Teddington School student William Massie, aged 12, has WON the prestigious Young Songwriter Competition 2020, it was revealed today.

His song, NO PLACE has beaten over 700 other entrants to scoop the top prize in the 8-12 year category of the competition.

William gets to spend a day with one of the country's top music producers as well winning new music equipment.

He will also get the chance to perform at the Young Songwriter Showcase at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill.

William's song, 'No Place' which he made in his bedroom at home, was inspired by the plight of refugees.

Members of the judging panel include award winners Tom Odell, Imelda May and Miranda Cooper.

Odell said:"When I was 13 years old I started writing songs, and over the following years I became more and more obsessed with it. But the thing that always kept me awake at night was how to get them out there for people to hear them.

"This is why I think The Song Academy Young Songwriter competition is a great way to inspire and help through this process, and it's something I wish had been around when I was starting out."

advertisement

William has written and performed several other songs, all with an electronic baseline, including "Feelings" and "The Answer".

In a Q and A interview with Song Academy, (www.songacademy.co.uk) William told how the plight of refugees had inspired him to write the song.

"I'd been noticing a lot on the news about refugees and children being forced to leave their homes and I started to imagine how devastating it must be and how they must be so brave to get through it.

"I decided to write a song about the issue, to honour these families, as there is no place like home."

Listen to William's entry No Place here

Learn more about Song Academy