Songwriters from across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States come together to compete in this prestigious and highly respected music industry event. Open to all aspiring and established songwriters, this is a rare opportunity to have original work recognized on a national stage. Every entry must feature completely original music and lyrics, as determined by our expert judging panel, and must not have been commercially released prior to judging.

​

A select panel of four accomplished music industry professionals carefully reviews each submission, identifying the finest songs and their talented creators. The chosen finalists then experience the thrill of performing their work live in front of an audience at the Country Music Honours Awards evening - an unforgettable night celebrating musical excellence.

With a legacy of launching and elevating songwriting careers, this event has become a defining moment for many artists, providing them with exposure, industry connections, and the recognition they deserve. Whether you're an emerging songwriter or a seasoned professional, this is your chance to shine on one of the biggest stages in country music.

​

​​

Competition Prize List

The winner of the competition will be awarded a cash prize of  $2,500  in recognition of their outstanding songwriting talent. The runner-up will also be honoured with a $500 prize, celebrating their achievement and creativity.

​

Rules of Entry

​

1. The MLT Songwriting Award is open to all songwriters. 
    

2. Music and lyrics of all entries must be deemed original by the judges and all songs entered must not be commercially released prior to  the Honours evening. 
    

3. Songs will be judged on content: ie, lyrics, melody, musical movement and structure Entries are limited to 2 songs per songwriter. Please note this includes co-written songs.
    

4. (a): All songs entered are to be a solo vocal performance, with the exception of songs written and arranged as a duet. 
   (b): A duet is a song that lyrically only makes sense when sung by two people from two separate perspectives.
   (c): Accompaniment shall be with one instrument only.
   (d): A multiple-voice keyboard may use only one voice or patch, with no auto multi-tracked accompaniment.
    

5. All songs are to be submitted via the Akudos link which will be provided from the date entries open.
    

6. Each recording must be accompanied by lyrics. To preserve anonymity, the songwriter’s name must not  appear on the typed copy. Contestants will be issued with a number, which will be  used until after judging is complete. 
    

7. Furnishing of performance royalty returns is the responsibility of the contestant. 
    

8. Prize money may be subject to withholding tax and an IRD number may be required. 
    

9. The MLT Songwriting Award is judged independently from the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards. 
    

10. An entry fee per song entered is to accompany each entry. 
     

11.  The New Zealand Songwriters Trust request permission of the songwriting contestants to use their submitted entries for airplay and social media.  
     

12. All finalists’ songs will be performed live at the Country Music Honours Evening. The songwriter(s)  will have the option of performing the song themselves or having it performed for them.  All finalists will be contacted soon after judging and arrangements discussed for the Awards evening.
     

13. ​A condition of entry is that all finalists must be prepared to attend the Country Music Honours evening held during Tussock Country Festival in Gore.
     

14. ​ The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

​​