Applications for this year's APRA Professional Development Awards have now closed, the judges are now determining who will received the $30,000 prize packages distributed in each category.

With $12,000 in cash and a slew of other industry vouchers and opportunities, there are eight categories to be awards. Past winners Gotye, Abbe May and Laura Jean spoke to theMusic.com.au about their experiences through the awards while current judges Sally Seltmann, Jenny Morris and Will Larnach-Jones open up on what they'll be looking for.

PAST WINNERS:

Why did you enter the APRA PDA and were you hopeful at the time?
Wally De Backer (Gotye): “I entered hopeful that I might receive assistance to travel for mixing new tracks, and try some recording techniques I hadn't explored before.”
Abbe May: “It seemed like it was worth a shot I suppose... I won the PDA about five years ago and at a time when I needed financial help to continue making music. I must have been hopeful to have entered it.”
Laura Jean: “I entered it on a whim and I wasn't particularly hopeful.”

What did you find most valuable from the award you received?
WDB: “The opportunity to do things I otherwise wouldn't have tried.”
AM: “Well, the money was pretty important. I was able to fund a few tours and buy a new computer to replace the seven-year-old PC that I had been using. It was so old that I used to have to turn it on in the morning before work so it could warm up enough for me to use it in the evening. Everything became a lot easier when I got the new computer.”
LG: “The Gibson SG guitar I received ended up being the star of my next album A Fool Who'll. The money helped me be able to have a bit of time off to record and write and do some research overseas.”

What did you need to have in place prior to winning the award?
WDB: “A humanimal pyramid. Three people on the bottom, two turtles in the middle, a quoll on top.”
AM: “I guess you have to be able to explain why you deserve the support... So a recording and performing history helps.”
LG: “You need to be a hardworking songwriter that is obviously on a long, committed journey with the craft. I was also helping some peers with songwriting and production at the time which helped show my support of Australian music.”

Was the prize a relief, or an opportunity to work harder do you think?
WDB: “More the latter. But it offered some freedom to pursue things I might have otherwise scrapped for budget reasons. This helped shape the sound of my last record.”
LG: “It was a relief that I was granted the means to do what I wanted. Of course it meant working harder as well, but songwriting is fun and satisfying so no complaints there.”

CURRENT JUDGES:

What do you look for in an emerging artist that is ready to take the next step with this aid?
Sally Seltmann: “Originality and substance. I'm looking for an artist who creates music that pulls me in and holds my attention and makes me feel things.”
Jenny Morris: “I always look for the musical passion as against the passion for fame, fortune and the more superficial things. Someone who is talented and inspired by the idea that their music may move or change or in turn inspire other people, is more likely to really invest themselves in their art. Be in it for the long haul.”
Will Larnach-Jones: “Above all – and most obviously – the quality of the songs and attention to songwriting.”

Is deciding on an award like the PDAs different to deciding if you like a new artist?
SS: “I am usually drawn to a new artist because their song writing, singing, production and arrangements come together to create something that resonates with me. While I'm judging the PDA's I'll be focusing a lot on the actual song writing, but of course it's difficult to not be influenced by the recording of the song itself!”
JM: “Deciding on an award recipient and whether or not you like a new artist are two different things. There's a very real responsibility in deciding who gets a PDA because there are a great many people with talent who are never heard of because they don't get an opportunity to stick their head above the crowd (something a PDA can enable). There are fewer people however, who have great talent and who have the right headspace, humility, work ethic, and a willingness to learn and be patient. It's a very special package I look for. You don't get to 'investigate' a new artist necessarily.”
WLJ: “There are many other factors as to why I might personally work with a new artist, including their live performance, willingness to work, connections in their musical community and the industry. And of course personal taste for what I might choose to work on closely for an ongoing period. For the PDAs I will be keeping as open mind and heart about the entries.”

What will be the biggest asset to an artist from the prize?
SS: “I think each prize-winner will benefit in many ways, and what is more beneficial for one artist, may be different for another. Prize-winners will have the confidence in knowing that a lot of songwriters and men and women in the music industry really believe in them. They will win money to invest in the development of their song writing, whether it be through attending workshops, travelling, etc. The opportunities that arise from these experiences can be ongoing in a songwriter's career.”
JM: “The money helps of course, but the value of writing with experienced, talented writers, seeing how they tick, whether or not their music appeals, is invaluable.”
WLJ: “I think the whole package is really comprehensive, but beyond the cash and travel prizes the opportunities to spend time with the professional mentors – be they lawyers, publishers, business and music managers, I think will truly help them in taking meaningful next steps in their careers.”

What is the category you're most intrigued about?
SS: “Popular Contemporary – because that's the one I'll be judging!”
JM: “I guess because it's what I'm most closely aligned with, I do the pop category but really, good music is intriguing whatever the genre.”
WLJ: “I'm really happy to be involved with contemporary music – it's such a broad genre in itself these days I really look forward to listening to what the entrants have to offer.”