APRA’s $240,000 Development Awards Open Applications

Applications for the 2013 APRA Professional Development Awards [PDAs] have opened, with over $240,000 to be allocated across eight winners in the music industry next year.

The PDAs aim to give a financial boon to artists who have already worked hard on their careers but need backing to make the next jump. Recently they've given leg-ups to musicians such as Gotye, Laura Jean, Abbe May as well as film score hopeful Caitlin Yeo and now-Berklee student Sean Foran.

As part of the prize pool - $30,000 each - winning applicants could benefit from cash, airfares, publicity packages, mentoring opportunities, distro deals, instruments and other costly elements of working in the creative industry.

In 2013 the eight awards will be given across the following categories: three for Popular Contemporary (which covers pop, rock, blues, folk, hip hop, dance and R&B), and one each for country, jazz, classical, film and television, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Applications close Friday 11 January and are available here, complete with full terms and conditions.