The 20 best local songs of the past year have been named and veteran nominees are rubbing shoulders with relative newcomers.

Auckland artists including Home Brew, Ruby Frost and Great North have made the APRA Silver Scroll 2012 Longlist for the first time, alongside songs from Bic Runga, Kody Nielson and Jon Toogood. 

The Silver Scroll Award, now in its 47th year is judged only on the song's merit, rather than sales, and is widely regarded as New Zealand's most prestigious song writing award.

A panel of anonymous APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) members select the top 20, with more than 8000 other members voting to choose the five finalists. 

They will be named in August and the winner will be announced in September at a gala dinner.  Other prizes handed out will include awards for most performed works in New Zealand and overseas, the APRA Maioha Award, the SOUNZ Contemporary Award and an induction to the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

Previous winners of the Silver Scroll include Don McGlashan, Neil Finn and Chris Knox. 

Avalanche City's hit Love, Love, Love won the award in 2011.

The APRA Silver Scroll 2012 longlist:

Never Be Without You, written by Ben King (Grand Rapids)

Everything is Beautiful and New, written by Bic Runga (Bic Runga)

The Origin Of Slaves, written by Nick Gaffaney and Aaron Tokona (Cairo Knife Fight)

Lead Me To The Light, written by Hayden Donnell (Great North)

Datura, written by Tom Scott and Hayden Dick (Home Brew)

Blind Eyes, written by Lisa Crawley (Lisa Crawley)

Hibernate, written by Lydia Cole (Lydia Cole)

Getaway Tonight, written by Kody Nielson (Opossom)

Water To Ice, written by Jane de Jong (Ruby Frost)

Fatal Flaw, written by Louis McDonald, Adam Quigley and Levi Heeringa (Five Mile Town)

Hold On, written by Josh Fountain (Get Well Soon)

Hopeful Dreamer, written by Jess Chambers (Jess Chambers)

By Your Side, written by Jesse Sheehan (Jesse Sheehan)

When It's All Too Much, written by Lauren Mitchell (LA Mitchell)

Anniversary Day, written by Jon Toogood and Julia Deans (The Adults)

State Houses By The River, written by Adam McGrath (The Eastern)

Girl In Stilettos, written by Anna Macdonald (Annah Mac)

Outta Reach, written by Lindon McCormack (Lindon Puffin)

Everything To Me, written by Stephanie Brown (Lips)

Forever, written by Matiu Walters and Marlon Gerbes (Six60)

Who do you think will win the APRA Silver Scroll 2012?

- © Fairfax NZ News

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