Applications for the 2009 APRA Professional Development Awards open on Sept 1, 2008.
In 2009, APRA will award eight Australian Professional Development Awards(PDAs) and three NZ PDAs.
Australian winners will receive $12,000 cash to advance their careers through study or travel, PLUS: a Gibson guitar courtesy of long-time APRA Awards partner Gibson Guitars, studio time at Trackdown Recording Studio and access to an online course provided by the award-winning Berklee College of Music. Each prize package in 2009 PDAs will total more than $16,000.
Since their inception in 2001, the APRA Professional Development Awards (PDAs) have helped emerging songwriters and composers fast track their careers. Recognising original music creators with outstanding ability, who needed a little help to make their dreams a reality; APRA has so far handed out 20 Awards, totalling more than $250,000 in cash and prizes.
Songwriters that we have helped make their big break include: popular contemporary winners Sally Seltmann (New Buffalo), Mia Dyson, screen composer Michael Yezerski, jazz composer Mace Francis and NZ hip-hop songwriter John Chong-Nee.