo Māori/Māori music with the first ever Waiata Anthems Week, an industry-wide initiative to celebrate and support a bilingual music industry. An outstanding number of bilingual releases lead to te reo Māori dominating the charts. The fully te reo Māori album Kono 003 featuring Anna Coddington, Troy Kingi, Katchafire, and Ria Hall debuted at #8 on the Aotearoa Music Charts, while Ka Hao’s debut single ‘35’ ft Rob Ruha quickly became a TikTok anthem, landing them #1 on the Hot NZ Singles Chart.
International Virtual Sessions connected overseas songwriters:
The Live Music Office expanded the reach of the Live and Local program to 21 local government areas across Australia. The program provides best practice strategies to local councils and their communities with the aim of reviving grassroots live music and implementing long term sustainable activities for live music.
Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition 2020
Express Yourself – Queer Discovery Showcase
Reo Māori SongHubs 2020
Diaz Grimm at Reo Māori SongHubs Hawkes Bay
SongHubs brought together songwriters and producers to create new works.
L-R: Eilish Gilligan, G Flip and Odette (via Zoom) at SongHubs Victoria
Photo Jacinta Keefe
Jem Cassar-Daley and Beckah Amani at SongHubs Gold Coast 2021
Photo Markus Ravik
SongHubs Christchurch New Zealand 2021
Songs that began at sessions over the last few years were finished and commercially released – an indication of the calibre of work that is being done. Highlights include:
SongHubs Auckland 2019
Foley - Anything Before You
Writers: Wallace A/Everett G/Lyon C/Campany N/Newman W
Publishers: Universal/MCA Music Publishing/Kobalt Music Publishing/Warner Chappell Music
SongHubs Auckland 2019
Shayna - Alchemy feat Rei
Writers: King S/Gray S/McDougal C/Davey A
Publisher: Downtown Music
SongHubs The Tower 2019
Taka Perry - Only U feat. Gia Vorne (live for triple j Like a Version)
Writers: Taka Perry, Georgia Denton, Steph Brown (Lips)
Downtown Music
SongHubs: First Nations, Melbourne 2019
Benny Walker - We're Home
Writers: Walker B/Carne R/Mase D
Unpublished
SongHubs Victoria 2019
Telenova - Tranquilize
Writers: Quinn E / Heptinstall J / Armstong A
Publishers: Mushroom Music /BMG Rights Management
Gold Coast SongHubs BIGSOUND 2019
Kate Miller-Heidke - Deluded
Writers: Miller-Heidke K/Collier H/ Niedermeyer S /
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing Australia/Kobalt Music Publishing
Gold Coast SongHubs BIGSOUND 2019
Overdrive feat. Kings - Louis Baker
Writers: Baker L/Chapple-Wilson K/Andress I/Steele J
Unpublished
K-Pop SongHubs Seoul 2019
BerryGood – Time for Me
Writers: Apte T / Williams T / Wright A / Simister W
Unpublished
SongHubs Auckland 2020
CHAII – Wow (Look at Me)
Writers: Chapple-Wilson/ Henderson/Sanei/Milne
Publishers: BMG Rights Management/ Mushroom Music
SongHubs Auckland 2020
Kings - Floating
Writers: Chapple-Wilson K/Noble R
Publishers: BMG Rights Management on behalf of Big Pop Music Publishing/Universal Music Publishing
SongHubs: The Virtual Tower 2020
Guy Sebastian - Only Thing Missing
Writers: Sebastian G/Brown T /Zaire/Kearney-Nurse
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing/ Sony Music Publishing
“I was literally ready to throw in the towel, but SongHubs turned all that around by allowing me to meet like-minded creatives that I never would've had the opportunity to meet.”
– Angeline Armstong, Telenova
SongMakers Murrumbidgee Regional High School with Taka Perry - Photo Vince Bucello
RESONATE at Studios 301 Sydney
Back row L – R: Mindy Kwanten, Blake Rhodes, Vince Goodyer, Jacob Ridgeway, Athol Munro, Brendon Boney, Luke Briscoe, Jarulah Slabb, François Tétaz (curator); Middle Row L – R: Antonia Gauci (production facilitator), Gill Dunn (APRA AMCOS) Donna Woods (NATSIMO), Tamara Williams; Front Row L – R: Becca Hatch, Mi-kaisha Masella, Tessa Nuku, Leah Flanagan (NATSIMO), Tasman Keith, Tamara Williams
Photo Jess Gleeson
L-R: Tasman Keith, Brendan Boney, Athol Munro at RESONATE
Photo Jess Gleeson
In October 2020, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO) unveiled its strategic plan outlining its mission and goals as an Indigenous-led initiative of APRA AMCOS and peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music creators.
NATSIMO has created new programs and opportunities to support the growth and development of songwriters and composer members: