APRA Marks 100 Years of Australian and New Zealand Songwriting

A Century of Music Rights and Cultural Impact Celebrated with Awards, Anthology and Digital Timeline

by Noise11.com

This year, APRA AMCOS celebrates a landmark centenary, recognising 100 years of songwriting, composition and music publishing across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. From its foundation in Sydney in 1926 to its current role as the region’s largest music rights organisation, APRA has championed the rights of creators while documenting the evolution of the local music landscape.

In January 1926, six music publishers gathered in Sydney to establish the Australasian Performing Right Association, grounding the organisation in a simple yet transformative idea: songwriters and composers should be paid whenever their music is performed. That principle has guided the organisation’s development into APRA AMCOS, which today represents more than 128,000 creators.

First APRA Board 1926 Back L-R: George Sutherland, Cecil Darling, Walter Bassett. Front L-R: Ernest Lashmar, Reginald Nathan, Frank Albert, Sidney Edwards. Credit: John Hearder

APRA’s centenary celebrations span the entire year, with programs and events designed to honour the enduring cultural and economic significance of songwriting. Highlights include the biggest APRA Music Awards in Sydney in April, the Silver Scroll Awards/Kaitito Kaiaka in New Zealand in October, and an elevated SongHubs collaborative songwriting program in both countries. A new hall of fame-style event in November and the publication of a major anthology will further highlight the organisation’s contribution to music history.

“From the licensing of dance halls and radio broadcasts in the 1920s to protecting creators’ rights in the AI era, APRA has evolved alongside the music it serves,” says CEO Dean Ormston. “This centenary isn’t just about looking back, it’s about celebrating the enduring value of songwriting to our culture, identity and our two nations.”

The centenary launch includes APRA: A Century of Song, a digital history timeline charting 100 years of Australian and New Zealand songwriting milestones. Jenny Morris MNZM OAM, APRA Chair, describes it as “a nostalgic and educational walk down memory lane of our songwriting history that’s an absolute must read for any musicophile.”

The timeline highlights pivotal moments in local music history, including Johnny O’Keefe’s 1958 hit “Wild One,” AC/DC, Cold Chisel, INXS and Midnight Oil taking pub rock worldwide in the 1970s, Kylie Minogue leaving Neighbours to release “Locomotion” in 1987, the first airing of Countdown on ABC in 1974, OMC’s 1995 Urban Pasifika hit “How Bizarre,” and Christine Anu performing “My Island Home” at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

The timeline is intertwined with APRA’s own evolution, from its first Board in 1926 to its earliest licences, such as the first New Year’s Eve licence issued to King Island Town Hall in Tasmania. Key milestones include Albert E Rolfe representing APRA in New Zealand in 1927, the organisation’s first reciprocal agreement with ASCAP in 1948, the establishment of AMCOS in 1979 to manage reproduction royalties, and the 1997 APRA-AMCOS merger that created the contemporary entity known today.

Ormston emphasises APRA’s ongoing advocacy, “Whether it was establishing what it means to communicate music ‘to the public’ in the High Court of Australia or supporting live music tax offsets and local content, APRA has consistently stood up for creators’ rights to fair payment, providing world-class service to our increasingly global membership. As we confront new challenges around AI and copyright, that founding principle remains as vital as ever.”

The centenary provides both a reflection on a century of songwriting and a look forward to the next 100 years, as APRA continues to support creators in a rapidly changing industry.

For further details and to explore the timeline, visit apraamcos.com.au/100-years.

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APRA,
APRA AMCOS,
Australian music,
music awards,
New Zealand Music,
songwriting