:: Spotlight :: 2008 APRA Music AwardsBy: Carmine PascuzziHot on the heels of the recent inaugural Song Summit Sydney music expo, APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association), is proud to reaffirm its commitment to Australian songwriters with its marquee event, the APRA Music Awards. The 2008 APRA Music Awards, which will celebrate the achievements of Australian composers and publishers, will be held on Monday, June 16, 2008 at the new venue of the Sydney Hilton. APRA CEO Brett Cottle said, “Maintaining the momentum established by Song Summit Sydney, it is with great excitement that we now turn to the 2008 Music Awards in our ongoing efforts to support Australian songwriters. The APRA Music Awards ceremony is a unique event that recognises the achievements of our outstanding songwriter, composer and publisher members; an annual opportunity to celebrate the songs that define and inspire us all.” With the prestigious, peer voted Song of the Year award the centerpiece of the event, the 2008 APRA Music Awards will pay tribute to the songwriters who have achieved the highest performances of their work and excellence in their craft over the previous year. Nominations and winners in each category are chosen either by the voting members of APRA (in excess of 30,000 eligible voters), members of the APRA Board or APRA based statistical analysis. The APRA awards based on statistical analysis are: The celebrated Song of the Year award - the largest peer voted music award in Australia – is voted by the 30,000 APRA members. All songs written by an APRA member and released in the preceding calendar year are eligible for consideration. The APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors decide the celebrated Songwriter of the Year award and the Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services to Australian Music. Previous recipients of these prestigious awards include Wolfmother (2007 APRA Music Award Songwriter of the Year recipients), Bernard Fanning and Neil Finn and Michael Michael McMartin (2007 APRA Music Award recipient of Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music), Michael Chugg and many, many more. The APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors also decide the Breakthrough Songwriter Award, which recognises emerging songwriter talent The 2008 APRA Music Awards will be hosted by the irrepressible and wildly unpredictable Jonathan Biggins and will feature live performances and special guest presenters. The nominees for the 2008 APRA Music Awards will be officially announced in Sydney on Wednesday, May 21. CATEGORIES – 2008 APRA MUSIC AWARDS ******************************************************************* **Update as at May 27** APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) is proud to announce the nominees for the 2008 APRA Music Awards, the annual celebration of Australian songwriters, which will be held on Monday June 16 in Sydney. And The Nominees Are: Most Played Australian Work Title - 20 Good Reasons Title - Light Surrounding You Title - Lost and Running Title - New York Title - Straight Lines Dance Work of the Year Title - Don’t You Wanna Feel Title - In Love Again Title - Pictures Title - The Others Title - UFO Urban Work of the Year Title - All Night Long Title - City of Dreams Title - Dr Love Title - In The Basement Title - What a Great Night Country Work of the Year Title - Everything’s Going to be Alright Title - Higher Than Heaven Title - Rockin the Rig Title - Run Away Title - Spirit of the Bush Blues and Roots Work of the Year Title - Good Excuse Title - Funky Tonight Title - I Thought About You Title - I’ve Been Loving You Too Long Title - LA Jazz Work of the Year Title - Away Title - Ceremony Title - Eucalypso Title - More Spare Time Title - Postcard From Footscray Song of The Year Title - 1234 Title - 20 Good Reasons Title - Better Than Title - Lost and Running Title - Straight Lines ******************************************************************* **Update as at June 9** APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) is proud to announce that legendary artist manager Roger Davies will receive the TED ALBERT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO MUSIC at the 2008 APRA Music Awards on Monday June 16 in Sydney. Arguably one of the most successful and respected artist managers in the world, Roger Davies' career trajectory reads like a rock ‘n’ roll fairytale. He was born in Melbourne and worked his way up from the very bottom rung of the industry, progressing from roadie to agent to manager of a local band. In 1972 he became the manager of a Sydney band called Sherbet who, under his guidance, became one of the most successful Australian pop acts of the 70s. This early success provided him with the all-important experience that would eventually take him to the top in his chosen field. Based in America and England since the late 1970s he has managed many of the most successful female rock performers in the world - Olivia Newton-John, Tina Turner, Cher, Janet Jackson, Sade and most recently Pink. Roger Davies also manages Joe Cocker and previously managed the careers of Tony Joe White and James Reyne for many years. One of his first clients in the USA was former Steve & The Board front man Steve Kipner, who wrote the song Physical, originally for Tina Turner. Tina didn’t think the song was right for her and Davies was instrumental in passing Physical to Olivia Newton-John who suddenly had a monster smash hit on her hands. The song sat at the top of the USA charts for almost three months and Roger Davies played an important part in the massive success she enjoyed in the early 1980s, including her multi-million-selling albums Physical and Soul Kiss. He guided the incredible comeback by Tina Turner who with What's Love Got To Do With It scored her first US #1 hit in 25 years. The success of Private Dancer earned her four Grammy awards in 1985 and established her as a bona fide rock icon. And her status lives on. In the year 2000 Turner’s Millennium tour was the highest grossing US tour of the year. And since appearing on the Grammy Awards this year with Beyonce, Tina Turner has decided to tour once again with forthcoming dates scheduled across North America and Europe. Davies was also instrumental in Janet Jackson’s meteoric rise to fame in 1990 and her chart and touring dominance throughout that decade. He oversaw the recording of Rhythm Nation and the subsequent worldwide tour, which was the biggest debut tour ever by an artist. In the late 90s, Davies started working with another pop icon, Cher, around the time of her massive international smash hit Believe, and oversaw her hugely successful 1999 world tour and her record-breaking 2003 farewell tour. Cher has just commenced a three-year season in Las Vegas at the Colosseum, Caesars Palace. In recent years, Davies has been working with American singer-songwriter Pink. He joined forces with Alecia Moore (aka Pink) on her second album, 2001’s M!ssundaztood – and worked with her as they sought to take her sound in a new direction. The album had worldwide sales of 16 million and earned Pink two Grammy nominations. 2003’s Try This sold over 3 million copies worldwide, and earned Pink her second Grammy Award. Her fourth album, 2006’s I’m Not Dead has sold over 10 million copies worldwide and its tour of the same name smashed worldwide attendance records for a solo female artist. “I am very honoured to receive this prestigious award and to be recognised before my peers by the APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors,” said Roger Davies. The APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors decide the recipient of the TED ALBERT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO MUSIC. Previous recipients include Michael Chugg, Michael McMartin, Bill Armstrong, Don Burrows, Michael Gudinski, Charles Fischer and Slim Dusty. ********************************************************* **Update as at June 15** Organisers are delighted to confirm details of special music guests who will perform and present at the 2008 APRA Music Awards on Monday June 16 at the Hilton Sydney. Pete Murray will team up with ARIA Award winning act The Audreys to perform the APRA Song of the Year nominated 1234. Co-written by Sally Seltmann (New Buffalo), 1234 was made popular by Canadian artist Feist with whom Seltmann co-wrote the catchy song. Sally Seltmann gets her turn when she and her band perform their version of Straight Lines (written by Silverchair’s Daniel Johns) with Julian Hamilton from The Presets). Celebrated Cold Chisel guitarist and songwriter Ian Moss will perform his rendition of Thirsty Merc’s Twenty Good Reasons while eclectic chanteuse Kate Miller-Heidke takes on Powderfinger’s Lost and Running. And up and coming Melbourne folk, Latin, hip-hop act Custom Kings will perform Better Than by John Butler. To mark his 35th Anniversary as a songwriter, the widely respected Richard Clapton will perform one of his biggest hits I Am An Island. And in what will be a magical moment, Archie Roach will team up with Shane Howard to perform Driftin’ Down the Roper in a musical tribute to the late, great Smoky Dawson. Special guest presenters at the 2008 APRA Music Awards will include PAUL MAC, JULIAN HAMILTON, KATALYST, DYLAN LEWIS, KRAM, URTHBOY, THE MCCLYMONTS, MARCIA HINES, PAUL MCDERMOTT, The Hon PETER GARRETT AM, MP and music promoter MICHAEL COPPEL. The night will be hosted by JONATHAN BIGGINS. ********************************************************************* **Winners announced** The 2008 APRA Music Awards cap off a remarkable year for Silverchair’s DANIEL JOHNS who scored the big trifecta at the Australian songwriter’s night of nights. In what has become Australia’s most prestigious peer voted award, ‘Straight Lines’, a song that was written by JOHNS (with Julian Hamilton from The Presets) and performed by SILVERCHAIR, was named the APRA SONG OF THE YEAR. ‘Straight Lines’ was also declared APRA’s (Australasian Performing Right Association) MOST PLAYED AUSTRALIAN WORK for dominating the nation’s airwaves since its release as the first single from Silverchair’s fifth album Young Modern in March 2007. DANIEL JOHNS was also named the APRA SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR for the third time. He was previously bestowed this honour in 2003 (for his work on Diorama) and also in 1995 (jointly with Silverchair’s Ben Gillies). This acknowledgement, which recognises his unique songwriting talent, makes him the only songwriter in the history of the APRA Music Awards to receive the distinction of APRA SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR three times. SALLY SELTMANN (aka New Buffalo), who was also nominated in the APRA SONG OF THE YEAR category for her co-composition of the joyous pop song ‘1234’ (performed by Canadian artist FEIST) was named the BREAKTHROUGH SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR by the APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors. With her poetic lyrics and dreamy vocals, SELTMANN’s sparkling pop soundscapes have captured the ear of fans and critics across the world. Meanwhile dance pop act ROGUE TRADERS have won their second APRA Award in the category of DANCE WORK OF THE YEAR for ‘In Love Again’. ROGUE TRADERS won the APRA Award in this category in 2006. Three first time winners have emerged at the 2008 APRA Music Awards. In the category of URBAN WORK OF THE YEAR, R&B pop singer JADE MACRAE has taken out honours for ‘In The Basement’. TROY CASSAR DALEY has won his first APRA award for COUNTRY WORK OF THE YEAR for ‘Everything’s Going To Be Alright’, a song he co-wrote with Don Walker. And composer KENNETH SCHRODER has received the award for JAZZ WORK OF THE YEAR for the song ‘Eucalypso’, performed by The Moovin’ and Groovin’ Orchestra. JOHN BUTLER has also received his third APRA Award, this year receiving the award in the category of BLUES AND ROOTS WORK OF THE YEAR for the funked up track ‘Good Excuse’. Rock trio WOLFMOTHER won the APRA Award for MOST PLAYED AUSTRALIAN WORK OVERSEAS for the enduring, hi-octane ‘Woman’. The 2008 APRA Music Awards was hosted by the irreverent JONATHAN BIGGINS and featured special performances by PETE MURRAY & THE AUDREYS, SALLY SELTMANN, IAN MOSS, KATE MILLER-HEIDKE, CUSTOM KINGS, RICHARD CLAPTON and ARCHIE ROACH who along with SHANE HOWARD performed a musical tribute to the much loved SMOKY DAWSON. Special guest presenters at the 2008 APRA Music Awards were PAUL MAC, JULIAN HAMILTON, KATALYST, DYLAN LEWIS, KRAM, URTHBOY, THE MCCLYMONTS, MARCIA HINES, PAUL MCDERMOTT, The Hon PETER GARRETT AM, MP and music promoter MICHAEL COPPEL who paid tribute to artist manager ROGER DAVIES, recipient of the 2008 TED ALBERT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO AUSTRALIAN MUSIC. APRA Music Awards television partner MAX screen a one-hour TV special - “They Write The Songs” that will feature interviews and performances from the 2008 event. They Write The Songs will broadcast exclusively on MAX, 8:30pm Monday, June 30. MAX is available on FOXTEL and AUSTAR. Here is the complete list of winners for the 2008 APRA Music Awards. Song Of The Year Songwriter Of The Year Breakthrough Songwriter Of The Year Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music Most Played Australian Work Dance Work Of The Year Urban Work Of The Year Country Work Of The Year Blues And Roots Work Of The Year Most Played Australian Work Overseas Jazz Work Of The Year |
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