The 2020 longlist for the APRA Silver Scroll Awards – New Zealand’s premiere songwriting awards – have just been announced. Here’s the full list of the 20 finalists, with the songs themselves to listen to.

This morning saw the announcement of the longlist for the APRA Silver Scroll, New Zealand’s most prestigious music award recognising outstanding achievement in songwriting.  This Top 20 list was chosen from over 200 entries by a judging panel of 10 fellow songwriters.

Similar to last year, there’s a mixture of new and old blood in the mix. The entries range from TikTok viral smash ‘Glitter’ by Benee to the foreboding folk tune ‘Bone Dat Needs Picken’ by Steve Tofa, to the chill, stuttering pop of ‘Superfan’ by Chelsea Jade.

Previous recipients of the APRA Silver Scroll Award include Bic Runga, Ella Yelich-O’Connor & Joel Little, and Aldous Harding (who took out the prize last year for her song ‘The Barrel’) . This top 20 will be narrowed down to a top five after votes from the full APRA membership, and the award will be given out at the Auckland Town Hall on October 14. The other awards presented on the night include the APRA Maioha Award (celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo), SOUNZ Contemporary Award (celebrating excellence in contemporary composition), the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award, and the APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award.

The judging panel were (in alphabetical order): Amanda Cheng (Wax Chattels), Abigail Knudson (Missy), Cherie Mathieson, Delaney Davidson, Estere Dalton, Mark Williams (Slave, Fat Freddy’s Drop), Marlon Williams, Mel Parsons, Ned Ngatae (The Black Seeds, Fat Freddy’s Drop), and Shayne Carter.

The 20 longlist nominees are below in alphabetical order:

‘Best Thing In The Room‘, written by Lisa Crawley and Robert Kleiner, performed by Lisa Crawley 

‘Bone Dat Needs Picken’‘, written and performed by Steve Tofa 

‘Don’t You Know Who I Am‘, written and performed by Reb Fountain 

‘Get The Devil Out‘, written and performed by Nadia Reid 

‘Glitter‘ written by Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djesian Suskov, performed by Benee 

‘Guilty Talk‘, written by Stephanie Brown and Fen Ikner performed by Lips  

‘Hands‘, written by Bella Cook and Shannon Fowler, performed by Belladonna  

‘I Might Disappear‘, written by Gussie Larkin, Lily West and Abraham Hollingsworth, performed by Mermaidens  

‘In The Air‘, written by Arapekanga Hayden Adams-Tamatea, Brad Donald Kora, Hiriini Stuart Kora, Joel Charles Shadbolt, and Miharo Boaz Gregory, performed by L.A.B 

‘Let’s Just Stay In Bed‘, written by Cass Mitchell and Bic Runga, performed by King Sweeties 

‘Mighty Invader‘, written and performed by Troy Kingi 

‘Remote’, written by Annabel Alpers and performed by Hamerkop 

‘Ruffle‘, written by Matthew Barus and Lauren Barus, performed by Terrible Sons 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdgXQSVmpWE

‘Superfan‘, written by Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Leroy Clampitt, performed by Chelsea Jade 

‘Take‘, written by Finn Scholes, Tam Scholes, Siobhanne Thompson, Cass Mitchell and Alistair Deverick, performed by Carnivorous Plant Society 

‘Trouble‘, written by Mona Sanei and Frank Eliesa, performed by CHAII 

‘Walk‘, written and performed by Ria Hall 

‘War Outside‘, written by Elijah Manu, Albert Purcell and Rory Noble, performed by Church & AP 

‘Who?‘, written by Lance Fepuleai, Tony Tz, Harry Huavi, and Stephen Atutolu, performed by Team Dynamite feat. Diggy Dupe

‘You Were Mine‘, written by Tamara Neilson and Joshua Neilson, performed by Tami Neilson