Songwriter of the Year
February 4, 2026
The incredible talent of Year 9 student, Giaan Zammataro, has captured national attention with Giaan announced as the 2025 Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) National Songwriting Competition – Young Songwriter of the Year.
Not only did Giaan take out first place in the Years 7 – 8 category, she also won the overall APRA AMCOS Award for her powerful original song, ‘to the kid’. In this Q&A, we chat with Giaan about her songwriting journey, the inspiration behind the song, and what this outstanding recognition means to her.
When did you first discover your love of music?
I’ve grown up with music. My older siblings also did music when I was very young, which meant that music has always been a big part of my life. As I watched them perform in musicals and concerts, I was so intrigued by the sound, words, and the costumes that I knew I had to also get involved. So I did, performing in my first ever eisteddfod and first musical when I was 4 years old, which led to many more after that. I love the buzz I get from performing and making audiences happy.
Have you been writing your own original songs for long?
I have always tried to write my own songs as I have been inspired to become an artist. My brother and I used to make up funny little songs when we were little, and a couple of years ago I wrote a song for my sister’s 21st. However, I actually only started writing proper songs like ‘To The Kid’ in about Term 2, 2025.
Are there any musical influences that have shaped you?
I have had so many mentors along my musical journey, starting off with my singing and music like Mrs Julee-anne Bell, and Mrs Jane Iszlaub in Kingaroy, who gave me great roots in performing. I then enhanced my musical abilities when I came to Fairholme and began lessons with singing teacher Ms Alana Scott, and guitar teacher Mr Craig Gibbens. Mr Gibbens particularly has helped me with my guitar skills in many of my own songs, which I am very grateful for. These people have all been so supportive and I owe them so many thanks. I have also always loved listening to artists such as Taylor Swift, as her lyrics are so poetic and have definitely been an inspiration to my songs, inspiring me to write lyrics in a deeper way.
What inspired the song ‘To The Kid’?
‘To The Kid’ was originally created as a joke for my uncle as he was told the only great thing he could do in life was ‘paint lines on the road’, hence the first line of the song. He went on to become very successful in life. Over the years I have come in contact with people that have been mistreated or less fortunate, and I wrote the rest of the song to recognise and help these types of people know that we care for them and listen to them. Each line is someone’s story, and I hope that listeners can connect with the lyrics. I also wrote the melody in a way that would be at ease and peaceful, not in anger, but in calmness and understanding.
How long did it take you to write the piece?
To write the piece’s lyrics, it took me roughly 20 minutes. This is probably the shortest a piece has ever taken, and I think this is because I was thinking of the people’s stories, and it came very easy to transfer them into short song lyrics. I wrote the chords and melody shortly after which took about an hour, and then it took me a few weeks to come up with strumming patterns and fingerpicking. It felt like quite a long time before the song started to flow. Mr Gibbens was very supportive and patient while I was trying to work this out. He gave me great advice like ‘you can write a thousand songs and only one of them will be good.’ You just have to keep persevering.
How did it feel when you found out you’d won the Songwriter of the Year competition?
It felt super surreal. I had only found out about the competition a few days before it closed and only entered the night before it was due, so it was a very last-minute decision. I did not have any great hope that I would even place in the competition, and I just thought of it as a great experience. This meant that when my mum told me over the phone, I did not believe her, and I was in a lot of shock. It was a huge relief to hear that what I had created was actually good, and that all the judges loved it. I was so grateful that mum encouraged me to enter, and it was a great realisation that the song was not as bad as I believed!
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
If I could collaborate with any artist, it would be Taylor Swift 100%. This is because her lyrics and melodies are so incredible, and I really look up to her as a songwriter. She tells stories in a way that is so unique and is so intelligent with how she organises her pieces. However, if I couldn’t collaborate with Taylor, my second choice would be Keith Urban because of his insane guitar skills. I would love to hear his guitar riffs underneath some great lyrics and vocals. He is also so inspiring as he grew up in Caboolture and has gone on to play in bands and be a soloist. If I ever got to collaborate with him, I would really value his experience in the industry and what I could learn from him as well.
More News…
Fairholme College is delighted to welcome Mr Mitch Koina as our new Coordinator of High Performance Coaching. Bringing more than a decade of experience across diverse educational settings, Mitch joins the community with a strong commitment to student wellbeing, participation, and performance. ‘This is my 12th year of teaching,’ Mitch shares. ‘I’ve done a range of different contexts now, I did two years down at Lockyer District High School, I then spent six years at St Mary’s College before moving to St Josephs, where I’ve been for the last three years. Now obviously I’ve made my way over to Fairholme which I’m really excited about.’ It was both the College’s reputation and the scope of the role that drew Mitch to Fairholme. ‘Fairholme is a very prestigious college, it’s got a great name and reputation,’ he said. ‘The role itself is really exciting for me. I’ve got a passion for fitness and particularly looking after the wellbeing of young girls, whether that be on the sporting field or with their social aspect, academics, just all round developing good girls on and off the court.’ A strong advocate for pastoral care, Mitch brings valuable leadership experience to the position. ‘I did a Head of House role at St Mary’s for three and a half years, so pastoral care has always been my calling so it’s great to tie in the sporting aspect as well as wellbeing,’ he explained. His philosophy centres on the connection between student wellbeing and performance. ‘It’s all dependant on each other. If we’ve got girls who are happy and their wellbeing is flourishing, then they are doing well on the sporting field and vice versa too.’ Looking ahead, Mitch is focused on building both excellence and enjoyment within the program. ‘I would love to get participation rates very high. We have a lot of elite athletes here that I want to achieve and do really well, but I also want to work on girls enjoying their training, coming in and having a nice vibe around the sporting field and the training.’ Importantly, Mitch emphasises that success looks different for every student. ‘We’re not all Australian representatives, but if girls are working really hard and achieving to the best of their potential, whatever level that may be in the sporting arena, I think that’s a program we can be very proud of.’ As he begins his journey at Fairholme, Mitch is eager to connect with the community. ‘I’m really excited to be a part of Fairholme, it is a great opportunity. The staff and the students have been fantastic to me so far, but as the weeks go on, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls and building some relationships from there.’ We warmly welcome Mitch to Fairholme and look forward to the energy, care, and expertise he will bring to our High Performance Sports program.
What inspired you to apply for the Prefect for Sport position? I was inspired to go for this position as I have seen the passion that Fairholme as a community has for sport, and the true love and respect the staff have for athletes at the college. I wanted to work closely with the girls and staff to help progressing sport at Fairholme. Do you have a favourite sport? My favourite sport is touch football. It has given me so very much and I am forever grateful. What has been your proudest sporting moment so far? My proudest sporting moment so far was being fortunate enough to represent my country in the sport I love most. Who has been your biggest influence or role model in sport? My biggest role model in sport has to my parents. They never fail to push me towards things that might seem out of my comfort zone or scary. They constantly support me through everything and influence me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. What are you hoping to achieve this year as Prefect for Sport? I aim to inspire everyone to just have a go. By the end of my final year at Fairholme I hope I can inspire people to just get o ut of their comfort zones and try something new. What advice would you give your Year 7 self? I would tell my Year 7 self that in the big picture no one is going to judge you for trying your hardest and giving things ago! And not to put too much pressure on yourself! Do you hope to pursue sport after school? I wish to continue to play sport at a high level after school. whether that is through touch or rugby. Sport is a very important part of my life that will hopefully continue well after I leave school.
How long have you been involved in The Arts at Fairholme? Since I began here in Year 7, but before then I started playing piano and violin in Year 5. I have participated in a number of ensembles within the school and greatly enjoyed each of these. What does being the Prefect for The Arts mean to you? Personally, I think that being the Prefect for The Arts is primarily a role in which I can help to support other girls. I’m a designated person that girls can come to if they have any questions or concerns with anything regarding extracurricular artistic involvement, and I do a little to help with running some of the artistic aspects around the school, such as finding girls to volunteer for busking at events. But mostly, I think it is about being a positive promoter for the arts, and encouraging other girls to expand their world view to include creativity. Which art form do you enjoy most (e.g. music, drama, visual art, dance etc)? My main art form that I participate in is instrumental music, through my involvement in a few ensembles within the school on violin and piano. However, other art forms, like dancing during March Pasts or singing Shine Jesus Shine are pretty fun too. Do you have a most memorable Arts experience? I think that one of the most memorable Arts experiences that I have had has been at events where I have accompanied my grade, like when all the Year 11’s last year sung at the Valedictorian dinner and I played piano along with other instrumentalists in my grade, Tilly Anderson and Emma Salter. However, I think the most enjoyable Arts experience that I have had is playing Jingle Bell Rock at the boarding Christmas dinner last year, when the rest of my cohort stood around the piano singing. I felt that this was one of those excellent examples of how music can bring people together. What advice would you give to students who might be nervous about joining an arts activity? I would say that it is always worth giving something new a go. You’re much more likely to regret the chances you never took than the ones you do. I’m a strong believer that being involved in any form of extra-curricular activity is so beneficial for everyone; it expands your world view, you meet new people, and get outside your comfort zone. Each individual has something they are good at, and how are you going to find out what that is if you don’t try? Do you hope to continue with The Arts after school? Definitely. It has become such a big part of my life, and I honestly get so much enjoyment out of it. The great thing about the arts is that they are things that you can do at any time of your life. You’re never too old, that’s a skill you have for life. Other people can also get so much enjoyment out of the artistic abilities of others. Who doesn’t love to have someone who can sit around the camp-fire and play guitar, or create a beautiful piece of artwork?
