Gretta Ray wins rich Vanda and Young songwriting prize

Gretta Ray’s biggest challenge this week, so she thought, was to get through her English VCE exam in Melbourne.

There are some big decisions ahead for Gretta Ray, who has won the $50,000 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition. Picture: John Feder

Gretta Ray’s biggest challenge this week, so she thought, was to get through her English VCE exam at Princes Hill Secondary College in Melbourne.

That changed yesterday in ­Sydney when the 18-year-old singer was awarded the $50,000 first prize in this year’s Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition.

Now the student with one EP to her name has other questions to answer, such as what to do with the money and whether to pursue a music career or to go to university next year.

“It’s a really big decision,” an excited Ray said after being ­declared the winner of the prestig­ious event run by music industry body APRA/AMCOS, which raises funds for the Nordoff-­Robbins Music Therapy charity.

“I’m young so there’s a big ­responsibility that comes with a prize like that,” Ray said.

“Much as I am completely humbled and honoured to get it, I’m glad I have people around me like my family to help me decide what is best to do.”

The songwriter is on a roll this year. Her winning song, Drive, was also the winner of ­Triple J’s Unearthed songwriting competition for students in August.

The singer, who lives in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg, was focused on going to university after getting through her exams, but now she is considering a gap year to develop her music skills and her growing reputation as a performer.

“I love songwriting so much,” she said, “so it is a bit of a dream to have a career in the music industry, but every second person seems to want to do that. I’ve been looking into early learning education and music therapy and going to university based on that.”

Since the success of Drive, local publishers and record companies have been knocking on Ray’s door, but she isn’t going to make any ­decisions about her future until her exams are over.

The Vanda and Young competition, named after former Easybeats songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young, began in 2009. Previous winners include Megan Washington, Kimbra, Isabela Manfredi and Husky Gawenda.

Also on the winners’ podium yesterday was Brisbane singer Emma Louise, who received the $10,000 second prize for her song Underflow, while third place and $5000 went equally to Sydney’s Tigertown and American songwriter Tia P.