Ben Allen wins Tropscore 2012

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Tropfest, together with the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) today announce that Alice Springs-based singer-songwriter Ben Allen has been declared the winner of the APRA Tropscore 2012 competition.

This year’s Tropscore saw APRA join forces with Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, for the first time to support the competition. Entrants composed an original film score or synch to Returning, a three-minute short film by emerging Australian filmmaker Amelia Olsen-Boyd.

Ben’s entry won after being compared with almost 900 other submissions from 23 countries – a record Tropscore response. He will receive a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of APRA, as well as the opportunity to perform at The Domain in Sydney on February 19 as part of Tropscore 2012.

“Tropscore is a great opportunity for anyone with an interest in scoring”, Ben said. “As a songwriter, I entered Tropscore to see whether I was able to write a score. Now I have the funds to buy studio equipment and the chance to speak to people in the film industry.”

Ben has been writing music since the age of 10. A solo songwriter, he performs under two banners – Yellow Streetlight, an electronic act incorporating homemade samples of household objects, and Broadwing, a more conventional, guitar-driven project. A prolific songwriter with literally thousands of recorded songs, Ben’s live performances see his songs stripped back to guitar, voice and sampler. He hopes to focus more on these performances in 2012.

APRA|AMCOS CEO Brett Cottle said that the response to APRA Tropscore 2012 was unprecedented, with 894 entries being submitted. Mr Cottle said the competition was a great opportunity for up-and-coming songwriters to produce an original music score and make a name for themselves.

“APRA works to encourage the next generation of songwriters and composers to find their feet and build a solid career,” Mr Cottle said. “Music is at the heart of the Australian identity, and it is important to ensure that our songwriters and composers have every opportunity to build a prosperous, sustainable future.

“APRA is very pleased to partner with Tropfest to present this great opportunity for emerging film composers. Australia already boasts some of the world’s most influential and successful film songwriters, and with opportunities such as Tropscore, our musical pedigree will only grow.”

The top 20 Tropscore were assessed by a judging panel included Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus), film composer Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator, The Insider), composer Burkhard Dallwitz (Underbelly, The Truman Show), APRA award-winning screen composer Ben Speed and APRA Feature Film Score of the Year winner Jed Kurzel.

The judging panel also selected two Tropscore runners-up: James Wingrove, who has been composing music for film and television using the piano/synthesizer since the late 1980s, and Jayden Lawrence, a student at The Newcastle Conservatorium of Music.

Additionally, a shortlist of seventeen additional finalists was also chosen.

  • Justin Pounsett
  • Jared Underwood
  • Lachlan Bostock
  • John Kilbey
  • Lachlan Nicholson
  • Sean Henry
  • Daniel Soffner
  • Anita Quayle
  • Steve Parkin
  • Camden Tilley
  • Bruce Haymes & Jeff Raglus
  • Wesley Carr
  • Spiro Kanellopoulos
  • Munyah Murahwa
  • Simon Watt
  • Peter Miller
  • Lance Gurisik

The top three entries can be heard at tropscore.apra.com.au

Tropfest 2012 will be held on Sunday, February 19 at The Domain in Sydney.

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