REGIONAL Queensland songwriters could be $25,000 richer after nominations opened for this year's Grant McLennan Fellowship.

Arts Minister Ian Walker said this year the awards were embarking on an exciting new chapter in their illustrious history.

"The annual award, in honour of one of Queensland's greatest contemporary musicians, enters a new era with APRA AMCOS on board this year," he said.

"The Grant McLennan Fellowship is a personal and meaningful award to the remaining members of The Go-Betweens and the McLennan family.

"It has also helped a number of rising stars on Queensland's contemporary music scene."

APRA AMCOS head of member services Dean Ormston said the fellowship was a fantastic program to support Queensland songwriters and honoured a great Australian singer-songwriter.

"The opportunity for the recipients to travel and live overseas is enormously valuable and will undoubtedly impact their songwriting, an appropriate legacy to the memory of Grant McLennan," he said.

The fellowship honours the musical legacy of Grant McLennan who died in 2006.

Applications close on August 22 with winners to be announced in November at Bands of Your Town at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts