Play It Strange Announces 2026 National Songwriting Competition Winner

Charitable Trust Play It Strange is proud to announce the winner of its 2026 National Songwriting Competition, following a record-breaking year of entries that has seen the competition reach its biggest ever level of participation.

With more than 500 original songs submitted by rangatahi from across Aotearoa, this year’s competition has surpassed the previous entry record, highlighting the enduring importance of songwriting as a creative outlet for young New Zealanders.

The National Songwriting Competition is Play It Strange’s biggest competition of the year, and this year’s entries were judged by an extraordinary line-up of some of Aotearoa’s most celebrated artists, songwriters and music industry figures, including Cassie Henderson, Shaan Singh of Drax Project, EDY On The Beat, Riiki Reid, Kaylee Bell, Academy Award-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie, Jennie Skulander of Devilskin, Gin Wigmore, Melodownz and Play It Strange founder Mike Chunn.

First place has been awarded to Monique Magdadaro (pictured below), a Year 13 student of Hobsonville Point Secondary School for her original song, You You You.

Monique’s music teacher, Jeni Little, says “I am so happy for her – she is such an incredible student in every respect.”

The winning song made a particularly strong impression on judge Gin Wigmore, who was so moved by the track that she has offered to work with Monique and explore a future co-writing opportunity.

“I absolutely fell in love with this song and am so happy it has won! You You You has a great melody, gorgeous vocal delivery, lyrical content that feels very universal and from a lived experience, AND it is super catchy. I have had it on repeat, I love it so much! I can’t wait to hear this song recorded professionally in the studio, and would love to work with this artist and co-write something together.”

See here for a personal congratulations video from Gin to Monique.

Another competition judge, Riiki Reid, also commented on the song:

“I really loved the ideas in this song. I loved these melodies, very strong verse and chorus melodies. I also love that Monique has clearly demonstrated the sonic world in which this song lives in. The melodies alone really define the structure of this song. I think she is a very strong songwriter and will go very far.”

Second place went to Paint In The Sink by Jemila Vanderput, a Year 12 student at St Andrew’s College. In third place is Year 13 student Cameron Beattie from Long Bay College with his song (It Was Never) You and I. No stranger to Play It Strange, Cameron has recorded six songs through Play It Strange, and won their 2026 Peace Project competition this year also.

Choosing these finalists out of so many incredible entries was a tough decision for this year’s judges. Competition Judge Melodownz said of the judging process:

“It was a privilege to judge this year’s Play It Strange songwriting competition. So much talent, creativity and originality coming through from the next generation of musicians and songwriters. Really looking forward to seeing where their journeys take them.”

Competition Judge Shaan Singh of Drax Project agreed, saying:

“I don’t know what’s going on, but there’s some serious songwriting sweats in New Zealand high schools. There are so many songs being submitted that I wouldn’t change a thing about, high-level, mature, songwriting I even still strive to create like some of the songs I’ve heard.”

As the 2026 National Songwriting Competition winner, Monique will receive a prize package designed to help take their songwriting and artist journey to the next level. This includes a $10,000 recording, video and promotional package supported by NZ On Air, a professionally recorded studio session, a $500 MusicWorks voucher, a JBL BandBox Trio valued at $899, an artist development session with SOLE Music Academy founder Sacha Vee, a radio interview and airplay on 95bFM, a one-on-one mentoring session with a competition judge, and the opportunity to perform at the annual Play It Strange Showcase at Q Theatre later this year.

Alongside the overall winner, all finalists will receive a day in a professional recording studio to record their original song, giving young songwriters the opportunity to bring their music to life with industry-standard support and expertise. View pictures from the 2025 National Competition winner, Salem Māhia’s studio session here.

The growing number of entries this year is a powerful reflection of the role songwriting continues to play for rangatahi. At a time when young people are surrounded by TikTok, AI, social media and an endless stream of digital distractions, hundreds continue to turn to songwriting as a way to process their emotions, explore their inner worlds and make sense of their experiences.

For Play It Strange, that is one of the most rewarding aspects of the competition – creating a space where young people can express themselves through music, while giving them the tools, confidence and industry connections to develop their voices.

Play It Strange CEO Stephanie Brown says:

“In my three years at Play It Strange, by far the most rewarding aspect is seeing the true impact Play It Strange has on rangatahi songwriters. The opportunities, the recognition, and providing a pathway into an industry often hard to crack – Play It Strange is truly unique in the way we empower and lift up the next generation of songwriters in Aotearoa. It is such a privilege to be able to give a helping hand to so many talented young people.”

The Lion Foundation, Play It Strange’s Principal Partner, has played an important role in supporting the organisation’s work to nurture the next generation of New Zealand songwriters. About their sponsorship of the competition, Lion Foundation CEO Tony Goldfinch says:

“The Lion Foundation are incredibly proud to support the Play It Strange Secondary Schools Songwriting Competition, which continues to attract more young, talented songwriters from across Aotearoa New Zealand every year. I commend all this year’s songwriting entrants – you are all incredibly talented and I am constantly amazed by your exceptional artistry and innovation. A special shout out to this year’s winner Monique Magdadaro, and a huge thank you to the team at Play it Strange for the incredible work they do in fostering and growing New Zealand’s next generation of musical talent”.

The competition is also supported by NZ On Air, whose contribution to the winner’s prize package provides a significant promotional opportunity as they take their next steps as an emerging songwriter. Teresa Patterson, Head of Music at NZ on Air, says:

“NZ on Air have been proud supporters of Play It Strange for more than a decade. We are thrilled to once again sponsor a $10,000 recording, video and promotion prize for this year’s National Songwriting Competition winner Monique Magdadaro.”

Since its establishment in 2003, Play It Strange has received more than 8,000 original song submissions from young New Zealanders, with more than 1,600 songs professionally recorded. The organisation’s national songwriting competitions provide secondary school students with opportunities to have their original music professionally recorded, while connecting them with mentors, artists and industry professionals and creating pathways into Aotearoa’s music community.

All finalists in the 2026 National Songwriting Competition will also become part of the wider Play It Strange alumni community, gaining access to performance opportunities, mentoring, ticket giveaways, backstage experiences, artist development opportunities and more throughout the year.

See the full list of finalists for the 2026 Play It Strange National Songwriting Competition here.

Play It Strange’s first competition album for 2026 will be available on streaming platforms from today Monday 31 August, click here to listen to the Junior Songwriting Competition album, Vol 1 on Spotify.

The recently announced Strange Album Art Competition further highlights the breadth of talent among this year’s Play It Strange participants, showing that their creativity extends well beyond music. Winners were selected across each of the major competitions, with Junior 1st Place going to Pyper Greer of Taieri College for Fractured, Junior 2nd Place to Sophia Zhang of Rangitoto College for Singing to the Sun, Peace Project 1st Place to Daisy Collins of Logan Park High School for Fear Haunts Us All, Peace Project 2nd Place to Pyper Greer for Melodic Medley, National 1st Place to Rosa Fyfe of Logan Park High School for Stereo in Hills, and the Waiata Winner to Lucy Delahunty-Versteegh of Kapiti College for Untitled. The winning artworks can be viewed here.