Winner of the 2023 Alistair Hulett "Songs for Social Justice" award.

Sparrows of Kabul

2023 - This I Know - Fred Smith

Paddy McHugh's take on the disastrous Lismore floods and the sort of thinking that prevents us from taking meaningful action to

2024 - Hatchet in the Roof - Paddy McHugh

Winner of the 2021 Alistair Hulett "Songs for Social Justice" Award.

2021 - No Points for Me - Snez

Award-winning singer/songwriter Penelope Swales has been articulating the human condition for over 30 years. Her subject matter ranges from politics via the environment, through to love, sex, the profound bond between people and dogs to the impact of the Internet on our society and relationships. She won the 2019 Alistair Hulett Songs for Social Justice Award with her song “Cambridge Analytica” which explores the impact on democracy of disinformation spread via social media.

Captains of Industry

2019 - Cambridge Analytica

Winner of the 2021 Alistair Hulett Songs for Social Justice award.

Fisher on the Sea

2021 - No Points for Me

Songwriting Award 2018

Fishing At Okehampton Bay

2018 - Fishing at Okehampton Bay - Teri Young

Songwriting Award 2017

Better Times

2017 - Better Times - Miguel Heatwole

Violence against women is as much of a social justice issue as any – which is at last beginning to achieve some public recognition. I was thinking about the reasons women facing domestic violence find it so hard to leave and how the isolation they often feel in these situations contributes to this. The metaphor I use in the song of being trapped on an island is linked with the root of the word ‘isolation’ and that seemed to fit well with the folk genre.

Songwriting Award 2016

Sally Cross The Water

2016 - Sally Cross The Water - Tony Eardley

This song was written out of frustration at the idea that feminism was a thing of the past, an outdated and unnecessary mode of engagement with the world. Post Post Feminist Revolution was recorded with my band The Lurkers, who were the winners of last year’s Songs for Social Justice Award.

Songwriting Award 2014

Post Post Feminist Revolution

2014 - Post Post Feminist Revolution - Miriam Jones

The song ‘The Riverside’ started after seeing the disastrous ‘Deepwater Horizon’ oil spill, in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010 unfold. The subsequent loss of lives and untold damage to our natural environment. With catastrophic events  such as this there tends to be a feeling of helplessness, i.e. how do we as a world community make sure this never happens again and why did it happen in the first place. As the song progressed I got to thinking about how to alleviate that helpless feeling and my mind drifted to the powerful Civil Rights movement of the 60s, a film called ‘ Soundtrack For a Revolution’ and the role music and songs play in the greater picture. The Riverside has an element of an old-styled protest song to it. It was never a direct decision for it to go this way but as with a lot of songs, they take on their own personalities. The idea of combined voices, through music, for positive change has always appealed to me.

The use of the ‘river’ as a central image is a powerful one. Cleansing, healing. It has been used over many years by many songwriters. The song is poetic in its intent and I tried to use a driving, shuffle rhythm to hammer home the lyrics, lyrics that in the words of the judges (Kate Fagan, Judy Small and Eric Bogle..thankyou) “show a positive commitment to social justice and change and could apply to many different causes” It is a simple song of the importance of our living environment and the way we treat one and other within that environment.

Songwriting Award 2012

The Riverside

2012 - The Riverside - Steph Miller

We were delighted to agree without hesitation upon ‘Mining Man’ as the winner of the 2013 Songs for Social Justice Award. This song buzzes with the energy of activism and resistance, and brings to our attention the pressing issue of coal seam gas mining across Australia and further afield. The lyrics are poetic, and the melody shows both a knowledge and love of folk music traditions. Perhaps most importantly, like the best folk music, the song is transportable: it could be sung by any number of people anywhere and retain the power and punch of its message.

Songwriting Award 2013

2013 - Mining Man - The Lurkers

Tripple Effect officially received the award in November 2020 when they performed with roots band Traditional Graffiti at the Newcastle/Hunter Valley Folk Club. Usually the award is presented at the National Folk Festival in Canberra, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19.

The lyrics to the award-winning track, Straight From the Heart (the Makarrata Song), were written by John Sutton, the husband of Tripple Effect's Carrie Jacobi. The three-piece also includes Carrie's sister Lynden Jacobi and her husband Len McCarthy.

No members of Tripple Effect are Aboriginal and they want other non-Indigenous people to support and be educated on the Uluru Statement of 2017, which aims to create constitutional change to give First Peoples a voice in parliament.

"This song is not just about an Indigenous issue, it's a call to action for non-Indigenous people to become part of this," Carrie Jacobi said.

"It's really important that all Australians come on board and support this Statement."

Straight From the Heart (the Makarrata Song) was first performed live in 2018 in Sydney to mark the first anniversary of the Uluru Statement.

https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6997913/tripple-effect-offer-song-from-the-heart-for-lasting-change/

Songwriting Award 2020

Straight From The Heart

2020 - Straight From The Heart - Tripple Effect

The story of Sunshine Coast woman Kathleen McArthur, a wildflower painter, who became an environmental activist. Together with poet Judith Wright, she successfully campaigned to save Cooloola Coast from sand mining in the early 1970s and had it declared a national park. Her legacy lives on in the song which calls for today’s activists to take heart from Kathleen’s success.

“This excellent song tells a story in a very skilful and engaging way about someone who gave her life to a social justice struggle. This very singable song has a great tune, wonderful chorus and leaves us feeling positive.”

https://karenlaw.bandcamp.com/

Wildflower Woman

2020 - Wildflower Woman - Karen Law

Launched at the 2011 National Folk Festival to continue Alistair’s legacy to encourage the writing of songs with social justice themes, the Fund invites songwriters based in Australia to enter the annual award with a song focused on promoting equality and social justice broadly defined.

Alistair Hulett Award for Songs For Social Justice

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