The search for WA’s best songwriters draws one step closer as West Australian Music (WAM) reveal the impressive pool of nominees for the 2021 Song of the Year competition presented by Act Belong Commit. WA’s premier songwriting competition, with this year’s nominees in the running for a share of over $45,000 in prizes donated by generous prize and studio sponsors, and the opportunity to join the star-studded ranks of previous winners Stella Donnelly, Beni Bjah, Kučka, Little Birdy, Abbe May, The Waifs and Methyl Ethel.

Following careful consideration and evaluation from a panel of industry judges, the 2021 nominees feature an exciting mix of emerging and established artists representing all genres, ages, levels and backgrounds (full list below). WA’s regional and remote songwriting talent shines bright this year, with over a quarter of nominations heading to regionally-based artists, including dual nominations for Mid West acts Warralgurniya and RATSALAD, and Great Southern region’s PINSTRIPE and House of Commons. Joining them with two nominations apiece are impressive Perth-based artists Siobhan Cotchin, Jack Davies and The Bush Chooks, Carla Geneve, Timothy Nelson, Ella Gilbert, The Struggling Kings and Pat Chow.

After taking the iconic awards event online in 2020, WAM are excited to bring nominees and music-lovers back to Freo.Social for the Song of the Year 2021 Awards Party on Wednesday 30 June. Hosted by the magnificent MC duo Blake Williams and Odette Mercy, the winners will be revealed live during the event, with performances from nominees Chaos Divine, Wasteland, Sydnee Cartner and Detour, plus tunes from RTRFM’s Homegrown DJs.  The evening will also see a special live performance from Warralgurniya, featuring 87 year old Warriyangga-Thiinma elder Peter Salmon. The last remaining speaker of the endangered Thiinma language, Mr Salmon will be travelling to Perth from the Upper Gasgoyne to take part in the ceremony and perform their song “Warri Yungu, Warri Baba”, which featured on WAM’s Sounds of the Mid West compilation and was nominated in both the Global and Outstanding Indigenous categories. Tickets for the Song of the Year 2021 Awards Party are now on sale HERE.

WAM are excited to be working alongside Healthway to share the Act Belong Commit message for mental and physical health through-out the competition. An increasingly important message over the previous 12 months, the songwriting process and returning Act Belong Commit category provided songwriters an opportunity to explore mental wellness, the journey for an improved lifestyle and the importance of community and connectedness.

With the countdown for the coveted winner reveal now on, it’s time to dive into the impressive songs of this year’s WAM Song of the Year nominees and get a glimpse of some of the best new music created in WA from the previous year!

SONG OF THE YEAR 2021 NOMINEES

ACT BELONG COMMIT
Presented by Healthway | Studio Sponsor Lolly Box Music

Loud Jordan Anthony
Are You Ok? Kelea
Cactus King Brown
Always Was Always Will Be Natasha Elridge
Everglow PINSTRIPE
Grow Sam McGovern 

BLUES/ROOTS
Presented by Clancy’s Fish Pub Fremantle | Studio Sponsor Artisan Music

Devils Curse Helen Townsend
Peaceful Kind of Love Jimmy McGrath
Storm Michael Day
Weeping Willow Mossy Fogg
Just The Way It Is Siobhan Cotchin
Darkness In The Light Tracey Barnett 

COUNTRY
Presented by Country Music Club of Boyup Brook | Studio Sponsor Shanghai Twang Studios

Old Man On The Hill Al Mac
Charlotte Avenue Brandon Poletti
The Right Reasons Carla Geneve
Attention Claudia Tripp
Ngany Koorlangka (My Kid) Cyndy Moody/Phil Bartlett – Ngaalang Moort
Some Things Don’t Last a Very Long Time Jack Davies and The Bush Chooks 

ELECTRONIC
Presented by Freo.Social | Studio Sponsor Fremantle Recording Studios

Kind Regards Drew Mayhills
Highs Lows Fourth State Turiya
For Phil My Brother Fran
IIX House of Commons
Coppola (feat. Marksman Lloyd) Maver
The Protest Sonic Reflection 

EXPERIMENTAL
Presented by RTRFM 92.1 | Studio Sponsor Pavement Studios

Morning Call Furchick
I’m Gonna Kill You But I’m Gonna Take My Time House of Commons
Hela Kuti Injured Ninja
Coodamurup Jean-Michel Maujean
The Call samarobryn
Ashes to Oceans Matt Tondut 

FOLK
Presented by The Poster Girls | Studio Sponsor Tone City Recording Studio

The Right Reasons Carla Geneve
It Goes For Miles Helen Shanahan
Loving You’s Like a Mouldy Cup of Tea Jack Davies and The Bush Chooks
Clocks Kris Nelson
Wadandi Boodja The Nomadics
Biding Time Timothy Nelson

POP
Presented by Lyric Lane | Studio Sponsor Soundbaker

Whole Anna Schneider
In The Fire Coterie
Out Of The Blue Ella Gilbert
A Pane Of Glass No Charisma
Your House Timothy Nelson
Grid Wasteland, Sydnee Carter 

OUTSTANDING REGIONAL
Presented by Spotify | Studio Sponsor Real2Reel / James Newhouse

Afterglow Brayden Sibbald
Good Faith Intrusion
Justify My Shadow and I
Everglow PINSTRIPE
Indigenous People Rocky Ridge Band
Fever Dreams Technicolor Dream Machine 

PUNK/HARDCORE
Presented by Rosemount Hotel | Studio Sponsor Blondel Recording Studios

Love Hate Cryot Girl
What Moral Compass Desert Dogs
We’re Just Blood Electric State
It Gets Worse Pat Chow
Bloke RATSALAD
Cracks Sly Withers 

ROCK
Presented by Badlands Bar | Studio Sponsor Debaser Studios

I Wanna Know Big Orange
It Gets Worse Pat Chow
The Fair-Weather Friend Blues Siobhan Cotchin
Phone The Psychotic Reactions
Baanigarr The Struggling Kings
Skeleton Song Triangle Fight 

SCHOOLS 14 & UNDER
Presented by Perfect Pitch Publishing | Studio Sponsor Vision Studios

Old Land’s Tale Angelina Curtis
Surely Bailey Perrie
Knock Knock Connor Perrie
Take my Heart SubZero
Ghost Tex Holmes
WOAH Vahsoong 

SCHOOLS 15 – 18
Presented by Mega Music | Studio Sponsor John Butler Studio

Big White Lies Ani
Moving On Castle Hughes
Left Shoe Detour
The Time Machine Song Farraday’s Cage
Drop Dead Gorgeous ORCA
Away Patio Living

GLOBAL
Presented by XVinylX / Vinyl Café  | Studio Sponsor Blackbird Sound Studio

Locked Up Dr Cuz and Friends
Jesus Gav Brown
Standing Strong Randa And The Soul Kingdom
We Got It Wrong SKELTON
These 4 Walls VERONIKA
Warri Yungu, Warri Baba Warralgurniya 

HEAVY/METAL
Presented by Kosmic  | Studio Sponsor Sumo Sound Studios

Put It To Rest Car Park Social
No Saviour (Rise & Fall) Chaos Divine
Suffer Slow KIMURA
Freeworld Pystopia
Gravy RATSALAD
Hunter The Harvest Trail 

HIP HOP/NEW R&B
Presented by Sorrento Strategic Music | Studio Sponsor Forest Studios

Darling Adrian Dzvuke
Right to Censor Bluntfield
Out Of The Blue Ella Gilbert
LadyBird Mali Jo$e
Till Dawn nxlly
Mother God Racka Chachi 

JAZZ
Presented by Alex Hotel | Studio Sponsor Tunafish Recording Company

Stranded Brodie Stewart
Cantuta Daniel Susnjar
Uber-Fugue Harry Mitchell
Song For A Better Day Jayden Blockley
The Funk You See John Pin
Ebor Zac Grafton 

OUTSTANDING INDIGENOUS
Presented by Nannup Festival | Studio Sponsor Poons Head Studios

Wet Season Main River Band
Malu Mabu Liyan Matalja
Youngest OG Sarmec
Baanigarr The Struggling Kings
Ngaalija Yangoogoo Yaanaa (Come Let’s Walk Together) Theona Councillor
Warri Yungu, Warri Baba Warralgurniya

We extend a big thank you to all the Song of the Year sponsors and partners:

PRESENTING PARTNER
Act Belong Commit

CATEGORY SPONSORS
Badlands Bar, Clancy’s Fish Pub Fremantle, Country Music Club of Boyup Brook, Freo.Social, Kosmic, Lyric’s Underground, Nannup Music Festival, Rosemount Hotel, Sorrento Strategic Music

PRIZE SPONSORS
Alex Hotel, Debaser Studio, Firestarter Music, Mega Music, Perfect Pitch Publishing, @placeorpoint, RTRFM, Spotify, The Poster Girls, XVinylX and Vinyl Café

STUDIO SPONSORS
Artisan Music, Blackbird Sound Studio, Blondel Recording Studios, Debaser Studio, Forest Studios, Fremantle Recording Studios, John Butler Studio, Lolly Box Music, Pavement Studios, Poons Head Studios, Real2Reel/James Newhouse, Shanghai Twang Studios, Soundbaker, Sumo Sound Studios, Tone City Recording Studio, Tunafish Recording Company, Vision Studios

 

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