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The National Secondary School Songwriting Competition is the flagship programme of the Play It Strange Trust.
The finalists have their songs recorded at a professional recording studio. Each recorded song is mastered and included on the annual Play It Strange album.
The album is available for free downloading and/or streaming soon.
AWARDS
Junior Maioha (best song in Te Reo Maori)
David Richwhite Lyric Award (best lyrics)
Play It Strange PWC School Of The Year (most songs in the final list)
First Place in the 2019 Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition is Deena Kaiaruna from King’s College, Auckland with her song ‘A Normal Day.’
Deena receives the Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition 1st Place Trophy, a $1,000 NZ Rockshop voucher and a NZ On Air “Special Tracks” grant of up to $8,000 for recording the track professionally and to make a music video.
Thanks to all who entered – your writing and entering a song is in itself a triumph!
All awards in the 2019 Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition plus the full finalist list below.
"A Normal Day"
King's College
(Auckland)
"Deena Kaiaruna’s winning song is a truly engaging and vivid work. Musically it is adventurous and dynamic. And lyrically her heart is on her sleeve with much for us to respond to." - Mike Chunn, CEO
"Pamamae"
Kaipara College
(Auckland)
“iLL”
Homeschooled
(Auckland)
(Gisborne)
"A Normal Day"
King's College (Auckland)
"April Days"
Scots College (Wellington)
"Basement Song"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"Been There, Done That"
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
"Better Times"
Papatoetoe High School (Auckland)
"Canvas"
Papatoetoe High School (Auckland)
"Carbon Copies"
Birkenhead College (Auckland)
"Chosen"
Hamilton Girls' High School (Hamilton)
"Cuts And Bruises"
Birkenhead College (Auckland)
"Down Low"
Bayfield High School (Dunedin)
"Dust"
Hamilton Girls' High School (Hamilton)
"Everyone Loves Her"
Western Springs College (Auckland)
"Fallen Up
Epsom Girls' Grammar School (Auckland)
"Falling Further"
Hillcrest High School (Hamilton)
"Forever"
Otumoetai College (Tauranga)
"Golden Hour"
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
"Hasten The Day"
Hamilton Girls' High School (Hamilton)
"iLL"
Homeschooled (Auckland)
"In The Dark"
Diocesan School For Girls (Auckland)
"Insane"
King's College (Auckland)
"La Casa"
Hagley Community College (Christchurch)
"Leave Your Head"
Hagley Community College (Christchurch)
"Let Me Breathe"
Papatoetoe High School (Auckland)
"Lie"
Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School (Auckland)
"Lover
Nelson College For Girls (Nelson)
"Magic"
Fraser High School (Hamilton)
"Night Turns To Day"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"No Other"
Hamilton Girls' High School (Hamilton)
"Not Enough"
Baradene College (Auckland)
"Oh Darlin'"
Kaipara College (Auckland)
"Opportunity"
Otumoetai College (Tauranga)
"Out Of Place"
Rosmini College (Auckland),
Albany Senior High School (Auckland) –
The Band Factory, Kaipara College (Auckland)
"Pamamae"
Kaipara College (Auckland)
"Patterns"
Kristin School (Auckland)
"Pocket Full Of Stones"
ACG Parnell College (Auckland)
"Project EP"
Manurewa High School (Auckland)
"Puppets"
Greymouth High School (Greymouth)
"Rejection Hurts,
Doesn't It"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"Seeing Sun At 9:02"
Waimea College (Nelson)
"Slow (This Is Janice)"
Garin College (Nelson)
"Song Of Hope"
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
"Sound Of The Stars"
St Margaret's College (Christchurch)
"Spaceman"
Kaipara College (Auckland)
"Sugarbones"
Napier Girls' High School (Napier)
"Sweet Escape"
Nelson College For Girls (Nelson)
"Swimming"
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
"Taku Mama"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"Te Kāhui Ariki"
Tai Wānanga ki Ruakura (Hamilton)
"Temporary Love"
Tolaga Bay Area School (Tolaga Bay)
"The Addict"
Taieri College (Dunedin)
"The City Of Dreams"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"The Fog And The Dagger"
Pukekohe High School (Auckland)
"The Seed Is Strong
(He Kākano nō Kaha)"
Kings High School (Dunedin)
"The Way The
Dog Ran Away"
Bayfield High School (Dunedin)
"Time"
Henderson High School (Auckland)
"Triggered"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"Whatever You Want"
Westlake Girls' High School (Auckland)
"Wired By Her"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"You Are Not Alone"
Papatoetoe High School (Auckland)
"You Are Us"
Otumoetai College (Tauranga)
*If there is incorrect finalists information regarding a song title, writer name, etc please email info@playitstrange.org.nz to have it corrected -please put the song title in the subject line.
2022 Winners | 2022 Soundtrack • 2021 Winners | 2021 Soundtrack • 2020 Winners | 2020 Soundtrack • 2019 Winners | 2019 Soundtrack • 2018 Winners | 2018 Soundtrack • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004
Songwriting is a craft of the imagination and we believe that the creative environment surrounding songwriters should foster, expose and celebrate these songs.
We run songwriting competitions with lyric, Maori language, Peace Song awards and others alongside. And we record at least 40 finalists each year in professional recording studios.
Songwriting, performance, and recording are the three pivots of our music evolution.
NZ Songwriters have their own take on what makes songwriting a vibrant, creative practice - read their fresh perspectives in our Songwriters Speak page
Songwriters SpeakWe've designed a poster with all key deadlines and dates for our competitions. Make sure to stick them in your calendar!
Further information about each competitions entry requirements can be found below in our "Competitions" section.
Online entry forms are now available for each competition.
Download the PDF and print it out, stick it up at school and hand it out to friends, get the word out there!
Director/Producer: Mareea Vegas / DOP: Kent Belcher / Art dept: Alex Matthews / Editor: Zac Blair /
Post production: Henry Williamson @ Thievery Studio / Hair: Luci Hare / Makeup: Tiveshni Naidoo / Clothing: Thanks to Lela Jacobs
Special thanks to NZ On Air for their Special Tracks grant which covered the recording and film making.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
The National Secondary School Songwriting Competition is the flagship programme of the Play It Strange Trust.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
This competition seeks songs with the lyrics embodying a focus on Peace. N.B. We are unable to offer the Hiroshima Exchange prizes this year.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
The Winner and all Finalists have been announced.
For all secondary school students in NZ.
The competition is judged based on the originality of the cover you choose to rearrange and sing, written and performed by a kiwi artist.
Supported by a Music Grant from Recorded Music NZ.
2018 ENTRY FORM NOW AVAILABLE
Play It Strange presents a Cover Art competition to celebrate all creatives at New Zealand Secondary Schools.
This competition seeks an Album Artwork for the front cover of the 2018 Play It Strange Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition.
Play It Strange has worked for over 10 years, striving to provide secondary students with a platform they can use to pursue their musical adventures. We've held concerts, workshops and competitions, all with the intentions to provide the right environment from which students can gain confidence, self-belief and an impetus for a career path they would like to follow.
Read MorePatrons, Strange Friend Stars and our Strange Friends are a crucial and valuable community that support us.
We would love you to come on board.
All donations are tax deductible.
If you are interested in becoming a Platinum Patron or Strange Friends Star or indeed support Play It Strange in any way please give us a call, we would love to catch up and talk.
University of Waikato summer paper ‘Introduction To SONGWRITING’ has just finished.
Students have finalised the tracking of their two songs and the results are very cool.
I Know This To Be True was conceived and assembled by Geoff Blackwell of PQ Blackwell, and Ric Salizzo. It is a book about truth, beauty and wisdom. "Sixty New Zealanders in the middle of interesting lives talk about what really matters, truth and beauty, and the things they hold dear to their hearts."
Royalties from the book sales will be forwarded to PLAY IT STRANGE to further their website and school programmes.
I Know This To Be True is an incredible collection of New Zealanders discussing what it is that is important to them. PQ Blackwell have generously donated all profits from book sales to Play It Strange. We cannot thank them enough for their support of Play It Strange, and we are so grateful to be part of such a rich, inspiring project.
The book is available for purchase from any good book store in New Zealand and online. Go and get one and enjoy!
Play It Strange songwriters that have had their songs recorded for the annual CD are making cool inroads out into the world. Their career paths were fuelled from their time at school during which they sent their songs into our competitions and triumphed.
Here we have a selection of those who hit the ground running when they left school. With songwriting, performance and recording experience they were capable and poised for action.
CUSTOMERS: Those philanthropic institutions, individuals, grants bodies and funding agencies. We applaud their generosity in supporting us and their focus on the benefits we bring to the society around us.
CLIENTS: The songwriters and performers that bring their imaginative craft and performing skills to bear and we are all rewarded. From the secondary school songwriting competitions to the recording sessions for the top 40 songs.
Watch Seven Sharp's story on our WE ARE ONE - Concert for Autism here
Photo GalleryNZ Musician Magazine Review
