Arranging Competitions

National Youth Music Arranging Competition - 2026



Overview

This year, the Music Arrangers Guild of Australia's National Youth Music Arranging Competition will feature arrangements for String Quartet and Percussion . The winning entry will receive $AU2,500 prize money. 

  • 1st place - $2,500
  • 2nd place - $1,000
  • 3rd place - $500

Each place getter will also receive a Dorico Pro license.

The Competition opens on Monday 1st June 2026, and will close Wed 30th Sept 2026 10:00pm (Sydney Time).

We are thrilled to announce the ensemble selected to workshop and record the top 3 winning pieces for the 2026 National Youth Arranging Competition is Darlington Concerts based in Perth.

We would like to thank Hal Leonard,  ArrangeMe and Dorico who are our major sponsors this year.

ENTRY IS FREE!

Eligibility

The Music Arrangers Guild of Australia's ("The Guild") National Youth Music Arranging Competition is open to any music arranger(**) under the age of 30 as at 30th  September 2026.  Current full Guild members with an Arranger classification will not be able to apply. Certificate members are able to apply, but may not have any help from mentors. 

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will also be considered for complimentary three year Guild Certificate of Merit Membership to help them work towards Full membership.

Note: Previous 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners are not eligible to enter the competition for the subsequent two years. 

** Only Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents or Students on a Visa (Subclass 500 or Subclass 444 - NZ) are eligible to enter.



1. Rules and Guidelines

Content

  1. The arrangement will be chosen from one of the three options:  (See section 4. Composer works below)
  2. Only one work can be submitted per contestant.
  3. The work must be an original arrangement created for this competition wholly by the application, and not an adaptation or "re-orchestration" of an existing arrangement
  4. The arrangement must show creativity in accompanying the original melody.  (re-harmonisation is allowed)
  5. The arrangement must include the appropriate copyright information as shown on the lead sheets.  See below for more information.
  6. Any competition entrant is eligible to sell their arrangement after the competition winners have been announced, but it must be exclusively done on the ArrangeMe.com website, if you choose the songs available/sponsored on that site. 

Orchestration / Guidelines

In 2026 the orchestration is for String Quartet + Percussion. Please see the link below for the detailed requirements and guidelines including instrument list other guidelines. Please read these guidlines thoroughly.


Length

Your arrangement must be no more than 5 minutes in length.

2. Submission of Materials

Entry will be using a secure online application form HERE and must comprise of:

  • Application: One completed application form.
  • Score and extracted Parts: Your score and parts should be in PDF format. Please do not send notation files.
    Note: Please ensure there are no identifying marks on your score or parts to ensure anonymity for judging.
  • Proof of Eligibility: 1. Australian citizenship; 2. Permanent Residency; or 3. Student Visa (Subclass 500 or Subclass 444 - NZ). 
    Note: After the eligibility is verified, all of the identifying documents supplied are deleted and completely removed from our systems.
  • Audio: You must provide an audio recording of the work in MP3 format.  This can simply be a playback from your notation software or a live recording of a rehearsal of the work. (The type of recording will not prejudice the assessing of your arrangement)

Deadline : All materials must be received by 10pm AEST Wednesday 30th September 2026.

Note: If you have any issues submitting materials please contact the Secretary on admin@magainc.org.au.
Allowances may be made if there are technical issues with submissions.

3. Adjudication

Judges

Judges will include members of the Guild's National Executive Board, Hal Leonard and recognised award winning Australian arrangers under the direction of Jessica Wells, the "Competition Chair".

All entries will be anonymous to the judging panel.

Note: Each entry is given a number and the judging panel are supplied with the scores and MP3's only identified with that number for judging.

Winner Announcements

The winners will be announced on the Guild's website on or before 14th October 2026. 

The judges' decisions regarding the results are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the winners.

4. Composer Works

Choose ONE of the three options below and arrange for String Quartet and Percussion:

Note: The arrangement must also include the Copyright which is included on the lead sheets above.

5. Past Competitions

Click on the links below to view past competitions: