This year saw a record number of entries in New Zealand's top songwriting awards.
More than 200 songs were received for the APRA Silver Scroll which has been won by some of New Zealand's top artists, including Bic Runga, Scribe and Dave Dobbyn, since it started in 1965.
The songs have been whittled down to a preliminary list of 20 which includes 2007 finalists Liam Finn (Gather to the Chapel), the Mint Chicks (Life Will Get Better Some Day), Opshop (One Day), three-time winner Dobbyn (Wild Kisses Like Rain), and Wayne Mason (Sense Got Out), who won the award in 1970 with Nature.
The 20 songs were selected by a panel of anonymous judges and now the members of APRA, made up of around 6000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, will vote on a shortlist of five.
The five finalists will be announced in mid-August with the winner revealed at a ceremony on September 10 at the Auckland Town Hall.
On the night, each song is performed by a different artist or band who are given free reign to interpret the song whichever way they like. As always, it should be a good evening .
The 20 songs:
If I Say - Sam Trenwith (Radiator)
Dreams in my Head - Anika Moa
Walk Right Up - Brent Park and Karoline Tamati (Ladi6)
Gather to the Chapel - Liam Finn
Seriously - Collapsing Cities
One Day - Opshop
One Will Hear The Other - Shihad
Our Love is Due - Lauren Thomson
Butterflies - John Chong Nee and Delani Tuala (Delani)
Bright Grey - The Phoenix Foundation
These Roses - Gin Wigmore
Purua - Brannigan Kaa, Hone Kaa and Jo Paku (Brannigan Kaa)
Baby Come On - Dave Gibson and Justyn Pilbrow (Elemeno P)
Tane Mahuta - Ryan McPhun (The Ruby Suns)
Sense Got Out - Wayne Mason
White Roses - Iva Lamkum, Caleb Robinson and Miles Crayford (Iva Lamkum)
The Phone Song - Nick Buckton (Side Kick Nick)
Wild Kisses Like Rain - Dave Dobbyn
Life Will Get Better Some Day - Kody Nielson (The Mint Chicks)
