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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.
CALL FOR ENTRIES
The nationwide competition opens in early February of each year and closes end of July. Specifics are on the entry form.
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)
"LA Baby"
Sacred Heart Girls' College
(New Plymouth)
"Rangiātea"
Tai Wānanga ki Ruakura
(Hamilton)
"Smile"
Green Bay High School
(Auckland)
(Auckland)
"Any Kinda Good Reason"
Green Bay High School (Auckland)
"Be Who You Are"
Manurewa High School (Auckland)
"Breakaway"
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
"Camouflage"
Green Bay High School (Auckland)
"Cheeky Cheeky"
St Kevin's College (Oamaru)
"Coming To Terms"
Green Bay High School (Auckland)
"Dancing In Your Flames"
Kaipara College (Auckland)
"Dignity"
Kristin School (Auckland),
Rosmini College (Auckland)
"Dinner Plate"
Chilton St James School (Wellington)
"Flowers of Summer"
Pukekohe High School (Auckland)
"Fun and Games"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"Go With You"
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
"Good Tripp"
Albany Senior High School (Auckland)
"Green"
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
Green Bay High School (Auckland)
"Hills"
Nelson College For Girls (Nelson)
"Holy"
Hamilton Girls' High School (Hamilton)
"Home Sweet Home"
Tolaga Bay Area School (East Cape)
"How Can I"
Manurewa High School (Auckland)
"Japan"
Rangi Ruru Girls' School (Christchurch)
"Julia Peculiar"
Hagley Community College (Christchurch)
"Just Like You"
Liston College (Auckland)
"Key To Life"
ACG Parnell College (Auckland)
"LA Baby"
Sacred Heart Girls' College (New Plymouth)
"Lady Ambition"
Diocesan School For Girls (Auckland)
"Late Last October"
Birkenhead College (Auckland)
"Lay Me Down"
Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School (Auckland)
"Messenger"
Feilding High School (Feilding)
"Move Aside"
Hauraki Plains College (Ngatea)
"Pet Peeves"
Gisborne Girls High School (Gisborne)
"Rangiātea"
Tai Wānanga ki Ruakura (Hamilton)
"Saved Me"
Gisborne Girls' High School (Gisborne)
"Say It To Me"
Hamilton Girls' High School (Hamilton)
"See All Of You"
Gisborne Girls High School (Gisborne)
"Smile"
Green Bay High School (Auckland)
"Stay With Me"
De La Salle College (Auckland)
"Stephanie"
Green Bay High School (Auckland)
"Tear Myself Apart"
Katikati College (Katikati)
"Terracotta Tiled World"
Wakatipu High School (Queenstown)
"Till The Morning After"
Westlake Girls' High School (Auckland)
"Tripping On Love"
Nelson College For Girls (Nelson)
"We Had The Days"
Westlake Girls' High School (Auckland)
"Where I Stay"
Manurewa High School (Auckland)
"Who Are You To Say?"
Papatoetoe High School (Auckland)
"Winter (Let It Go)"
Wellington High School
& Community Education Centre (Wellington)
"You"
Baradene College (Auckland)
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
