Dann Hume and Matt Corby’s track Miracle Love has won first prize in this year’s Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, just edging out Sarah Aaron’s multiple APRA Award-winning song The Middle.

Kiwi Dann Hume is, or rather was, of course, the fantastically talented Evermore drummer-brother, while Corby is a former ARIA Song of the Year winner from across the ditch. Miracle Love is from his second album ‘Rainbow Valley’, which opened at No. 4 on the Australian Album Chart last November.

The pair get to share the $50,000 first prize, said to be the largest cash prize of any of the annual international songwriting competitions.

“This song was a special one for Matt and I, one of the first songs we wrote together after a few years between his albums,” says Hume, as reported by The Industry Observer. “No idea what would come, when it was finished it felt like it had always existed and we just happen to find it buried in the backyard studio of his house.”

Songwriters from around the world are invited to enter the annual contest, which takes its name from the legendary songwriters and founding members of The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and the late George Young. It has been dominated in recent years by female songwriters/performers, last year’s winner being Amy Shark. There is Kiwi precedence with our own Kimbra claiming the big money prize back in 2011.

This year saw 3,683 entries from 48 countries, with the winning songs narrowed down from a top 40 shortlist. Judging were a music industry panel that included songwriter Lior and previous winner Isabella Manfredi of The Preatures.