A Takapuna schoolgirl has beaten more than 350 songs from Kaitaia to Mosgiel to win this years' Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition.

Petra Bullock, a student at Takapuna Grammar School, took out first place with her song Is This Love.

The competition is run by Play It Strange, which was established in 2003 to run programmes encouraging songwriting and performance in schools.  This year there were 364 entries.

Head judge of the competition, The Exponents front man Jordan Luck, says Bullock was the best of a very good group.

"So many of those songs stopped me in my tracks. I played them again and again. The standard is increasing exponentially."

Bullock's prize includes a $1,000 NZ Rockshop voucher and a day in a recording studio to record the song, which will go on the 2012 CD with the other 47 finalists.

Earlier this year Bullock won the Matariki Songwriting Award and Play it Strange CEO Mike Chunn says she is a talent to keep an eye on.

"We have watched her grow from a young ambitious songsmith to a masterful songwriter."

Two Auckland schools were joint winners of the School of the Year Award.

Papatoetoe High School and their music teachers Louise O'Neill and Kirsten Saunders shared the title with Manurewa High School and teacher Tim Randle.

They will both have four songs on the upcoming CD. 

The David Richwhite Lyric Award, this year judged by Don McGlashan, and the Cheese On Toast Award for best alternative song will be announced at a later date.

Check out Petra's website for more information about her songwriting.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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