Finalists Announce For Vanda And Young Songwriting Competition

There were 3300 songs submitted by 1900 different artists in this year's Vanda And Young Songwriting Competition, hardly surprising given the fact that first prize is $50,000, second prize is $10,000 and third placegetter picks up a cool five grand.

Judges have managed to narrow it down to the final 35 finalists this year and it is a mixed bag of unknown artists and very familiar names from across an incredibly diverse range of genres.

The finalists are as follows:

Alexander Wildwood        Summer Skin ALEXANDER WILDWOOD
Amy McGruther                 Running AMY ROSE
Asta Binnie                         I Need Answers ASTA
Bertie Blackman                Mercy Killer BERTIE BLACKMAN
Bertie Blackman                Stella BERTIE BLACKMAN
Claire Wan                          Josephine's Amazing Get A Life Machine CLAIRE WAN
Courtney Barnett              History Eraser COURTNEY BARNETT & THE COURTNEY BARNETTS
Danielle Caruana               Red Wood River MAMA KIN
Darryl Beaton                     Back 2 Now DARRYL BEATON
Emma Lobb                         Boy EMMA LOUISE
Imogen Clark                      Ceaseless Goodbye IMOGEN CLARK
Isabella Manfredi               Is This How You Feel THE PREATURES
James Lyell                         Claire de Lune FLIGHT FACILITIES FEAT. CHRISTINE HOLBERG
Jasmine Nelson                  Keep Her Close JASMINE NELSON
Jaye Kranz                           Come And Go BRIGHTER LATER
Josh Pyke                            Leeward Side JOSH PYKE
Katie Scott                          Living The Dream KITTENS OF THE INTERNET
Lex Burton                          Rabbit Suit KID ZEUS
Lilian Kendall                      Blind Eyes LILI KENDALL
Luke Bertoz                        Shades TALES IN SPACE
Maddy Hay                         Glamorous MADDY HAY
Martha Marlow                 Dust MARTHA MARLOW
Max Sharam                       Permanent Resident MAX SHARAM
Michael Best                      One In Front Of The Other BIG CREATURE
Nicolas McKenzie              Girls DEEP SEA ARCADE
Pat Kennedy                       Forrest CASTLECOMER
Penelope Phillips               Danger Zone PENELOPE AUSTIN
Peter Harding                     Closer THIEF URBAN
Robert Conley                    Paper Thin ROBERT CONLEY
Romy Hoffman                   Archery ROMY
Rose Wintergreen             Feet in the Sand ROSE WINTERGREEN
Sanjeev Veloo                    Strange Condition EMPRA
Thelma Plum                      Breathe In Breathe Out THELMA PLUM
Timothy Nelson                 Caroline TIMOTHY NELSON & THE INFIDELS
Tom Kline                            Hold On TOM KLINE

Artists are required to pay $50 to enter the competition, all of which is donated to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia. This year's competition has raised $166,000 for the organisation.