The FINANCIAL — Six talented artists will go head to head in a bid to win the title of Songwriter of the Year.
The University of Auckland contest, now in its fourth year, is a key event in the music calendar that will showcase the work of New Zealand’s up and coming singer-songwriters.
The contenders for the title – Stevii Hill, Emily Rice, Sam Allen, Sam Springett, Doug Robertson and Callum Lee – are all students from the Popular Music Programme at the School of Music. They were chosen at the semi-finals in July from a field of twelve contestants.
The winner will be selected by a panel of judges made up from industry representatives. This year’s judges are Brendan Smyth, Stephen O’Hoy (Amplifier/The Audience/DRM) and Huia Hamon (Kog Studio).
The finalists have all been developing their craft under the tutelage of leading music industry specialists including Godfrey DeGrut, Kiri Eriwata, Neal Watson, Stephen Matthews, Jeremy Toy (Tate Music Prize winner) and LA Mitchell (Silver Scroll finalist 2012).
As The University of Auckland reported, the six contestants will perform a solo acoustic work and two pieces accompanied by a band. The generous prizes and sponsorship are courtesy of MusicWorks, Kiwi FM Roundhead Studio, NZAMP, Kog Studio, and Amstore.
“The Songwriter of the Year at the School of Music has proven its worth as a judge of talent. Past finalists have taken their music and knowledge beyond study and are now becoming successful in the New Zealand music industry” says Jeremy Toy, Tate Music Prize winner and member of band She’s So Rad.
The concert will also feature guest performances from the winning solo artists chosen from the Songwriter of the Year – Schools’ Competition, which will also be held in September. All artists will perform their own original songs.
The event promises again to be a highlight of the year following the 2011 show that quickly sold out. This time it will be held at the state-of-the-art Raye Freedman Arts Centre in Auckland.
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