Hot on the heels of the inaugural Song Summit Sydney music expo, APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association), is proud to reaffirm its commitment to Australian songwriters with its marquee event, the APRA Music Awards.

The 2008 APRA Music Awards, which will celebrate the achievements of Australian composers and publishers, will this year be held on Monday June 16th, 2008 at the new venue of the Sydney Hilton.

APRA CEO Brett Cottle said, "Maintaining the momentum established by Song Summit Sydney, it is with great excitement that we now turn to the 2008 Music Awards in our ongoing efforts to support Australian songwriters. The APRA Music Awards ceremony is a unique event that recognises the achievements of our outstanding songwriter, composer and publisher members; an annual opportunity to celebrate the songs that define and inspire us all."

With the prestigious, peer voted Song of the Year award the centerpiece of the event, the 2008 APRA Music Awards will pay tribute to the songwriters who have achieved the highest performances of their work and excellence in their craft over the previous year.

The nominees in all categories for the 2008 APRA Music Awards will be announced at an industry event in Sydney on Wednesday May 21st .

The APRA Music Awards gives songwriters and publishers that have achieved outstanding success in their fields across 12 categories, the chance to be honoured before their peers.

Nominations and winners in each category are chosen either by the voting members of APRA (in excess of 30,000 eligible voters), members of the APRA Board or APRA based statistical analysis.

The APRA awards based on statistical analysis are:

• Dance Work of the Year
• Most Played Australian Work
• Most Played Australian Work Overseas
• Jazz Work of the Year
• Country Work of the Year
• Urban Work of the Year
• Blues & Roots Work of the Year

* From 2008, the category of Most Performed Foreign Work will no longer form part of the APRA Music Awards

The celebrated Song of the Year award - the largest peer voted music award in Australia - is voted by the 30,000 APRA members. All songs written by an APRA member and released in the preceding calendar year are eligible for consideration.

The APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors decide the celebrated Songwriter of the Year award and the Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services to Australian Music . Previous recipients of these prestigious awards include Wolfmother (2007 APRA Music Award Songwriter of the Year recipients), Bernard Fanning and Neil Finn and Michael Michael McMartin (2007 APRA Music Award recipient of Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music), Michael Chugg and many, many more.

The APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors also decide the Breakthrough Songwriter Award, which recognises emerging songwriter talent

The 2008 APRA Music Awards will be hosted by the irrepressible and wildly unpredictable Jonathan Biggins and will feature live performances and special guest presenters.

The nominees for the 2008 APRA Music Awards will be officially announced in Sydney on Wednesday May 21st.

To follow is the complete list of APRA Music Award categories. Watch this space for further details on the 2008 APRA Music Awards.

2008 APRA Music Awards - Key Dates

(Please note, the following are invitation only events)

May 21st - Nominations Announcement

June 16th - 2008 APRA Music Awards - Sydney Hilton

www.apra.com.au/awards

CATEGORIES - 2008 APRA MUSIC AWARDS

• Song of the Year
• Songwriter of the Year
• Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
• Breakthrough Songwriter Award
• Most Performed Urban Work
• Most Performed Blues and Roots Work
• Most Performed Dance Work
• Most Performed Australian Work
• Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
• Most Performed Jazz Work
• Most Performed Country work