More than 800 musicians from across Western Australia submitted songs to WAM’s 2025 Song of the Year competition, with nominees selected across 17 categories. The annual program put a spotlight on emerging and established WA songwriters; its awards night was held at Fremantle’s Freo.Social on June 18, 2025. The nominee details and quotations below were reported by PerthNow on May 10, 2025.
Who was nominated for WAM Song of the Year in 2025?
PerthNow reported that WAM selected nominees in 17 categories after receiving more than 800 song submissions from WA musicians. The report highlighted several artists who received multiple nominations: ICONYX had three, while Adrian Dzvuke and Joan & The Giants each had two.
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Misticia Campbell, then 22, was nominated in two categories, including A Song for Sophie, for “Lost Again.” Other A Song for Sophie nominees named in the report were Ella-Grace, Missy, Amberley Mayellen and Liz Zard. These are the names highlighted in PerthNow’s coverage, not a complete nominee list.
Why was A Song for Sophie notable?
Introduced for the 2025 competition, A Song for Sophie was described by PerthNow as a category for entrants under 25, with lyrics assessed for emotional connection. Campbell said “Lost Again” drew on her uncertainty about what to do with her life, where to go, and how other people might judge her choices.
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“The song means a lot to me and delves into my personal struggle with what to do with my life, where I wanted to go, what people would think of me if I went after what I really want out of life and feeling lost and confused in all those emotions,” Campbell told PerthNow. She also called it her favourite song she had written so far, describing its central image as being lost on an island and unsure of her own mind.
What the competition recognizes
WAM presents Song of the Year as an annual competition intended to promote emerging and established artists and encourage audiences to celebrate WA talent. Its current Song of the Year page says entries are assessed by local and national music-industry professionals. Eligibility is checked before judging; high-volume categories may go through two rounds, and category winners are considered by a separate panel for the overall awards.
That current page also says judges focus on songwriting rather than recording polish: eligible entries can be unreleased songs, demos or phone recordings. Entrants provide the act and song names, an audio file and songwriter details, with lyrics and production or recording credits where applicable. These describe the mechanics WAM lists now; they should not be read as confirmation of every 2025 rule or fee.
What happened at the 2025 awards?
The awards night was scheduled for June 18, 2025, at Freo.Social. At the time of PerthNow’s May report, winners were still to be announced. The story said the A Song for Sophie winner would receive a cash prize and mentoring with San Cisco’s Jordi Davieson; that is the 2025 award detail reported at the time, not the terms WAM lists for later editions.
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WAM CEO Owen Whittle said the field showed “that there is something in the water in WA and that we continue to develop the most diverse and exciting music in the country.” The quote captures the competition’s broader role: recognition for individual songwriting and visibility for the state’s varied music community.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the 2025 competition fits later editions
The competition continued beyond the 2025 nominees. WAM’s 2026 Song of the Year archive names Coco Elise’s “Colour The Stencil” as both the Folk category winner and overall Grand Prize winner. Separately, the Western Australian Government reported more than 800 original submissions for the 2026 competition. Those figures belong to 2026, not the 2025 field.
WAM Song of the Year should also not be confused with the separate WAM Awards. The latter recognize a broader range of music-industry work, including craft, genre acts, industry and venues, releases, and long-standing contributions; its 2026 awards page describes that program.
The Government of Western Australia says WAM received $323,935 in Healthway funding in 2025 for its State-wide Music Program 2025–2027, which includes Song of the Year alongside other activities. This funding figure concerns the wider program, not a stated prize pool for the 2025 competition.
