Silver Scroll FAQs
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Story Published Thursday 21 May 2020
2020 Silver Scrolls
How much does it cost to enter?
It's FREE to enter all the categories, so all it will cost you is a couple of minutes of your time.
Can I enter my song/composition in more than one category?
The short answer is yes. You can enter the same song for the Silver Scroll Award as well as the Maioha Award, or you can enter different songs in each category.
While it is unlikely that a work which is eligible for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha will also be eligible in other categories, there are no rules which explicitly prevent the work from being entered in other categories also.
In regards to the Screen Awards, the music must have been written specifically for inclusion in the feature film or series entered.
Can I enter a song I have co-written with somebody else?
Yes, as long as you have their permission to do so, and at least 33.3% of the song was written by a New Zealand APRA member.
Can I enter more than one song/work?
In certain cases yes.
In regard to the APRA Silver Scroll Award – only one work may be submitted by or on behalf of any one writer, except in the case of co-written songs, where a writer may be included in entries for each separate writer/band/artist that they collaborate with.
In regard to the APRA Maioha and SOUNZ Contemporary Award – a maximum of two works may be submitted by or on behalf of any one writer, except in the case of co-written works, where a writer may be included in entries for each separate writer/band/artist that they collaborate with.
In regard to the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film or Series awards – a maximum of three entries may be submitted by or on behalf of any one writer.
A separate entry form is to be completed for each work submitted.
Do I have to be an APRA member?
If you are not already an APRA member, you can apply to become an APRA member in order to enter your work. Our member services team are happy to help you with this.
Does it matter whether my song has been popular or successful?
No, not at all. All categories in the APRA Silver Scroll Awards are judged solely on the artistic and creative merits of the song.
What about the recording quality? Does my song have to be professionally recorded, or can it be a demo recording?
The quality of the recording is not taken into account by the judges, so it can be recorded however you like. However, your song must have been released to the public in some way in order to be eligible (ie. made public via a digital platform like Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube or another website, or via radio or TV).
How are the finalists and winners decided?
For the APRA Maioha Award, SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha, and Screen Awards, we assemble a judging panel of fellow members who have expertise or experience in each respective category. The names of these judges are published each year. They take time to consider all entries and create their own shortlist before coming together to discuss which entries will become finalists and winners.
For the APRA Silver Scroll Award, we assemble a panel of ten APRA members/songwriters as our initial judging panel. They listen to all the entries (often more than 200 songs) and create a shortlist, before we hold a panel meeting to decide on the top 20 songs. The names of these judges are also published each year.
All APRA members are then invited to listen to these top 20 songs and vote for their top five songs in order. The votes from APRA members determine the top five finalists and winner.
All judges in all categories evaluate the entries without knowing who wrote/composed each song/work – they are simply given the song title, song lyrics, and audio file.
All judges have not entered the awards themselves, and must declare any conflict of interest with any entries ahead of final decisions being made.
APRA staff members have no input or influence in the judging of any categories.
Entries for the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards have now closed.
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