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ENTER NOW TO WIN A 7″
PRESSING OF YOUR SINGLE
+ HEAPS MORE

ENTRIES NOW CLOSED.

 

THE PROCESS

PASTE THE URL FOR YOUR SINGLE (EITHER RELEASED OR UNRELEASED) TO THE NEEDLE IN THE HAY ENTRY PAGE AND PAY THE $20 ENTRY FEE VIA PAYPAL. PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT FREELY STREAMABLE LINKS (SOUNDCLOUD, BANDCAMP, SPOTIFY, YOUTUBE). ANY OTHER SUBMISSIONS MAY BE DELAYED OR VOIDED.
THE HAPPY TEAM WILL LISTEN TO EVERY SUBMISSION AND DECIDE ON A SET OF FINALISTS.
A SET OF 30 FINALISTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY AFTER ENTRIES CLOSE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25. 
FROM THE FINALISTS, NEEDLE IN THE HAY’S 2022 GUEST JUDGES WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER AND RUNNERS-UP. 
ALL FINALISTS WILL BECOME ELIGIBLE TO PLAY AT THE NEEDLE IN THE HAY PARTY IN NOVEMBER 2022. 

Needle in the Hay is an annual competition and event run by Happy Mag which champions and empowers emerging Australian and New Zealand bands and musicians at a time they need it most in their careers.

With a prize pool of over $30,000 including vinyl pressing, high quality recording gear, professional recording session and plug-in packages, the competition has been carefully curated to give artists the shot in the arm their projects need.

JUDGED BY THE INDUSTRY’S FINEST

Benjamin Law

A multi-faceted media professional, Benjamin Law’s award-winning career stretches across the mediums of non-fiction, broadcast, TV, scriptwriting, and publishing.

Lillian ‘FlexMami’ Ahenkan

A former MTV Australia presenter and currently nothing short of an icon, FlexMami is an unmissable and influential presence in the Australian youth landscape.

Marieke Hardy

Marieke Hardy is a former host of triple j’s breakfast show, a published author and scriptwriter, and the former artistic director of Melbourne Writers Festival.

Georgia Mooney

A member of All Our Exes Live in Texas, Georgia Mooney is an ARIA-winning songwriter who is preparing to release her debut solo album in 2022.

Zach Stevenson

The lead singer of Hockey Dad, Zach Stevenson’s last album debuted at #2 on the ARIA charts, and he is a regular performer at Australia’s biggest music festivals.

Ngaiire

Ngaiire has been a force within the Australian music industry for over 15 years. Her most recent record, 3, was chosen as Double J’s feature album.

Kieran Lama

Kieran Lama is the drummer and manager of ARIA #1 band Spacey Jane. He also runs his own artist management company, Anybody Management.

Jeff Apter

A prolific writer and rock historian, Jeff Apter has written official biographies for Jeff Buckley, AC/DC’s Malcolm Young, John Farnham, and many others.

Stephen Ferris

Stephen Ferris has been DJing since the late 1970s, a key presence on Sydney’s FBi Radio since 2003, and currently serves as the music curator of Vivid Sydney.

Andrew Khedoori

A radio veteran, Andrew currently serves as manager of CBAA’s Amrap initiative, overseeing distribution of new Australian music to community radio stations nationwide.

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

AS PART OF NEEDLE IN THE HAY 2022, FOUR WINNERS WILL BE LINKED UP WITH FOUR OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING SONGWRITERS FOR A SERIES OF ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING SESSIONS

Tom Iansek

A multi-talented producer and songwriter, Tom Iansek is a member of Big Scary, #1 Dads, and No Mono. He is also a label director of Melbourne’s Pieater.

Lenka

As a solo artist, Lenka has had her music listened to by millions around the globe. In 2020 she released two EPs under her own label, Skipalong Records.

Andy Bull

A frequent presence at the ARIA Awards and in songwriting competitions around the world, Andy Bull is one of Australia’s most prolific alt-pop songwriters.

 James Milne

Best known as Lawrence Arabia, James Milne is a veteran of New Zealand’s indie scene. He has won multiple Aotearoa Music Awards and has also composed music for films including Taika Waititi’s Eagle vs Shark.

THE GRAND PRIZE POOL

250 x Your Single Pressed to 7″ vinyl by Zenith Records

Noise Machines Studio Recording Session

RUNNER UP PRIZES

Over $30,000 in prizes to be announced!

MENTORSHIP PRIZE

4x finalists to take part in Mentoring Sessions with leading Australian and New Zealand songwriters

FINALISTS

All finalists will have their submissions listened to by Needle In The Hay’s 2022 judging panel, composed of nine industry figureheads
All finalists have the chance to play the Needle In The Hay Finalists’ Party in November 2022

 

NEEDLE IN THE HAY 2022
PRIZE PARTNERS

NEEDLE IN THE HAY 2022
INDUSTRY PARTNERS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

Yes, managers and labels can enter on behalf on artists.
Yes, signed artists can enter the comp.
Yes, your music will stay 100% private.
If you’ve already released your single on vinyl, or if it has featured on another release, that’s totally ok.
Yes, you can enter old singles.
Yes, you can enter as many singles as you like.
Yes, demos are a-ok.
Yes, your music will stay 100% private.
IF YOU’RE INTO FINE PRINT, YOU CAN SEE THE FULL DETAILS HERE