The award offers emerging Australian songwriters $3,000 cash and $20,000 worth of mentoring and songwriting sessions with some of the industry's most respected names.
For emerging Australian songwriters looking to break through, the 2026 Diana Torossian Emerging Songwriter Award is now open for entries.
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First prize is $3,000 cash, plus $20,000 worth of sessions from a lineup covering the full spectrum of a songwriting career. The songwriting sessions include time with Andrew Lowden of Thrones, Ben Oldland, DNA’s David Musumeci and Anthony Egizii, Evie Irie and Gary Pinto. The mentoring side brings in Andi Sherry for styling and art direction, Layne Buckley on publishing, Lorrae McKenna on grants and management, Peter Karpin on A&R and Sammie Walsh on PR. Second prize is a 12-month one-on-one Music Career Coaching program with Lisa Butler of the Australian Songwriters Conference, valued at $6,000.
The award was established in July 2025 in honour of the late artist manager Diana Torossian, who passed away in September 2024. Torossian spent her career finding and nurturing Australian songwriting talent – among those she championed were DNA’s David Musumeci and Anthony Egizii, who set up the award alongside Andrew Lowden and David Rosenberg.
“Di was such a cornerstone in Australian music and anyone that had the honour of knowing her and working with her will never forget how tirelessly she worked to shine a light on Australian writers, producers and artists,” Lowden said. “She was taken from us way too soon, but her legacy of uncovering and spotlighting talent lives on through this award. We were blown away by the response last year, and on top of two wonderful winners we also made a lot of amazing connections for the other artists that submitted – which is something I know Di would be so proud of.”
To be eligible, entrants must be APRA AMCOS members based in Australia who are committed to a career as a songwriter and have begun establishing a commercial body of work.
Entries close at 5.30pm AEST on Monday 15 June 2026, with winners announced on Wednesday 29 July. Full criteria and entry details are here.
