The Play It Strange team realised that the original closing date for the 2025 Peace Song Competition falls over a long weekend.

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As much as they LOVE hearing your songs, they’ve decided to wait until Tuesday to begin judging. That means there’s now an extra three days to work some magic and get those entries in!

New closing date: Midnight, Monday 2nd June 2025

What does peace mean to you?

Is it finding calm in the chaos, standing up for what’s right, or imagining a better world? Maybe it’s about healing, hope, or simply getting through a rough day. Whether peace is personal, local, or global – Play It Strange wants to hear how it’s expressed through music.

Genre?

Any genre is welcome! From rap and jazz to electrofunk, dubstep, house, acoustic, hip-hop and beyond – it’s all about the heart of the song, the sound, and the story.

Does the word “peace” need to be in the lyrics?

Not at all. The theme of peace should guide and inspire, but there’s no requirement to use the word itself. It’s about the meaning, not just the language. Lyrics are at the core of this competition, so entrants are encouraged to be honest, be bold, and share what truly matters.

Prizes

All finalists will:

Record their song in a professional studio
Have their track released on Spotify and Bandcamp

First place will receive:

A $1,000 Rockshop voucher
A one-on-one mentoring session with Bic Runga
A performance opportunity at the Annual Awards
An interview on 95bFM, with their song played on the radio
The chance to work with a composer to create a backing arrangement for a quartet of orchestral instruments from Auckland Philharmonia’s Learn & Participate programme, who will also join the finalist in the recording studio

Recording quality doesn’t matter!
Entries will be judged on songwriting, not production quality. A phone recording and typed lyric sheet is all that’s needed to enter.

Looking for inspiration?

Finalist songs from the 2024 Peace Song Competition are available now on Spotify.

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Established in 2003, Play it Strange runs annual national songwriting competitions, with finalists awarded a day in a recording studio to professionally record their songs. Play it Strange then mentors many students and helps provide them with performance opportunities to launch their career. Our alumni list includes Kimbra, Georgia Nott of Broods, Liz Stokes of The Beths, Annah Mac, Louis Baker, CHAII, Luca George, Ratbag and so many more. While many alumni have turned that passion into full-time music careers, we hear inspiring stories every day from past alumni who now have careers as music teachers, in music therapy, and even teaching music in prisons.

Extensive research highlights the positive impact of music and the arts on emotional well-being, personal development, and cognitive skills in young people. Studies show music education improves academic performance, self-esteem, and social engagement. Our competitions provide young people with this opportunity.

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