Australian Eurovision related artists win big in global songwriting competition
- Kyriakos Tsinivits
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Eurovision – Australia Decides artists and Eurovision songwriters have taken home top honours at the 2025 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, with the winners revealed this week.
The prestigious competition celebrates outstanding songwriting talent from across the globe, awarding a total prize pool of AUD $80,000 across 14 songs.
This year’s edition attracted more than 4,000 entries from 52 countries, all judged anonymously by a panel of over 70 international industry experts spanning songwriting, publishing, A&R, artist management, record labels and music media.
Beyond recognising creative excellence, the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition also supports a powerful cause. Entry fees directly benefit Noro Music Therapy, with the competition having raised more than $2.5 million since 2009 to fund life-changing music therapy services across Australia.
Among this year’s winners were several artists and songwriters closely linked to Eurovision – Australia Decides and Eurovision itself, highlighting the ongoing impact of the contest on Australia’s music industry.
Louis Schoorl – Third Place Prize
Dutch-born Australian songwriter and producer Louis Schoorl claimed the Third Place Prize, including AUD $5,000, for the song Zombie. The track was performed and co-written by UK artist Lewis Fitzgerald and co-written and co-produced by Danny Shah.
Zombie was praised by judges for its strong songwriting structure, emotional depth and polished production.
Louis is no stranger to success, having worked with some of Australia’s biggest names including 5 Seconds of Summer, Jessica Mauboy, Dami Im, Guy Sebastian and Delta Goodrem.
His Eurovision journey began in 2015, when he contributed to Tonight Again, Australia’s first competitive Eurovision entry, performed by Guy Sebastian in Vienna. The song went on to finish an impressive fifth place, marking a strong debut for Australia on the Eurovision stage.
Louis later returned to the Eurovision spotlight as a co-writer of Can We Make Heaven by Diana Rouvas, selected for Eurovision – Australia Decides 2020. Diana ultimately placed seventh in the national final.
Two years later, he once again made his mark, co-writing Little Fires with Jaguar Jonze and PJ Harding for Australia Decides 2022. Jaguar Jonze’s fiery performance earned her the jury win on the Gold Coast and a third-place finish overall.
Jude York – Emerging Australasian Songwriter
Singer-songwriter, producer and artist Jude York was named Emerging Australasian Songwriter, taking home AUD $5,000 for his song Almost Me, Almost You.
The track was co-written with Sarah Aarons (USA/Australia) and produced by acclaimed Dutch producer Giorgio Tuinfort. Almost Me, Almost You is set for release in the coming weeks via Spinnin’ Records.
Jude first captured national attention in 2022 when he competed in Eurovision – Australia Decides with the powerful ballad I Won’t Need to Dream, finishing in eighth place. Since then, his career has gone from strength to strength, with his raw and emotionally driven music resonating strongly on TikTok and beyond.
A frequent collaborator with Eurovision alumni, Jude teamed up with two-time Eurovision contestant Dami Im in 2023 for a moving duet of her song In Between. He has also co-written and produced the last two singles by Isaiah Firebrace — All I Can Give and BALANCE. Isaiah represented Australia at Eurovision 2017 with Don’t Come Easy.
Adding to his Eurovision credentials, Jude co-wrote Back to Forgetting for Austria’s Eurovision 2025 winner JJ. The song carries Jude’s signature emotional depth and melodic complexity.
Charley – Emerging Global Songwriter Award
Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022 artist Charley was among ten recipients of the Emerging Global Songwriter Award, earning recognition for her song Man On The Moon.
The track was co-written with Australian songwriter Ned Houston and New Zealand’s Harry Charles. The award celebrates exceptional promise through a strong songwriting identity, craft and originality, reinforcing the competition’s role as a global discovery platform.
Charley competed on the Gold Coast in 2022 with I Suck At Being Lonely, finishing in fourth place and leaving a lasting impression on both juries and audiences.
She went on to release her debut EP Timebombs in 2023. Raised in a musical family on the Gold Coast, Charley previously appeared on seasons five and six of The Voice Australia in 2016 and 2017, narrowly missing out on the semi-finals in her second appearance.
In 2025 Charley was selected as one of five jurors representing Australia at Eurovision.
As these artists continue to shape careers both at home and internationally, their achievements underline Australia’s growing influence on the global songwriting stage — and suggest that Eurovision’s creative legacy in Australia is only just beginning.
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