APRA Music Awards Announce 2015 Date, Open For Voting

The annual APRA Music Awards have revealed that the 2015 ceremony will once again occupy the hallowed halls of Sydney's Carriageworks, but will be taking place a bit earlier in the year than we're used to, on Tuesday 24 Mar.

The shift in date — the APRA Awards have been traditionally held in June — is to move the awards to the forefront of the wider APRA AMCOS annual awards season, ahead of the Art Music and Screen Music Awards later in the year, as well as increase artist availability to attend the event (June is a time ripe for international touring).

There will be 13 award categories presented again in 2015, with the peer-voted APRA Song Of The Year now open, for eligible APRA AMCOS members, until Monday 12 Jan.

Previous winners for Song Of The Year include Powderfinger (My Happiness), Neil Murray (My Island Home), Glenn Richards of Augie March (One Crowded Hour), Daniel Johns and Julian Hamilton (Straight Lines), Wally 'Gotye' De Backer (Somebody That I Used To Know) and James Keogh, aka Vance Joy (Riptide).

The award is designed to shine a light on the best and brightest among Australia's esteemed ranks of composers, allowing APRA AMCOS members to recognise those artists and works they feel have excelled this year. The short list will be announced in January.

Next year's ceremony will welcome to the fold new Musical Director Robert Conley, an existing APRA AMCOS Ambassador who has previously worked with the likes of Destiny's Child, Christina Aguilera, Santana, Justin Timberlake and more, and is the founder of yearly songwriting camp 50 Songs In 5 Days.

For more information about the awards ceremony or voting system for Song Of The Year, head to APRA AMCOS' website.

CATEGORIES – 2015 APRA MUSIC AWARDS

• Song of the Year
• Songwriter of the Year
• Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
• Breakthrough Songwriter Award
• Blues and Roots Work of the Year
• Country Work of the Year
• Dance Work of the Year
• Pop Work of the Year
• Rock Work of the Year
• Urban Work of the Year
• Most Played Australian Work
• Most Played Australian Work Overseas
• International Work of the Year