Australia's most valuable music prize, the Melbourne Prize for Music, has opened entries for local musicians to apply for the potentially career-making $90,000 prize pool.
The Melbourne Prize for Music 2022 & Awards has officially opened its entries for local musicians, groups, performers and composers to apply for the range of career development opportunities on offer.
Valued at more than $90,000, the Melbourne Prize for Music 2022 & Awards is open to entrants across all genres offering three categories geared towards career development, as well as a public choice award.
What you need to know
- Entries for the Melbourne Prize for Music 2022 & Awards open today
- The Melbourne Prize offers career-development opportunities valued at over $90,000
- The award series is open to all Victorian musicians, groups, performers and composers
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
The Melbourne Prize is a series of career-development awards that operate on a three year cycle. 2020 saw the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture, 2021 was the Melbourne Prize for Literature, and now the Melbourne Prize for Music arrives in 2022, in the award ceremony’s 17th year.
A huge asset to Melbourne’s cultural scene, since its inception the Melbourne Prize has offered more than $1.8 million in prizes and awards, artist residencies, equipment grants and an annual public exhibition at Federation Square to Victorian writers, sculptors and musicians.
Melbourne Prize for Music 2022 & Awards categories
$60,000 Melbourne Prize for Music: Awarded to an outstanding Victorian musician or group, including performers and composers, whose body of work has made an outstanding contribution to Australian music and to cultural life. All music genres are eligible for this Prize.
$20,000 Beleura Emerging Composers Award: Awarded to an emerging Victorian composer to develop their career. All genres of composer are eligible for this award.
$10,000 Professional Development Award (+ $1,000 Qantas voucher): Awarded to a Victorian musician or group, including performers and composers, to fund project/s, travel or other proposals to assist with their music career.
$2,000 Civic Choice Award: Awarded to the finalist in the Melbourne Prize for Music 2022 with the highest number of public votes. Voting opens on 7 September 2022 and closes at 5pm on 9 November 2022.
The 2022 judges include three esteemed music sector professionals; Deborah Cheetham, soprano and composer, Helen Marcou, co-founder of Bakehouse Studios and SLAM and Benjamin Northey, conductor. This year, iconic Australian artist Kutcha Edwards is the award-series’ cultural advisor.
The Melbourne Prize for Music & Awards boasts a highly-celebrated list of previous winners, including Cheetham, Northey, Edwards, Paul Grabowsky and Mojo Juju, among others.
Melbourne Prize key dates
- Entries open: Monday 23 May 2022
- Entries close: Monday 11 July 2022, 5pm sharp
- Finalists announced: Wednesday 7 September 2022
- Winners announced: Wednesday 9 November 2022
- Winner of the Civic Choice Award 2022 announced: Friday 11 November 2022
Melbourne Prize Trust executive director, Simon Warrender explained the Melbourne Prize arrives at a particularly crucial time this in 2022, as the industry struggles to rebound from the dearth of the pandemic-enforced lockdowns.
“The Melbourne Prize for Music 2022 & Awards comes at a time when support for the creative sector is needed,” he said. “We have such a vibrant music sector in Victoria and with the support of our generous partners and patrons, we are delighted to be able to offer this year’s program.
“The annual Melbourne Prize supports our writers, sculptors and musicians to celebrate and encourage creativity and to enrich public life – this year our focus is music, which touches us all.”
For announcements and further information, head to the Melbourne Prize website here or follow them on Facebook.
Made in partnership with Melbourne Prize.
