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Female songwriters and composers dominate the APRA Professional Development Awards for 2017

The finalists for the APRA Professional Development Awards have been announced, with 40 Aussie songwriters and composers in the running to win a share of the $135,000 prize pool.

APRA PAD awards

40 Aussie songwriters and composers have been announced as finalists for the 2017 APRA Professional Development Awards.

APRA’s Professional Development Awards celebrate songwriters and composers from the full gamut of musical fields in Australia, including popular contemporary, classical, film and TV, and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander.

As The Music point out, more than 60 percent of this year’s finalists are female (which is fucking amazing), with Julia Jacklin, Tkay Maidza, Gordi, Ainslie Wills, Kučka, and Montaigne up for the prize. Other finalists include Oscar Key Sung, Just a Gent and Thief.

Previous winners of the PDAs including big names such as Gotye, Abbe May, and Briggs.

This year’s winners will be announced on July 25. Check out the full list of finalists below.

Popular Contemporary:

Ainslie Wills
Dave Crowe
Elizabeth Mitchell
Hannah Cameron
Hannah Crofts
Jessica Cerro (Montaigne)
Julia Jacklin
Peter Harding (Thief)
Sophie Payten (Gordi)
Tkay Maidza

Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander:

Benjamin Walker
Jess Beck
Joseph Dargan (Lucky Luke)
Robbie Miller
Zaachariaha Fielding

Classical:

Amanda Cole
Julian Day
Katy Abbott
Nicole Murphy
Tristan Coelho

Country:

Christie Lamb
Danielle Blakey
Fanny Lumsden
Kaylee Bell
Timothy James Bowen

Dance/Electronic:

Jacob Grant (Just a Gent)
Laura Lowther (Kučka)
Nat Conway
Nicholas Drabble (Set Mo)
Oscar Key Sung

Film & Television:

Amy Bastow
Angela Little
Claire Deak
Damien Lane
Pru Montin

Jazz:

Andrea Keller
Daniel Susnjar
Kristin Berardi
Sam Anning
Steve Barry

Smugglers Of Light:

Eric Avery
Gina Williams
Jessica Hitchcock
Yirrmal Marika
Zaachariaha Fielding