The Preatures Collect $50,000 In Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition

The 2013 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition winner has been announced today, with the top spot being taken out by none other than Isabella Manfredi of Sydney funk rock outfit The Preatures for her track Is This How You Feel?, the third time in a row a female has won the prestigious competition.

The songstress joins Megan Washington (2011) and Kimbra (2012) in being awarded the $50,000 for the first-place honour, the largest prize of any songwriting contest in the world. Manfredi today told The Sydney Morning Herald that while the prize money is invaluable, the recognition is even more so:

“It’s not fame that we seek; it’s the recognition for the work. And to have a recognition of the songwriting process is really important I think. But at the end of the day, I don’t think I would have been any less convinced my instincts were right with it if I hadn’t won.”

American-born, Sydney-based songwriter Robert Conley, who has previously written songs for Brian McFadden and Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes, won second place with his song Paper Thin, while third place was tied between Brissie songstress Thelma Plum and UK jazz singer Jasmine Nelson with their tracks Breathe In Breathe Out and Keep Her Close respectively.

Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition Winners 2013

1st Place – A$50,000: Is This How You Feel?

Isabella Manfredi (Unpublished)

Co-writers: Luke Davison, Thomas Champion and Jack Moffitt (The Preatures)

2nd Place – A$10,000: Paper Thin

Robert Conley (Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing)

Co-writers: Alex Hope, Robby De Sa

Equal 3rd Place – A$5,000: Breathe In Breathe Out

Thelma Plum (Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing)

Equal 3rd Place – A$5,000: Keep Her Close

Jasmine Nelson (UK) (Unpublished)

Watch: The Preatures – Is This How You Feel? (Live At Music Feeds Studio)

http://youtu.be/7k6PcEI3aU8

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