In what’s been a whirlwind two year’s for the Gold Coast native, Amy Shark has taken out the top prize in 2018’s Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition for her mega-smash ‘Adore’. As part of the prize, Amy will receive $50, 000 for the universally loved song that she admittedly “wrote in her bedroom.”

“It’s such an honour to win the 2018 Vanda & Young Song Comp for ‘Adore’. I wrote this song in my bedroom and it’s a testament to what just one piece of music can do and how important it is to keep doing what you love,” said Amy.

“I’m proud to be part of a legacy of songwriters that together have raised over $1 million dollars for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.” Amy will also receive an additional $5,000 Show Group travel package awarded in honour of the late Graham Fear OAM. 

:: Amy Shark’s ‘Adore’: An Oral History

This week has already proven to be a massive success for the indie-pop trailblazer, announcing her largest Australian headline tour to date, as well as taking out the award for Artist Of The Year at the Gold Coast Music Awards. Amy is set to release her upcoming full-length debut Love Monster this July 13th, which features the huge single ‘I Said Hi’. She’ll be celebrating the album release with what will definitely be a massive set at Splendour In The Grass to fans hungry to experience tracks off the new album live.

In winning the prize, Shark joins a long line of Australian songwriters including 2016’s winner Gretta Ray, 2014’s Isabella Manfredi and 2009’s Megan Washington.

Dave Le’aupepe of Gang Of Youths has been awarded the 2nd and 3rd prize for the songs  ‘Let Me Down Easy’ and ‘The Heart is a Muscle’, featured on the band’s 2017 release Go Farther In Lightness. Dave will receive $10,000 thanks to AMPAL (Australasian Music Publishers Association) and A$5,000 courtesy of media sponsor, Seventh Street Media.

“There’s a sense of discomfort I feel when it comes to these things, because accepting praise is not exactly my forte. I never in my wildest imagined that in a competition like this, among so many actually talented writers, that I would manage to place,” said Le’aupepe. 

“Thank you to those Judges who saw beauty and value in these songs of mine/ours, for it’s a reminder to me that they may not be complete garbage after all. Thank you to the scores of writers more deserving and gifted than me for shining as bright as you do. Lastly, thank you APRA AMCOS and Vanda & Young for contributing to such a worthwhile initiative in NRMTA. Their work is well and truly the most extraordinary part of this.”

Aussie pop-rap buzz machine Mallrat has also taken out the inaugural prize for Best Unpublished’ Work, for her track ‘Better’. 

“I’m so honoured to be the first winner of the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition Unpublished prize. This category means a lot to me and all the unpublished writers out there entering songs, and I’m stoked that we helped raise over $1 million for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and their beautiful work,” said Grace Shaw.

Watch the video for Amy Shark’s ‘Adore’ below:

The article was originally published on The Industry Observer