2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition Announces Top 40 Finalists

The 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition shortlist is unveiled today, showcasing a mix of songs ranging from top of the pops to under-the-radar.

Nashville-via-Newcastle's Morgan Evans' Dance With Me, LA global pop group Far East Movement's Bamboo and two songs each from songwriter-performers Ruel, Bri Clark,The Presets and Odette figure into the Top 40 shortlist.

Ones to watch appearing in the list include Françoistunes, NYNE and Hayley Mengelwith tunes that stood out from the 3,683 entries from 48 countries. The Top 40 features 23 first-time entrants with a third of the songs categorised as 'unpublished.'

Through their collective efforts, songwriters helped raise a total $184,150 for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy? Australia (NRMTA), with the full $50 entry fee going towards funding the organisation's transformative programs.

"It means the world to our organisation and the children and adults we work with daily to have the support of over 3,600 songwriters from around the globe, whose competition entry fees go directly to providing much needed resources for a range of therapies and programs. A heartfelt thank you to Alberts and APRA AMCOS for championing this initiative for the past decade and thank you to songwriting legends Harry Vanda and George Young who continue to inspire," said Belinda Leonard, CEO of NRMTA.

Four top winners will be announced in July. At stake is a first-place career-changing cash prize of A$50,000, courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and BMG. Two runners-up cash prizes are also on offer with second place receiving A$10,000 thanks to AMPAL (Australasian Music Publishers Association) and third place taking home A$5,000 courtesy of Aon, and best 'Unpublished' work will be awarded A$5,000.

The winning songs will be judged by a range of music industry professionals, including award-winning songwriter Lior, previous Vanda & Young first-place winner Isabella Manfredi of The Preatures, triple j Unearthed's Dave Ruby Howe, producer Franc Tétaz and more.

In 2018, Gold Coast singer and songwriter Amy Shark took out the top prize for her haunting pop anthem Adore, joining an impressive roll-call of past winners includingGretta Ray (2016), Husky Gawenda (2014), The Preatures (2013), Kimbra (2011)andMegan Washington (2009).

Named after the iconic songwriters and founding members of The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and the late George Young, the competition raises funds for NRMTA and its work with children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, autism, trauma, illness, dementia, behaviour disorders and learning difficulties.

Without further ado, here is the 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition shortlist in alphabetical order:

PERFORMER SONG WRITERS

Aron Blom Low Low Low Jake Mason, Aron Blom, Hjalmar Wilenvand Felix Gothesson

Bri Clark Don't Love Me Bri Clark, Finlay Dow-Smith and Isabella Kearney-Nurse

Bri Clark What If I Break Your Heart Bri Clark and Adam Spark

Clare Bowditch Woman Clare Bowditch

CXLOE Show You Chloe Papandrea, Sam Farrar and Max Farrar

David Taylor Battered David Taylor and Peter Holz

Dean Lewis Be Alright Dean Lewis and Jon Hume

Emma Louise Wish You Well Emma Lobb

Far East Movement feat. Jason Zhang and Kina Grannis Bamboo James Roh, Kevin Nishimura, Virman Coquia, Huang Shao Feng, Zeng Yu, Max Farrar and Colton Avery

Françoistunes Seasons Frederick Mutswagiwa and Andrew Wortes

Hayley Mengel Sober Hayley Mengel

HOLY HOLY Teach Me About Dying Timothy Carroll, Ryan Strathie and Oscar Dawson

I Know Leopard Everything Goes With You Luke O'Loughlin, Todd Andrews, Rosemary Fitzgerald and Jenny McCullagh

Jarryd James Slow Motion Jarryd James and Joel Little

Jess & Matt Virginia Phillip Barton, Jessica Dunbar and Matt Price

Kaiit Miss Shiney Kaiit Waup, Michael Lee Chan, Mohamed Komba, Vincent Goodyer and Nicholas Martin

Little May As Loving Should Gareth Farr and Elizabeth Drummond

Manu Crooks feat. Anfa Rose Fuego Emmanuel Adu Amankwah, Antonio Zito, Ossama Zaki, Wilson Batista and Jose Batista Oliveira D'

Matt Corby Miracle Love Dann Hume and Matt Corby

Max Frost Money Problems Taka Perry, Clea Pratt and Max Frost

Morgan Evans Dance With Me Morgan Evans and Christopher De Stefano

Ngaiire Shiver Ngaiire, Jack Britten and Will Cuming

No Mono Violence Broken Thomas Iansek and Thomas Snowdon

NYNE I Think You're Shannon Elliman and Sione Sisifa

Odette A Place That I Don't Know Georgia Odette Sallybanks

Odette Take It To The Heart Georgia Odette Sallybanks and Jason Cox

Ruel Dazed & Confused Ruel, Peter James Harding, Mark Landon and Sean Douglas

Ruel Younger Ruel, Mark Landon, Peter James Harding, Sarah Aarons, Larry Griffin and Javohn Griffin

Sahara Beck Here We Go Again Sahara Beck and Antony Buchen

Sammi Constantine Ropes Samantha Constantine, Aaron Lee North and Matthew Connelly

Stella Donnelly Tricks Stella Donnelly

The Presets Downtown Shutdown Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes

The Presets Martini Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes

The Maes Driving Ali Through Mining Towns Elsie Rigby

The Veronicas Think of Me Jessica Origliasso, Lisa Origliasso, Roberto De Sa and Isabella Kearney-Nurse

Timothy James Bowen Sing Timothy James Bowen

VASSY Concrete Heart Vicky Karagiorgos, Philip Bentley, Daniel Muckala, Daniel Boselovic and Nicholas Ditri

Wafia I'm Good Wafia Al-Rikabi, Roget Chahayed, John Hill and Stephen Samuel

Winterbourne Better James Draper and Jordan Brady

Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey The Middle Sarah Aarons, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Jordan Johnson, Anton Zaslavski, Kyle Trewartha and Michael Trewartha