WAM Song of the Year

History

WAM was originally formed as the Western Australian Rock Music Industry Association Inc. (WARMIA) in 1985, with its main aim to develop and run annual awards recognising achievements within the music industry in Western Australia. WAM first received project funding from the state government in 1989, and in the early 90s the word "rock" was dropped from the title to give the organisation scope to take on a broader constituency.

In 1989 the inaugural WA Song Contest commenced, in 2002 it was rebranded as the WAM Song of the Year.

The WAM Song of the Year is open to all residents of Western Australia. The song must be the original work of the songwriter(s). Songwriters with a publishing deal can only enter the Professional category.

Winners

* 1996 - "Lash" - then known as Exteria (‘Youth’ category)
* 1997 - "Beaverloop" ('Pop' category)
* 1998 - "Cartman" (‘Pop’ & ‘Acoustic’ categories)
* 2000 - "Ivan Zar" (‘Blues’ category)
* 2001 - "Halogen" (special theme category ‘Love’)
* 2002/03 - "Andrew Horabin" ('Political' category)
* 2004 - "Lauren Brede" ('Outstanding Regional' category)
* 2005 - "Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band)" ('Pop' category)
* 2006 - "Erik Hecht (Institut Polaire)" ('Pop' category)
* 2007 - "Josh Fontaine" ('Pop' category)

Categories

2003

In 2003 there were 1,247 entries and 75 shortlisted nominees in the 15 genre categories. Winners each received $1,000 (Children & Youth winners received $500) and a days recording time at a top Perth studio. The Grand Prize winner received the opportunity to have a promotional single recorded, pressed and released among other select opportunities.

The individual category award winners were:
*Country - "Asbestos Fibro" - ADM Powell
*Easy Listening Pop/R'n'B - "Back 2 those Timez" - Chanelle
*Electronic/Hip Hop - "Boy X Girl Y" - Johnson, Vernie
*Hard Rock/Metal/ Punk - "Reprisal" - Simon Pilkington, Aaron Smith
*Indi Pop/Rock - "Andy Warhol" - Little Birdy
*Jazz/ Funk - "That Hurt" - Myles Wright
*Roots - "Sheba Lane" - Lynn Hazelton
*Soundtrack/ Filmscore/Experimental - "Green Lantern" - Johannes Luebbers
*World/Multicultural - "Day Oh" - Eloy Cardenas
*Indigenous - "Raining On Djilba" - George Walley
*Children - "Something More" - Wesley Fuller
*Youth - "On My Own" - Ryan Blair, Justin Flamer
*Love - "Walking Over Sea" - Sam Dunn, Ben Dunn
*Political - "Georgie Boy" - Andrew Horabin
*Songs For Kids - "Pirlpirltji" - L. Hazelton, A. Ovi, S. Stanford

2004

The WAM Song of the Year for 2004 was announced at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle on Thursday September 16, 2004. The evening featured performances from past winners including Andrew Horabin and Lynn Hazelton, as well as finalists for the 2005 competition. The WAM Song of the Year was presented by the Minister for the Arts the Hon. Sheila McHale. There was over 1,300 songs entered in the competition with 75 works nominated by the industry panels as finalists in the 15 genre categories.

The individual category award winners were:
*Commercial/Contemporary Pop - "Breathe" - Cassie Swinney, Alistair Watson & Escher
*Country - "Dirty Liar" - Rob Findlay & Haley Mason
*Electronic/Dance Category - "Hit '5'" - Tim Macnamara & Diego Bosco
*Hard Rock/Metal - "Bay of Martyrs" - Mike Sukys
*Indie Rock/Punk Category - "Tread Easy" - James Crombie & The Bank Holidays
*Jazz - "West Bank Moon" - Michael Pigneguy & Sian Brown
*Roots - "Slipping With the Blues" - Gerard Maunick
*Urban - "Wait a Minute" - Bjorn Berlinger & Nathan Jamieson
*Love - "Blame Me" - Frans Bisschops, Jasmine Yee & Michael Miller
*Gospel - "Take Over" - Chad Blondel
*ASME Upper Secondary (Years 11-12) – "Radio Play" - Melissa Erpen
*ASME Lower Secondary (Years 8-10) – "Home Sweet Home" - Danni Stefanetti
*ASME Primary Category – "Sidewalk Surfer" - The Flairz
*Indigenous - "Hardway" - The Hill (John Bullen, Jarred Wall)
*Outstanding Regional Song - "Time For You To Go" - Lauren Brede

2005

The WAM Song of the Year for 2005 was announced at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle on Thursday October 27, 2005. The evening featured performances from past winners including Andrew Horabin and Lynn Hazelton, as well as finalists for the 2005 competition. Performing on the night were The Bank Holidays, Lake of Bass, New Rules For Boats, Peter Brandy, The Flairz and the 2004 Song of the Year winner, Lauren Brede. The WAM Song of the Year was presented by the Minister for the Arts the Hon. Sheila McHale. There were close to 1,500 songs entered in the competition with 86 works nominated by the industry panels as finalists in the 17 genre categories.

The individual category award winners were:
*Pop - "Sleepy Little Death Toll Town" - Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band)
*Mixed Bag - "Then You Appear" - Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band)
*Blues & Roots - "4 Men Dead" - Kevin Smith
*Country - "Lord I Want An Exit" - Emily Barker
*Electronic/Dance - "We Gave Colour Away" - Harvey Rae and Hiro? (Thread)
*Love - "Drunkard's Wife" - Pete Stone
*Rock - "Information" - Sascha Ion, Ronan Charles, Stuart Leach (One Horse Town)
*Urban - "Take 5" - Bjorn Berlinger (Tsunami)
*World and Folk - "Long Time Ago" - Peter Brandy
*Jazz - "Storm" - Marnie Kent and Grant Windsor (Ginger Blu Collective)
*Heavy Rock/Metal - "Falling" - Shannon de Bie
*Gospel - "Learning to Say" - Mark Cullen
*Indigenous Song of the Year - "Long Time Ago" - Peter Brandy
*Regional Song of the Year - "Lord I Want An Exit" - Emily Barker
*Primary School Aged - "Holey Cheeses" - Oliver Bradley, Albert Loss
*Lower Secondary School Aged - "Memory Lane" - Wesley Fuller
*Upper Secondary School Aged - "The Best is Yet to Come" - Ben Blondel

2006

The WAM Song of the Year for 2006 was announced on Thursday October 19, 2006 at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle with awards in 17 different categories. Performing on the night were Kavyen Temperly from Eskimo Joe, The Panda Band, Abbe May and The Rockin' Pneumonia, One Horse Town, the Catherine Noblet Quartet and The Watts. Presenters from Xpress Magazine, The West Australian, RTRFM, ABC Radio, Nova 93.7, Drum Media, Network 10, APRA, Perth International Arts Festival and Minister for the Arts, the Honorable Sheila McHale announced the winners. The winners of most categories walked away with $1,000 cash and 1 day of recording time in a leading Perth studio. The winner of the Grand Prize received an additional 3 days recording time with renowned producer Rob Grant at Poons Head and the pressing of 500 promotional singles/EPs through Westlink Multimedia/MGM.

The individual category award winners were:
*Pop - "City Walls and Empires" - Erik Hecht (Institut Polaire)
*Blues/Roots - "Sidewindin'" - Abbe May
*Gospel - "Flowers In the Desert" - Jeremy Dixon
*Electronic/Dance - "These Times" - David McKinney, Rachel Claudio
*Heavy Rock/Metal - "Drag In Drag Out" - Kevin Curran, Todd Fishwick
*Primary - Free - "Matt Larsen"
*Rock - "Red Means Go" - B. Mulvena-Trinder, I. Berney, J. Sher, C. Palmer
*Jazz - "Wanderer" - Catherine Noblet
*Lower Secondary - "Shadows Of A City" - E. Hamilton, G. Hutchings, M. Mackintosh, L. Osborn
*Urban - "Lose Control" - Sundeep Barman-Roy
*World/Folk - "Mon Ankor Anmourer" - Grace Barbe, James Searle
*Love - "Old Folks, Drunks and Babies" - Sascha Ion
*Upper Secondary - "Happy Birthday Dave" - Matthew Beau Gresham
*Regional - "Call Of The Wild" - Xavier Brown
*Country - "Live On Love" - Polly (Kylie) Medlen
*Indigenous - "Our Song" - Jason Bartlett and Phillip Bartlett
*Mixed Bag - "It's a PC 21st Century New Millennium Romantic Arrangement..." - Andrew Horabin

2007

The 2007 WAM Song of the Year was announced at the Fly By Night in Fremantle, on Wednesday October 31, 2007. There were eighteen category winners and included for the first year a Professional category where published Western Australian based songwriters are given the chance to enter their works in WA’s premier song writing Awards. The Grand Prize for the WAM Song of the Year in 2007 includes a 3 day recording session and a pressing of 500 CDs.

The individual category award winners were:
*Gospel - "My Hallelujah" Paul Morrison
*Jazz - "Curious Yellow" Adrian Kelly
*Country - "Take Me With You" Polly Medlen
*Urban - "Get By" Glen Foreman, Scott Griffiths & Alex Plant
*Electronic / Dance - "Hot Property" Hayley McLennan and Simon Sieradzki
*Indigenous - "Kick the Monkey" Jason Bartlett & Phillip Bartlett
*World and Folk - "Moodjebing" Jessie Lloyd & Della Rae Morrison
*Regional - "Two Months" Polly Medlen
*Love - "There is a Room on Hold" James Crombie & Wibekke Reczek (The Bank Holidays)
*Blues 'n' Roots - "Lara Clare" Craig Sinclair
*Primary - "Valley of Flowers" by Madi MacDougall & Erika McKay
*Lower Secondary - "Wishing on a Star" Jordi Davieson
*Upper Secondary - "Overcast Day" Timothy Nelson
*Mixed Bag - "Bring Out Your Dead" Rachael Dease, Tristen Parr, Ant Gray, Tara John & Greg Hosking (Schvendes)
*Rock - "The World or Nothing" Scott Tomlinson, Greg Sanders, Brenton Bell & Dayvid Clark
*Heavy Rock/Metal - "Broken Eyes" Brett Jones, Johnny Kyi & Nigel Watts
*Pop - "Holidayz" Josh Fontaine
*Professional - "Sun Dirt Water" by Vikki Thorn (The Waifs)

2008

85 nominees in 17 categories have been finalised for the 2008 WAM Song of the Year. For the first time, the public have been invited to vote for a nominee in the Most Popular Song category. The Grand Prize for the WAM Song of the Year now includes a cash prize of $5,000, together with 3 day recording session at Poons Head Recording Studio and 500 CDs. The Presentation Ceremony will be held at the Fly By Night Musicians’ Club in Fremantle on Thursday 9 October 2008.