Nominations Open For 2014 Grant McLennan Fellowship

Aspiring Queensland songwriters have the chance to nab a $25,000 leg-up in the form of the 2014 Grant McLennan Fellowship, which will see APRA AMCOS partner with Arts Queensland for the first time in its delivery.

The Fellowship, which was established in 2007 after the passing of its legendary namesake in 2006, is designed to give up-and-coming Sunshine State-based composers a chance to travel abroad, taking up residence in New York, London or Berlin for up to two months to encourage growth and development of the artists' skills in an unfamiliar but creatively vital environment.

Last year's winner, Seja, used her funds to spend time in New York, an “amazing, inspirational” opportunity that she says she is “so grateful” to have had.

Officially opening the field for nominations this year, Arts Minister Ian Walker said: “The Grant McLennan Fellowship is a very personal and meaningful award to the remaining members of The Go-Betweens and to the McLennan family.

“It has also been the driving force for a number of rising stars on Queensland's contemporary music scene,” he continued.

Walker further acknowledged the benefits wrought for the Fellowship by the involvement of a national music-industry body such as the 87,000-member-strong APRA AMCOS, highlighting the organisation's growing presence in the state.

“It's great to see the APRA AMCOS's presence in Queensland grow, following on from the first presentation in Brisbane of the APRA Music Awards celebrating the achievements of Australian songwriters and publishers,” he said.

Applications close on Friday, August 22, with the winners due to be announced in November.

Head to the QMusic website for more application information and relevant guidelines.