Caring for Country 2025 competition winners
The winners of the 2025 Caring for Country Music competition have been announced, celebrating creative and cultural biosecurity messages across northern Australia.
Now in its second year, the competition expanded to include Western Australia and Queensland, strengthening cross-jurisdictional biosecurity awareness through music and dance.
The 2025 Caring for Country Music Competition winners are:
Group Winner: Tread Lightly - Callum Pask and SOLCHLD (Aurora Liddle-Christie), QLD
A creative collaboration between poet/performer SOLCHLD (Aurora Liddle-Christie) and composer Callum Pask. Their piece honours First Nations knowledge of caring for Country and blends spoken word with music to explore our shared responsibility for the environment.
School Winner: Biosecurity, Parap Primary School, NT
Year 5/6 students researched animals, plants, seas and weeds to develop their song, reflecting the school’s strong commitment to environmental care. Their entry highlights how young voices can inspire action and protect Country.
Solo Winner: Feral Cats, Tim Darby, WA
Tim and his partner Shani run sustainability workshops across WA where they use music to make environmental learning memorable. Feral Cats blends humour and education to raise awareness of the impact of feral cats on native wildlife.
Dance Video Winner: Caring for Country (Gatapaŋa), Yirrkala School, NT
Students from Years 6–11 created an original song and dance exploring what it means to care for Country. Their work includes themes of invasive species, littering and ranger work, blending music, choreography and cultural storytelling.
People’s Choice Winner: Homeward Bound, Sally Balfour, NT
Sally was inspired by childhood road trips along the Stuart Highway – especially the NT border bins, which were her first lesson in biosecurity and protecting country. Now, as a mum, she’s passing on those same memories and teaching her own kids how to care for the land.
The competition encourages communities to connect with biosecurity in a fun, creative and accessible ways, promoting early detection, monitoring and understanding of pests and diseases.
A new Dance Video category was added in 2025, supporting creative visual storytelling and recognising the role of movement and performance - especially within First Nations cultures.
Entries were judged on creativity, originality, musicality and alignment with biosecurity themes.
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries CEO Amelia Vellar said the Caring for Country Music Competition is a creative and engaging way to raise biosecurity awareness across the Territory and broader northern Australia.
“We all share responsibility for keeping the Territory safe from pests and diseases. Using music and dance to spread biosecurity messages is an effective way to reach everyone,” Ms Vellar said.
“Congratulations to all winners and entrants for helping spread the word.”
The NT Department of Agriculture and Fisheries delivered the competition in partnership with MusicNT, with funding provided by the Australian Government’s Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy (NABS).
MusicNT Executive Director Mark Smith said this first year of the Caring for Country competition expanding to WA and QLD, was exciting to hear songs talking to the importance of biosecurity.
"To see schools engage and take out some of the major prizes is a reflection of the role that schools play both in supporting music as well as encouraging creativity in young people.” Mr Smith said.
"Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who took part in this year's program.”
To learn more and check out the winning songs and dance video go to envirosongcomp.musicnt.com.au
