APRA has announced the top 20 finalists for the 2018 Silver Scroll Award. The annual award recognises outstanding songwriting, as voted for by fellow Kiwi composers and songwriters.

The semi-finalists (list and Spotify playlist below) were chosen from over 200 entries by a panel of songwriters who have themselves each made some wonderful NZ music. The nine judges were: Anji Sami, Anna Coddington, Cherie Mathieson, Jane de Jong (Ruby Frost), Hollie Fullbrook, Nadia Reid, Phil Bell (DJ Sir-vere), Rodney Fisher, and Simon Gooding.

Previous Silver Scroll artist winners UMO (Ruban Nielson) and Tami Neilson are back on the long list, alongside newcomers including Robinson and Yumi Zouma. Voting to determine the 2018 winner is open to the approx. 10,000 APRA NZ members until mid-August. Their votes will determine the final five finalists, with the winner to be announced at the ceremony at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Thursday, October 4.

The Top 20 finalist songs are:

• A Woman’s Pain, written and performed by Tami Neilson
• Alright, written by Sam de Jong and Cynthia Nabozny, performed by Cyn
• Aztechknowledgey, written and performed by Troy Kingi
• Black Crow, written by Louis Baker and Steve Rusch, performed by Louis Baker
• Conquer, written by Isaiah Libeau, Daniel Latu, and Amon McGoram, performed by SWIDT
• December, written by Joshua Burgess, Charles Ryder, Christie Simpson, and Samuel Perry, performed by Yumi Zouma
• Future Me Hates Me, written by Elizabeth Stokes, performed by The Beths
• Hours, written by Julien Dyne, Brandon Haru, and Karoline Tamati, performed by Julien Dyne featuring Ladi6
• Hunnybee, written by Ruban Nielson, Kody Nielson, and Jacob Portrait, performed by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
• Kalega, written by Rob Ruha and Taina Keelan, performed by Rob Ruha & The Witch Dr
• Laugh It Off, written by Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Bradley Hale performed by Chelsea Jade
• New Wave, written and performed by Seth Haapu
• Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore, written and performed by Marlon Williams
• Nothing To Regret, written by Anna Robinson, Allison Crystal, and Larzz Principato, performed by Robinson
• Slow Train Creek, written and performed by Holly Arrowsmith
• Temporary Me, written by Kingdon Chapple-Wilson, performed by Kings
• Two Free Hands, written and performed by Anthonie Tonnon
• Wallace Line, written by Michael Cathro, performed by Ha The Unclear
• We Light Fire, written and performed by Julia Deans
• You Got Me, written and performed by Lisa Crawley

The ‘most likely to raise eyebrows’ award among that fine list must be Cyn’s Alright, the American dream pop artist in the running thanks to the co-songwriting and production role of now LA-based Aucklander Sam de Jong.

Also to be presented on October 4 are the APRA Maioha Award celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo, awards for the Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and in a Series, plus the 
SOUNZ Contemporary Award celebrating excellence in contemporary composition.