COMPETITIONS

For Year 9-11 students, this competition invites songs on the theme "Threads of Who We Are," encouraging young songwriters to explore identity, connection, and the experiences that shape them.

How to enter: 

Submit your details, a recording of your song and the lyric sheet.

This year's competition will be judged by a panel of judges. The recording and performance quality of the entry is not taken into account in the judging process.

1st place receives a 1:1 mentor session with one of our competition judges and a $500 Rockshop gift card.

ALL finalists will have their song recorded in a professional recording studio (one day to the value of $800+GST) to go on the 2025 Junior Songwriting Competition digital album.

The theme of peace and non-violence is open to broad interpretation – from personal inner peace, peace at home, to unity among people around the world. We invite young songwriters to explore what peace means to them. The lyrics are the heart of each entry, and there’s no need for the song title to be 'The Peace Song.'

How to enter:

Submit your details, a recording of your song and the lyric sheet.

This year's competition will be judged by a panel of judges. The recording and performance quality of the entry is not taken into account in the judging process.

1st place receives a 1:1 mentor session with one of our competition judges and a $1,000 gift card from the Rockshop.

ALL finalists will have their song recorded in a professional recording studio (one day to the value of $800+GST) to go on the 2025 Peace Song digital album.

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Write a song on any theme and in any language. Open to New Zealand secondary students Years 9-13, this flagship competition encourages creativity across genres and styles.

How to enter: 

Submit your details, a recording of your song and the lyric sheet.

This year's competition will be judged by a panel of judges. The recording and performance quality of the entry is not taken into account in the judging process.

1st place receives a 1:1 mentor session with one of our competition judges and a $1,000 gift card from the Rockshop.

ALL finalists will have their song recorded in a professional recording studio (one day to the value of $800+GST) to go on the 2025 National Songwriting Competition digital album plus a $50 Rockshop voucher.

‍Bring your reo rangatira to life through waiata. This competition is open to all secondary school-aged students (Years 9-13) to celebrate and share your kōrero with the world. The waiata must incorporate te reo Māori – whether it’s a few kupu (words) or the entire waiata.

How to enter:

Submit your details, a recording of your song and the lyric sheet.

This year's competition will be judged by a panel of judges. The recording and performance quality of the entry is not taken into account in the judging process.

1st place receives a 1:1 mentor session with one of our competition judges and a $500 Rockshop gift card

ALL finalists will have their song recorded in a professional recording studio (one day to the value of $800+GST) to go on the 2025 Waiata Māori Competition digital album.

This competition seeks artwork for the album cover art of the annual Play It Strange competition digital albums. Your submission could feature as the cover art for our Years 9-11 Songwriting competition, Peace Song Competition, Years 9-13 Songwriting Competition or the Waiata Māori Songwriting Competition.

This competition is open to anyone aged 13-19.

How to enter: 

Submit your details and a digital file of your artwork. Artwork should be in a square format, with space for logos and the album title.

You can submit more than one artwork.