17 Dec 2014

2015 UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION JUDGING PANEL ANNOUNCED

By Candace Avery
Sinead O'Connor, Alt-J, The Killers, Aimee Mann, Dustin Lynch, Rosanne Cash, and More Sign On As Judges

December 17, 2014 - Unsigned Only Music Competition revealed today its high-profile judging panel for the 2015 competition, which is now accepting entries. The renowned panel consists of iconic recording artists and journalists and will determine the winners in eleven categories representing a wide variety of commercial genres of music.

Designed for solo artists, bands, and singers who are not signed to a major label, Unsigned Only's goal is to find an outstanding, talented performing artist: a band, singer, or solo artist. Unsigned Only gives away over $100,000 in cash and prizes, including $10,000 in cash and one-on-one mentoring by an elite group of record company executives to the overall Grand Prize winner. First and Second Place winners in each category will also be chosen. The deadline to enter is March 18, 2015. Original and cover songs are accepted in all categories except for Screen Shot which accepts original songs only.

Artists may enter into any of the following categories: Adult Album Alternative (AAA) Adult Contemporary (AC); Americana; Christian; Country; Folk/Singer-Songwriter; R&B/Hip-Hop; Rock; Pop/Top 40; Screen Shot; Teen; and Vocal Performance.

Screen Shot is a new category that has been added this year, and it is geared toward helping artists get their music in film, TV, video games, and advertising. Music execs who are looking to place music in various projects will be judging this category and will also provide advice on music licensing to the winner of the category. Included are: Michelle Bayer (Shelly Bay Music); Michelle Silverman (Modern Planet); Ani Johnson (Monomyth Media); Evan Stein (Experience Music Group); Velma Barkwell (East End Music Productions); Jen Taunton (Level Two Music); and more to be announced.

"Last year Screen Shot was a special promotion that we ran for entrants," says Founders/Directors Candace Avery and Jim Morgan. "The response was huge and was a great success for many artists who were able to secure licensing deals for their music. This is just another way for Unsigned Only to help its entrants, and we are excited to be able to open these new doors for independent artists."

Judges include :  Aimee Mann; Alt-J; Dustin Lynch; Sinead O'Connor; The Killers; Rosanne Cash; David Crowder; Robert Smith (The Cure); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Ray Wylie Hubbard; Aaron Shust; Lucero; Kelly Price; Colt Ford; Frank Foster; Jason Gray; Rapsody; Kool And The Gang; Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone); Kyle Anderson (Senior Writer, Entertainment weekly); Josh Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine); Chris Richards (Pop Music Critic, The Washington Post); Michael Hann (Music Editor, The Guardian); Shirley Halperin (Music Editor, Billboard and Hollywood Reporter); Lucy Jones (Deputy Editor, NME); Hardeep Phull (Music Critic, New York Post); and more to be announced.

Unsigned Only is sponsored by: Sony Creative Software, Guitar Center, D'Addario, Disc Makers, Ultimate Ears, Lurssen Mastering, Master Tour by Eventric, and The Music Business Registry.

For entry and general information, please go to http://www.unsignedonly.com

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19 Nov 2014

INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION LAUNCHES TWO SPECIAL PROMOTIONS: "SING YOUR HEART OUT" AND "PICK YOUR CAUSE"

By Candace Avery

Enter Your Love Songs And/Or Social Cause Songs


November 18, 2014 - Nashville, TN, USA...Do you have a great love song? Do you have a great song about a social cause? ISC is opening entries from November 18 - December 4, 2014 for songs relating to either of these topics. To enter, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/submit

ISC's "Sing Your Heart Out" promotion is for songs about love, falling in love, heartbreak, or anything to do with love. ISC's "Pick Your Cause" promotion is for songs about any sort of social cause. When you enter either promotion, you will receive a free Radio Airplay account, have your love song included on the Jango.com "Independent Love Songs" or "Sounds Of Social Cause" radio station, and receive 100 free spins, per entry, to your Radio Airplay account whether you are a new or existing Radio Airplay member. A group of winners will also be selected and will receive promotion and airplay from Jango.com and Radio Airplay.

Entrants will also be automatically entered into the ISC 2014 competition. ISC Prizes include over $150,000 in cash, merchandise, and services (including a Grand Prize of $25,000 cash). ISC is open to amateur and professional songwriters from all over the world, including bands and solo performers. Winners are selected by a panel of high-profile recording artists and music industry executives.

Over the years ISC has become a benchmark for songwriting talent, and winning ISC can be a tremendous career booster. Winners have included artists such as Gotye, Kimbra, Gin Wigmore, The Band Perry, Passenger, Bastille, Kasey Chambers, Gregory Porter, Lindsey Stirling, and many more. Many winners have gone on to record label deals and have secured publishing deals, licensing deals, and distribution deals, in addition to getting more gigs, fans, and recognition.


The complete list of 2014 ISC judges includes:

Recording Artists
Tom Waits; American Authors; Sarah McLachlan; Pat Metheny; Sara Evans; Bastille; Casting Crowns; Avicii; Wayne Shorter; John Hiatt; Keane; DJ Snake; Robben Ford; Danilo Perez; Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Natasha Bedingfield; Martina McBride; Newsboys; Jon Secada; The Chainsmokers; Jason Isbell; Afro Celt Sound System; London Grammar; Michael W. Smith; Craig Morgan; Gerald Casale (Devo); Jean-Luc Ponty; James Cotton; Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes); Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Matt Thiessen (Relient K); Chayanne; J. Holiday; Femi Kuti; and Bela Fleck

Industry Executives
Monte Lipman (Founder and Chairman/CEO, Republic Records); Craig Kallman (Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records); Dan McCarroll (President, Warner Bros. Records); Jeff Castelaz (President, Elektra Records); Alison Donald (Co-President, Columbia Records UK); Ted Cockle (President, Virgin Records UK); Mike Smith (President, Mercury Records UK); Nir Seroussi (President, Sony Music Latin); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Rosie Lopez (President, Tommy Boy Entertainment); Glen Barros (President, Concord Music
Group); Rex Rideout (VP of A&R, Motown Records); Jay Landers (Executive VP of A&R, Verve Music Group); Bryan Stewart (VP of A&R, Curb Records); Jason McArthur (VP of A&R, Provident Label Group / Sony Music Entertainment); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Edward Chmelewski (President, Blind Pig Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony); Keith Naftaly (Executive VP of A&R, RCA Records); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Joseph Burney (VP of A&R, RCA Inspiration/Sony Music Entertainment); Richard Stumpf (CEO, Atlas Publishing); Steve Greenberg (CEO, S-Curve Records); Kim Buie (A&R, Thirty Tigers); Albert Schilcher (VP of Music and Music Marketing, MTV International); Gary Briggs (Senior VP of A&R/Producer, New West Records); Lori Teig (VP of Talent, VEVO); Jermaine Hall (Editor-In-Chief, Vibe Magazine); Jamie Masada (Owner, Laugh Factory); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Julie Kertes (General Manager, National Parenting Publications Awards, NAPPA); Claire S. Green (President, Parents' Choice Foundation); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); Nate Dern (News Editor, Funny Or Die News); Shannon O'Neill (Artistic Director, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre NY); and Wende Curtis (Owner, Comedy Works)

ISC is sponsored by: Ableton, Airplay Direct, Berklee College Of Music, Celebrity Access, D'Addario, Disc Makers, George Stein, Esq., Hammond USA, Indie Pro Mix and Final Mix, Inc., Gauge Microphones, Indie Venue Bible, LowdenGuitars, Lurssen Mastering, Slate Digital, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, Taxi, Thayers, and Vosges Haut-Chocolat.

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19 Sep 2014

NASHVILLE BAND, GOODBYE JUNE, WINS GRAND PRIZE IN UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION

By Candace Avery
John Oates, Rosanne Cash, Of Monsters and Men, Dustin Lynch,
Mike Posner, Neon Trees, and 3 Doors Down Are Among 2014 Judges

September 16, 2014 - Unsigned Only Music Competition is pleased to announce its 2014 winners selected from over 8,000 entries worldwide. The overall Grand Prize goes to the up-and-coming Nashville band Goodbye June with the song "Daisy." Judged by a roster of high-profile journalists and artists such as Of Monsters And Men, Rosanne Cash, Mike Posner, John Oates, Dustin Lynch and many more, Unsigned Only is a unique music competition designed for solo artists and bands who are unsigned to a major label.
Winning $10,000 cash and additional merchandise, the Grand Prize winner also receives the unprecedented opportunity to be mentored by the top echelon of record company professionals, including Presidents and top-level executives from Universal Republic, Sire, Elektra, Atlantic, Warner Bros., Capitol, Sub Pop, Big Machine, Roc Nation, Virgin, Word, American Recordings, and Minty Fresh.
"We're thrilled that our judges selected Nashville rockers Goodbye June as this year's Grand Prize winners," state Founders Candace Avery and Jim Morgan. "As a band that is clearly moving up the ranks in the independent world of rock and roll, we predict it won't be long before this band will be gracing the same stages as some of their more
well-known idols. Goodbye June, hello world!"
Southern rock with a contemporary twist, Goodbye June's music showcases their individual and collective talents, as well as their grit and soul. The three cousins who comprise Goodbye June believe that the key to their success is their openness and honesty with each other, and this has contributed to how their sound was created.  Formed after the death of the guitarist's brother, playing music became an emotional release and a big part of the healing process for them. Their debut album "Nor The Wild Music Flow" was released in 2012, alongside their debut music video "Microscope" featuring St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher and country star Steve Holy. The band embarked on a debut European tour in the Fall of 2013 where they toured through Germany, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Belgium, France, and Spain during a 6-week stint across the Atlantic. The guys are currently finishing up their yet-to-be-titled sophomore album with Grammy-nominated producer Paul Moak and Kevin Williamson.
In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving artists are winners in their respective categories. With a total of 11 categories and First and Second Place in each (along with a list of Honorable Mentions), Unsigned Only covers all genres of commercial contemporary music, including: Adult Album Alternative (AAA); Adult Contemporary (AC); Americana; Christian; Country; Folk/Singer-Songwriter; R&B/Hip-Hop; Rock; Pop/Top 40; Teen; and Vocal Performance.
In addition to all the category winners, Unsigned Only launched a new opportunity for entrants called "Screen Shot." Geared toward the placement of music in film, TV, advertising, and video games, Screen Shot's goal is to connect independent artists with industry contacts who are looking for music for upcoming projects. The 2014 winner is the Los Angeles, CA band The Bicycle Mob for their song "Bursting Into Life." In addition to cash and prizes courtesy of Radio Airplay, the winner also gets to directly network with a group of music placement executives, including: Alec Sharpe (Shine America); Ani Johnson (Monomyth Media); Chip Miller (Desert C.A.M. Studios, Inc., Winmill Films LLC); Cindy Badell-Slaughter (Heavy Hitters Music Group); David Weiss (The SongHunters); Evan Stein (Experience Music Group); Jamie Sparks (Kicksta Music Group); Jennifer Taunton (Level Two Music); Jessica Cole (Lyric House); Karyn Rachtman (Mind Your Music); Linnette Harrigan (Linnette Harrigan Media); Michelle Bayer (Shelly Bay Music); Michelle Silverman (Modern Planet); Pat Weaver (Discovery Network); Rebecca Rienks (E! Entertainment/NBC Universal); Richard Kirstein (Resilient Music); James Michael Kempter II (JMKconnections); and Velma Barkwell (East End Music).
2014 Judges include : John Oates (Hall & Oates); 3 Doors Down; Neon Trees; David Crowder; Rosanne Cash; Craig Morgan; Delbert McClinton; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Of Monsters and Men; Black Francis (Pixies); Aaron Shust; G. Love; Jason Gray; Dustin Lynch; The Mountain Goats; Alt-J; Mike Posner; Rapsody; Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone); Chris Richards (Pop Music Critic, The Washington Post); Josh Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine); Lucy Jones (Deputy Editor, NME); and Michael Hann (Music Editor, The Guardian)
2014 Mentors include : Monte Lipman (Founder and Chairman/CEO, Republic Records); Jeff Castelaz (President, Elektra Records); Seymour Stein (Chairman, SIRE Records and VP of Warner Bros Records); Pete Ganbarg (Executive VP/Head of A&R, Atlantic Records); Mike Elizondo (Sr. VP of A&R, Warner Bros. Records); Tony Kiewel (VP of A&R Sub Pop Records, Hardly Art, Sub Pop Publishing); Allison B. Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Josh Bailey (Sr. VP of A&R, Word Label Group); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R/Capitol Music Group); Lenny Santiago (VP of A&R, Roc Nation); Dino Paredes (Sr. VP of A&R/GM, American Recordings); and Evan Peters (Director of A&R, Virgin Records)
Sponsors include : Guitar Center, Casio, Sony Creative Software, Ultimate Ears, Disc Makers, D'Addario, The Intellitouch Tuner, Topspin Media, Mrs. Fields Cookies, The Music Business Registry, and Celebrity Access.

Unsigned Only is now accepting entries for the 2015 competition. Information on submissions can be found at www.unsignedonly.com.
The 2014 winning songs can be heard at www.unsignedonly.com/winners
The complete list of 2014 Unsigned Only winners is as follows:
GRAND PRIZE
Goodbye June  (Nashville, TN, USA) - "Daisy"
AAA (ADULT ALBUM ALTERNATIVE)
First Place
Airport Impressions (Ix-Xghajra, Malta) "Berlin"
Second Place
Sam Eliot (London, England) - "Believe"
Honorable Mention
Canon Logic (Brooklyn, NY) - "Crocodile"
Cultfever (Brooklyn, NY, USA) - "Knew You Well"
Flashbulb Fires (Denver, CO, USA) - "Unseen Things"
Late Night Poets (Auckland, New Zealand) - "My Darling"
Mike Mains & The Branches (Owosso, MI, USA) - "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"
Nakia (Austin, TX, USA) - "Make Up With A Gun"
Ships Have Sailed (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Midnight"
The Brevet (Irvine, CA, USA) - "Moving Mountains"
The Never Ever (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - "In Or Out"
Wesley Jensen And The Penny Arcade (Redding, CA, USA) - "Some Days"
ADULT CONTEMPORARY (AC)
First Place
The Luck (London, England) - "Muscles And Bones"
Second Place
Robyn Dell'Unto (Mississauga, ON, Canada) - "Side Car"
Honorable Mention
Chris And Cheryl (Rabat, Malta) - "Calling Out My Name"
Cindy Gomez (Mississauga, ON, Canada) - "Immune To Love"
Lena Fayre (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Everybody's In"
Ratham Stone (Orlando, FL, USA) - "Bang Bang"
Sarah Packiam (Miami, FL, USA) - "Silly Little Love Songs"
Sarah Peacock (Nashville, TN, USA) - "Beautiful"
Ships Have Sailed (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Midnight"
The Score (New York, NY, USA) - "Don't Wanna Wake Up"
Tom Dobson (Bristol, CT, USA) - "Back On Top Of The World"
AMERICANA
First Place
You Me & Apollo (Fort Collins, CO, USA) - "I Don't Want To Be Loved"
Second Place
Gena Rose Bruce (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) - "Jackson"
Honorable Mention
Carl Wirkkala (Castle Rock, WA, USA) - "Goodbye Comin"
Dan Livingston (Lexington, NY, USA) - "The Road Home (Jackson's Song")
Grant Maloy Smith (Wakefield, RI, USA) - "Down The Wishing Well"
Gretta Ziller (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) - "Rust & Bones"
Hicks (Saltsjo-Boo, Sweden) - "Unreachable Dream"
Jesse Terry (Stonington, CT, USA) - "Don't Let Me Fall For You"
Jesse Terry (Stonington, CT, USA) - "Stay Here With Me"
Miles Calder & The Rumours (Wellington, New Zealand) - "The Avenue"
Rebecca Haviland and Whiskey Heart (White Plains, NY, USA) - "Black Dog"
Syre& Fresko (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) - "Ruth"
The Brevet (Irvine, CA, USA) - "Moving Mountains"
The Whiskey Farm (Madison, WI, USA) - "If I Were You"
CHRISTIAN
First Place
Nate Miller (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "The Darkest Spaces"
Second Place
Aaron Buchholz (Langley, BC, Canada) - "Circles"
Honorable Mention
Attaboy (Huntington, IN, USA) - "Unshaken"
Ben Woodward (Roseville, CA, USA) - "Where Hope Comes Alive"
Chelsea Amber (Halifax, NS, Canada) - "Diamond In The Rough"
Jared Wood (Frisco, TX, USA) - "Forevermore"
Jennifer Holloran (Orlando, FL, USA) - "Come On Home"
Jonathan Jackson (Greenville, IN, USA) - "Awake"
Leah (Oklahoma City, OK, USA) - "Awaken Me"
Marcy Priest (Oklahoma City, OK, USA) - "Your Love"
Mikey Moore (Silverdale, WA, USA) - "Saving Grace"
Ryan Bell (Houston, TX, USA) - "Chasing Daylight"
Zion Harmonizers (New Orleans, LA, USA) - "People Get Ready"
COUNTRY
First Place
The Morrison Brothers Band (Washington, DC, USA) - "Little Miss Whiskey"
Second Place
Jenny Tolman (Brentwood, TN, USA) - "Damn Cigarettes"
Honorable Mention
Anthony Mossburg (Columbus, OH, USA) - "Whiskey & Wine"
Brad Cunningham (Columbia, MO, USA) - "Wings"
Breaking Southwest (McKinney, TX, USA) - "Breathe"
Casey Barnes (Kingscliff, NSW, Australia) - "Flesh & Bone"
Fairchild Brothers (Toronto, ON, Canada) - "I Have Your Touch"
Heather Longstaffe (Winnipeg, MB, Canada) - "Love You Back To Life"
Kaylee Bell (Waimate, New Zealand) - "Little Bit Small"
Lindsey Erin (York, PA, USA) - "Up In Smoke Ft.Jason Wyatt (The Lost Trailers)"
Mike Biggar (Rothesay, NB, Canada) - "Better Men"
FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER
First Place
Danielle Deckard (Vineland, NJ, USA) - "I Lied"
Second Place
Late Night Poets (Auckland, New Zealand) - "My Darling"
Honorable Mention
Altitudes (Nashville, TN, USA) - "I'm Feeling Fine"
Big Little Lions (Royston, BC, Canada) - "The Way Home"
Brittney Bouchard (Orlando, FL, USA) - "I Will Be Yours"
Covey (London, England) - "Comes And Goes"
Evan Bourque (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - "Hey New Love"
Korby Lenker (Twin Falls, ID, USA) - "My Little Life"
Mike Stocksdale (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Known Better"
Scott Richmond (Regina, SK, Canada) - "You'll Be In My Heart"
The Bicycle Mob (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Bursting Into Life"
The Brilliancy (Windsor, ON, Canada) - "Not Over You Just Yet"
The Royal Foundry (Sherwood Park, AB, Canada) - "Run Back"
Will Dailey (Boston, MA, USA) - "Higher Education"
POP/TOP 40
First Place
Willa (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - "Criminal"
Second Place
Asha Sing (Miami, FL, USA) - "Mercy"
Honorable Mention
Stephanie K (Detroit, MI, USA) - "Breaking Up"
Ginger And The Ghost (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - "Call Up The Whales"
Aylin & The Lucky Charms (Constanta, Romania) - "Chemistry"
Natania Lalwani (Mumbai, India) - "Electrolove"
Lena Fayre (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Everybody's In"
Kittens Of The Internet (Auckland, New Zealand ) - "Living The Dream"
Ships Have Sailed (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Midnight"
Lili Kendall (Brisbane, QLD, Australia) - "Move"
Fieu (Brisbane, QLD, Australia) - "Put It On The Line"
Maggie Szabo (Dundas, ON, Canada) - "Tidal Waves And Hurricanes"
MZ Diggy Dulche (Columbus, OH, USA) - "Time Is Money"
Alkira (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) - "Undone"
R&B/HIP-HOP
First Place
Allan Rayman (Toronto, ON, Canada) - "LA/NY/CHI (Monopoly)"
Second Place
Nuela Charles (Edmonton, AB, Canada) - "Unfortunate Love"
Honorable Mention
Apollo Poetry (Phoenix, AZ, USA) - "Celebrate"
Charles Coleman (Brooklyn, NY, USA)  - "Love Jones"
Eastern Sunz (Portland, OR, USA) - "Plans"
Evan Barlow (Richmond, VA, USA) - "Triumphant Ft. Mcbeth"
HAITHAM (Calgary, AB, Canada) - "Change A Thing"
Immaculate (Armstrong, BC, Canada) - "Counting Wolves"
Kyle Bent (Boston, MA, USA) - "I'mma Do Me"
Mark Brathwaite (Toronto, ON, Canada) - "Rain"
Name UL (Wellington, New Zealand) - "Pa Do Ra"
Ray (London, England) - "Rock-A-Bye"
(RAS) Riders Against the Storm (Austin, TX, USA) - "Holy Water"
Tia P (Inglewood, CA, USA) - "In A Perfect World"
Trigga & Semi (Anchorage, AK, USA) - "Booming"
Zyon Gooden (Fayetteville, NC, USA) "Love Games"
ROCK
First Place
King No-One (York, England) - "Millennium""
Second Place
Canon Logic  (Brooklyn, NY, USA) - "Runaway"
Honorable Mention
Beauty Contest (Montreal, QC, Canada) - "Anyhow"
Dear Adeline (Surrey, BC, Canada) - "One Day"
Drew McTaggart (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - "I Heard I Had"
Kid Zeus (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - "Rabbit Suit"
Magnetic Clouds (Katowice, Poland) - "Fly Away"
Red Empire (Dublin, Ireland) - "Small Mercies"
Sam Eliot (London, England) - "Believe"
Talltails (Gold Coast, QLD, Australia) - "The Long Arm"
The Golden Dogs (Toronto, ON, Canada) - "Do It For You"
Veludo (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) - "Indigo"
Von Pariahs - (Nantes, France) - "At The Fairground"
Will Dailey (Boston, MA, USA) - "Lookout Johnny"
TEEN
First Place
Lili Kendall (Brisbane, QLD, Australia) - "Move"
Second Place
Ray Goren (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Save My Soul"
Honorable Mention
Danielle Marie (Edmonton, AB, Canada) - "Mad Kicks"
Emilia de Leur (Upplands Väsby, Sweden) - "One Thing"
HANA (Cardiff, Wales) - "L.O.V.E."
Jenny Tolman (Brentwood, TN, USA) - "Damn Cigarettes"
Kathryn Dean (San Diego, CA, USA) - "You Wish She Was Me"
Lena Fayre (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Love Burning Alive"
Lyric Dubee (Barrie, ON, Canada) - "They Say"
Sam Verlinden (Auckland, New Zealand) - "A Million Reasons"
Sharp Turn Ahead (Laguna Beach, CA, USA) - "Just For You"
Straalen (Gold Coast, QLD, Australia) - "1-2-3"
Victoria Celestine (San Antonio, TX, USA) - "Crazy"
Whitney Lusk (Spanish Fork, UT, USA) - "I Wanna Know"
VOCAL PERFORMANCE
First Place
Lindsey Harper (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Electricity"
Second Place
Liam Burrows - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Skylark"
Honorable Mention
Alex Hahn & The Blue Riders (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - "I'd Rather Go Blind"
Andrea Pais (Belgaum, India) - "Chasing Forever"
Anthony Mossburg (Columbus, OH, USA) - "After All"
Curtis & Reinhard (Hoboken, NJ, USA) - "No Nothing"
Danielle Deckard (Vineland, NJ, USA) - "I Lied"
Jon Henninger (Mount Vernon, IL, USA) - "I Find You"
Joshua Carswell (Raleigh, NC, USA) - "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"
Liam Burrows (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - "Never Fallen In Love So Easily Before"
Maggie Szabo (Dundas, ON, Canada) - "Tidal Waves And Hurricanes"
Sophie Hanlon (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - "My Dark Crusade"
Victoria Celestine (San Antonio, TX, USA) - "Crazy"
Vladislav Kurasov (Kiev, Ukraine) - "Hallelujah"
FANDEMONIUM
Vladislav Kurasov (Kiev, Ukraine) - "Hallelujah"
SCREEN SHOT
The Bicycle Mob (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - "Bursting Into Life"
Information on Unsigned Only and Winners:
For more information and photos of winners, please contact Candace Avery at
11 Mar 2014

INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

By Candace Avery
JUDGES INCLUDE TOM WAITS, AVICII, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, IMAGINE DRAGONS, DURAN DURAN, JOSHUA REDMAN, SELENA GOMEZ, AND MANY MORE

March 6, 2014...Finalists for the 2013 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) have now been announced. Recognized as the most prestigious international songwriting competition in the world, ISC awards excellence in the field of songwriting. Representing a broad variety of musical genres, finalists were selected from 124 countries worldwide. To view the list, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

Winners will be announced at the end of April, 2014. Prizes include over $150,000 in cash, merchandise, and services (including a Grand Prize of $25,000 cash and $40,000 in additional prizes). ISC is open to amateur and professional songwriters from all over the world, including bands and solo performers. Winners are selected by a panel of high-profile recording artists and music industry executives.

In addition to the winners selected by the panel of judges, ISC opens voting to the public to pick their favorite song. The ISC People's Voice runs for the entire month of March and is open for voting at http://www.facebook.com/internationalsongwritingcompetition.

Over the years ISC has become a benchmark for songwriting talent, and winning ISC can be a tremendous career booster. Winners have included artists such as Gotye, Kimbra, Gin Wigmore, The Band Perry, Passenger, Bastille, Kasey Chambers, Gregory Porter, Lindsey Stirling, and many more. Many winners have gone on to be signed to record label deals and have secured publishing deals, licensing deals, and distribution deals, in addition to getting more gigs, fans, and recognition.

The complete list of ISC judges includes:

Recording Artists: Tom Waits; Nas; Imagine Dragons; Josh Turner; Bernie Taupin; Martina McBride; Duran Duran; Garbage; Robert Smith (The Cure); Selena Gomez; Bruce Hornsby; Florida Georgia Line; Dido; Michael W. Smith; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Mark Foster (Foster The People); Alejandro Sanz; Gerald Casale (Devo); Jason Isbell; Joshua Redman; Brian Setzer; Avicii; Keane; Jeremy Camp; McCoy Tyner; Jon Secada; Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show); Boney James; Craig Morgan; James Cotton; Black Francis (Pixies); John Mayall; Anoushka Shankar; Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); Bombino; Chayanne; Jimmy Needham; and Matt Thiessen (Relient K).

Industry Executives: Dan McCarroll (President, Capitol/Virgin Label Group); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); Alison Donald (Co-President, Columbia Records UK); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Bryan Leach (Sr. VP of A&R Urban, RCA Records and President, Polo Grounds Music); Richard Stumpf (President, Imagem Music US); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Albert Schilcher (VP Music & Music Mktg, MTV International); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Lori Tieg (VP of Talent, VEVO); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Kim Buie (Head of A&R, Thirty Tigers); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); and Jamie Masada (Owner, Laugh Factory).

ISC is sponsored by: Presonus, Lowden, Marshall Amplification, Solid State Logic, Berklee College of Music, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Airplay Direct, D'Addario, DiscMakers, Thayers, SongU.com, Sonicbids, The Music Business Registry, Indie Venue Bible, Celebrity Access, TuneCore, Independent Mastering, George Stein, Esq., Songtrust, and Taxi

ISC is now accepting entries for 2014. More information can be found at http://www.songwritingcompetition.com.

Contact: Candace Avery at cavery@songwritingcompetition.com or call 615.251.4441.

International Songwriting Competition
1307 Eastland Avenue
Nashville, TN 37206
ph: 615.251.4441
fx: 615.251.4442
www.songwritingcompetition.com
02 May 2012

US-based International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced its 2011 winners

By Candace Avery


Kelly Clarkson, Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, Ozzy Osbourne, Janelle Monae, And Many More Select The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) 2011 Winners

ISC Grand Prize Is Awarded To New Zealander Kimbra For The Song "Cameo Lover"

May 1, 2012 - - The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), the world's foremost global songwriting event, is pleased to announce its 2011 winners. ISC's Grand Prize is awarded to New Zealand native Kimbra for her song "Cameo Lover," entered in the Pop/Top 40 category. Kimbra also holds the distinction of having won First Place in the Pop/Top 40 category in 2010 for her song "Settle Down." The Grand Prize winner takes home $25,000 in cash (US) and an additional $25,000 in merchandise and services.

Called "the songwriting competition to take note of" by the New York Times, ISC was established in 2002 and awards more than $150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and professional songwriters around the globe. This year was the most competitive of any year in terms of quantity and quality of entries, and winners were selected from over 16,000 songs submitted from 112 countries worldwide. Judges included iconic artists Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, McCoy Tyner, Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monae, Ozzy Osbourne, Lucinda Williams, Tori Amos, Wynonna, Keane, and many more. In addition to the high-profile artists, the roster of judges also included five record label presidents as well as other industry leaders, offering songwriters the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by influential decision-makers. See below for the complete list of judges.

For a complete list of 2011 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

Winning ISC's highest honor is New Zealand's latest export, the quirky and wonderfully eclectic artist Kimbra. Kimbra has recently exploded onto the international music charts as the featured singer on Australian artist Gotye's current #1 hit song, "Somebody That I Used To Know." Her recent TV performances with Gotye on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Saturday Night Live were electrifying and introduced her to the US public, fortifying her meteoric rise to fame.

Only 22 years old, Kimbra began writing songs and performing at the age of 10. Spending her early years gigging around her native New Zealand, it was only once Kimbra borrowed a small eight-track recorder from her school's music department that her songwriting blossomed in earnest. Since then, she has made enormous strides in her career. Her debut album, Vows, was released in 2011 in New Zealand and Australia, and in its first week of release the album charted at #3 in New Zealand and #5 in Australia (peaking at #4 on the ARIA Charts). The album will be released in the US and Canada on May 22.

Accolades include winning the 2011 NZ Critics' Choice awards and also the Best Female Artist for "Cameo Lover" at the 2011 ARIA awards.

Even at such a young age, Kimbra already possesses great maturity and musical sophistication. Candace Avery, the Founder and Director of ISC, says this of Kimbra:

"We first became aware of Kimbra in 2010 when she entered ISC and won First Place in the Pop/Top 40 category with her song 'Settle Down.' At that time we knew she was one of those artists who had it. As a songwriter, her eclectic and somewhat quirky songwriting made her stand out. As an artist, she brings her songs to life with her unique vocal styling and compelling stage presence. Kimbra is rapidly establishing herself as a significant talent and a fresh and exciting new voice on the international music scene. We are proud to have her as our 2011 Grand Prize winner."

In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share the spotlight for winning their respective categories in ISC 2011. These winners represent diverse cultures and range from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. See below for a complete list of ISC 2011 winners.

Applauded for its high caliber of judges, ISC compiled a stellar panel of judges for the 2011 competition, including:

Recording Artists: Tom Waits; Tori Amos; Jeff Beck; Lucinda Williams; My Morning Jacket; Kelly Clarkson; Ozzy Osbourne; Keane; McCoy Tyner; Wynonna; Francesca Battistelli; Janelle Monae; Billy Currington; Tegan and Sara; Massive Attack; Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor (Duran Duran); Michael W. Smith; Alejandro Sanz; Johnny Clegg; Jeremy Camp; Ray Wylie Hubbard; John Mayall; Craig Morgan; Basement Jaxx; James Cotton; Sandra Bernhard; Trombone Shorty; Robert Earl Keen; Black Francis (The Pixies); Mose Allison; Robert Smith (The Cure); Amadou & Mariam; Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); and Matt Thiessen (Relient K)

Industry Executives: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); David Massey (President, Mercury Records); Brian Malouf (VP A&R, Walt Disney Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Ric Arboit (President, Nettwerk Music Group); Anastasia Brown (Music Supervisor, FORMAT); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); Allison Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Kim Buie (A&R and Artist Manager, Thirty Tigers); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, RCA Records); Antony Bland (Co-Owner, CandyShop Management); Steve Smith (VP of A&R, Aware Records); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); and Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment)

Sponsors included: Presonus, Lowden Guitars, Sennheiser, Posse, Mrs. Fields Cookies, ASCAP, Berklee College Of Music, D'Addario, Thayers, Onlinegigs, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, SongTrust, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq., Sonicbids, Taxi, and music Submit.

ISC is now accepting entries for 2012. Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for more information and an entry form.

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The complete list of ISC 2011 winners is as follows:

Grand Prize
Cameo Lover - Kimbra (Auckland, New Zealand)


AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
First Place
Celia - Anna Heiberg Macdonald (Annah Mac) - Auckland, New Zealand

Second Place
For What It's Worth - Maggie Eckford, Nathan Finochio - Nashville, TN, USA

Third Place
All My Love Is Gone - Dallas Frasca, Jeff Curran, Pete McDonald (Dallas Frasca) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Honorable Mention
Everybody's Lost Someone - Matt Joe Gow (The Dead Leaves) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
L.A. Can Wait - Michael Tiernan - San Diego, CA, USA
Les Filles Francaises - Gavin Duffy, Lewis Parker (The Jude) - London, England
Moonshine - Todd Michaelsen (My Pet Dragon) - New York, NY, USA
One More Last Chance - Tim Chapman - London, England
RGB - Nuno Goncalves, Sonia Tavares (The Gift) - Alcobaça, Portugal
Start All Over Again - Brendan Cooney, Ryan Cooney, Dave Mozdzanowski, Shea Brennan (The Gallery) - Wilbraham, MA, USA
Steer - Missy Higgins - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
The Taste - Randy Bergida - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Walkaway - Andy Morse (Radiogramme) - Swansea, Wales
Wheels of Thunder - Gustavo Galindo - Mexico City, Mexico
You Can - Mark Lang, Chris Helm (Skipping Girl Vinegar) - Melbourne, VIC, USA


Adult Contemporary (AC)
First Place
Arrow - Adrianne Gonzalez, Gabriel Mann (The Rescues) - Los Angeles, CA, USA

Second Place
Until I Found You - Kurtis John - Los Angeles, CA, USA

Third Place
Stay, Please Stay - Alexander Gow, Thomas Savage (Oh Mercy) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Honorable Mention
A Small Boat - Michael Maher (Worldfly) - Darwin, NT, Australia
Alive - Nate Fowler - Boise, ID, USA
All Turn To Love - Nicholas Deegan (Galleon) - Adelaide, SA, Australia
Been A Long Time - Wes Carr, David Walsh - Sydney, NSW, Australia
I Forgot How To Love - Michael Paynter - Langwarrin, VIC, Australia
Old Piano - Jon Matte (The Franklin Electric) - Montreal, QC, Canada
One Day We'll Make It Home - Ellen Xylander - Oslo, Norway
Only The World - Peter McVeigh - Belfast, Ireland
Warning Signs - Jessica Beach, Jeff Dawson - Vancouver, BC, Canada
We Are Young - Kurtis John - Los Angeles, CA, USA


Americana
First Place
The Broken Things - Shane Nicholson - Copacabana, NSW, Australia

Second Place
Sweet Emmylou - Catherine Britt, Rory Feek - Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Third Place
You Rock, We Roll - Scott Nolan - Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Honorable Mention
Cold Road - Casey Frazier - Nashville, TN, USA
Easy - Darren Gallagher (Gallie) - Dublin, Ireland
Fast Forward - Markus Rill - Munich, Germany
Fire Alarm - Ben Kyle, Carrie Rodriguez - Minneapolis, MN, USA
Flowers & Candy - Tony Garcia - Nashville, TN, USA
Gavel - Arthur Alligood - White House, TN, USA
Jimmie Rodgers Was A Vampire - Shane Nicholson - Copacabana, NSW, Australia
Let The Blue Skies Go To Your Head - Jesse Terry - Mamaroneck, NY, USA
Nothin' Takes You Off My Mind - Neville Anderson - Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Raise Your Head - Robbie K. Jones, Garrett Wall (Track Dogs) - Madrid, Spain
Roll Baby Roll - Mark Bragg - St. John's, NL, Canada
Where The Water Goes - Shane Nicholson - Copacabana, NSW, Australia


Blues
First Place
Hard Believer - Tommy Castro, Bonnie Hayes - Belvedere Tiburon, CA, USA

Second Place
Blinded By The Darkness - Matthew Curry - Normal, IL, USA

Third Place
Change Of Heart - Leeann Atherton - Austin, TX, USA

Honorable Mention
Addicted - Gina Sicilia - Philadelphia, PA, USA
Elvis Jesus And The Devil - Tom McEwan (Louis King) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Get Inside This House - Joe McMurrian - Portland, OR, USA
Hard Times - Jay Pinkus (Blue Jay Slim) - Richboro, PA, USA
Heaven Send Me An Angel - Kenneth Spruell (Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne) - Burnaby, BC, Canada
On My Way - Thorbjorn Risager - Copenhagen, Denmark
Preachin' The Blues - Keith Thompson - Gloucester, Scotland
Save Me For Later - Suzie Vinnick, Kristi Magraw - Toronto, ON, Canada
These Four Walls - Rita Chiarelli - Toronto, ON, Canada
Woman in Blue - Rita Chiarelli - Toronto, ON, Canada
You Ain't Gonne Make A Woman Out Of Me - Geir Arne Westby (Westby Band) - Halden, Norway


Children's Music
First Place
Right Now - Jon Samson - Brooklyn, NY, USA

Second Place
Poopie Diaper - Shoshana Sperling, Maury LaFoy (The Monkey Bunch) - Toronto, ON, Canada

Third Place
Roller Coaster - Kira Willey - Bethlehem, PA, USA

Honorable Mention
All The Letters - Helen Austin - Comox, BC, Canada
Bath Time - Paul Runalls, Chris Atkinson - Regina, SK, Canada
Don't Fill Up On Chips - Randy Kaplan - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Everybody Has A Butt! - Essence Goldman Williams, Jeffrey Pease, Lara-Miya Milrod (Essence) - San Francisco, CA, USA
Happy As A Clam - Joanie Leeds (Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights) - New York, NY, USA
Imaginary Friend - Jamie Saxe (The Mighty Buzzniks) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Mac And Cheese - David Rees - Vista, CA, USA
Morton The Caterpillar - David Schweizer - Maitland, FL, USA
Shake It Down - Nadia Sunde - Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
Stinky Feet - Lanny Sherwin - Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Us And Animals - Jon Samson - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Wide Horse - Marissa Kochanski, Mike Siek (The Skips) - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Workin' On The Worm Farm - Gerry Paul - Salthill, Ireland


Comedy/Novelty
First Place
Smells Like Karen Carpenter - M. Spaff Sumsion (Moneyshot Cosmonauts) - Bountiful, UT, USA

Second Place
C'est La Vie - Pat Godwin - Fishers, IN, USA

Third Place
That's What You Do (When You're Gay) - Mark Silverman - Sherman Oaks, CA, USA

Honorable Mention
Crafty - Joe Kowan - Melrose, MA, USA
Earthquake Nudity - Andy Allen - Pittsburgh, PA, USA
How Can I Love You? - Jonathan Lee Jones, Mick Meradith (Ride the Wombat) - Sydney, NSW, Australia
I Need You Tiny - Jascha Hoffman (Jascha) - San Francisco, CA, USA
Road Rage - John Brennan - Floral Park, NY, USA
Sort Of Dunno Nothin' - Peter Denahy - Yackandandah, VIC, Australia
The Holiday Song - Ben Sures - Edmonton, AB, Canada
The Night N'Sync and Backstreet Got In A Fight - Douglas Powell - Rock Island, IL, USA
The Pimple Song - Chris D. Miller (Willie B Poppin) - Indianapolis, IN, USA
Worm - Justin Wiebe (Bicycle-Town) - Chilliwack, BC, Canada
You Don't Have A Clue - Pat Godwin - Fishers, IN, USA


Country
First Place
Where The Heart Is Found - Blake Bollinger, Neal Carpenter - Nashville, TN, USA

Second Place
Somebody Somewhere - Rodney Clawson, Lynn Hutton, Dustin Lynch (Dallas Smith) - Vancouver, BC, Canada

Third Place
Down Goes The Cowboy - Josh Dorr, Bruce Wallace, Kaci Bolls (Joshua Dorr) - Nashville, TN, USA

Honorable Mention
Do What You Gotta Do - Dave Bastien - Londonderry, NH, USA
Lie - Ruben Estevez, Jason Massey, Brad Ramsey - Nashville, TN, USA
Nothing Sweet About Alabama - Bill DiLuigi, Jesse Stern, Dave Tough - Cane Ridge, TN, USA
Quicksand - Lou Penta (The California Cowboy) - Ventura, CA, USA
Stone Cold Crazy - Michael McGee, Scott Miller (McGee) - Locarno, Switzerland
This Feels Good - Lee Johnson, Scott Miller - Washington, DC, USA
When It All Goes South - Jaylene Johnson, Sharlene Loveless, Jolene Keats - Winnipeg, MB, Canada
When It Hurts Like That - Matthew Ullman, Kyle Marion - Mt. Juliet, TN, USA
With Love - Josh Finlayson, Willie Mack - Nashville, TN, USA


Dance/Electronica
First Place
We Rise Like Smoke - Kyler England - North Hollywood, CA, USA

Second Place
Real Love (Jazzy Rmx) - Alexandra Tutu, Daniel Macovei (Elpis) - Campodoro, Italy

Third Place
Coco - Helga Potapova (Hellya) - Moscow, Russia

Honorable Mention
Amazing - Maor Shefer (MAOR) - New York, NY, USA
Borrowed Time - Carolyn Tariq, Shehab Tariq (Audego) - Fitzroy North, VIC, Australia
Can't Stop - Jes Brieden, Richard Robson (JES) - New York, NY, USA
Come Back Baby - Unbelievable Jones, Michael Kaiser - New York, NY, USA
Don't Clone Me - Tommaso Parisi (Tom Ugly) - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Electrolove - Kuba Oms, Jason Cook - Victoria, BC, Canada
Free - Amy McFarlane, Brent McFarlane (Reckless Mack) - Wellington, New Zealand
High - Tiffany Desrosiers, Anthony Anderson, Steve Smith - Langley, BC, Canada
I Wanna B Like Moby - CC Wong (CC Sound Factory) - Singapore
Party On The Moon - Donny B. Lord - St. Lucia, West Indies
Up - Ivo Krievs (EL'X) - Riga, Latvia
You Turn Me On - Inessa Lee, Mike Burns, Johnny Reyes (Princess X) - Los Angeles, CA, USA


Folk/Singer-Songwriter
First Place
Where I Stood - Missy Higgins - Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Second Place
Golden Thread - Mike Rosenberg (Passenger) - London, England

Third Place
1000 Sundowns - Emma Louise - Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Honorable Mention
Ashes - Andy Brown - Fredericton, NB, Canada
Bleeders - Thomas Calder (The Trouble With Templeton) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Come Rain Or Come Shine - David Francey - Toronto, ON, Canada
Despite All That's Happened - Brentley Gore - Nashville, TN, USA
Dreamin - Ed Romanoff, Josh Ritter - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Half The Boat - Matthew Clarke (Honey And The Money) - Port Moody, BC, Canada
My Love To Be - Daniel Lee Kendall - Wamberal, NSW, Australia
Never [Lay] A Woman That You Don't Love - Mieka Pauley - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Oh Alaska - Robbie Boyd (The Robbie Boyd Band) - London, England
Rivers - Mike Rosenberg (Passenger) - London, England
The Last Waltz - Tony Villiers - Armagh, Northern Ireland
The Morning Sun - Nolan Angell (The Genes) - Cabarita Beach, NSW, Australia
The Soldier And The Oak - Elliott Park - Clyde, TX, USA


Gospel/Christian
First Place
Storm Comin' - Ruth Moody (The Wailin' Jennys) - Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Second Place
Carved In Stone - Elliott Park - Clyde, TX, USA

Third Place
You Are My Friend - Hans Christian Jochimsen - Brønshøj, Denmark

Honorable Mention
Don't Dream Your Life Away - Zach Svoboda - Des Moines, IA, USA
God On High - Thomas Paul Reeves - Athens, GA, USA
Inspiration - Stanley Gwanzura, Andrew Baird (Pastor G) - Harare, Zimbabwe
Living Room Praise - Jason Sweet - Orlando, FL, USA
Love At First Sight - Jason Sweet - Orlando, FL, USA
Love Immeasurable - Ryan Long - Knoxville, TN, USA
Man Of Sorrows - Thena Beam - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Nothing Without Me - Stephanie Small, Ben Gebert (Sandel) - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Redemption's Anthem - Lenny Juliano - Enid, OK, USA
Release the Sound - Roma Waterman - Ringwood North, VIC, Australia
Thank You - Bobby van Jaarsveld - Pretoria, South Africa
Worship Now - John K. Brown - Clermont, FL, USA


Instrumental
First Place
6/8 - Artyom Yakushenko, Yuriy Matveyev (White Fort) - Irkutsk, Russia

Second Place
Heddon Tadpolly Spook - Carlos del Junco, Al Duffy - Port Hope, ON, Canada

Third Place
Muzyka Do Filmu - Igor Herzyk, Scotia Gilroy (Vladimirska) - Krakow, Poland

Honorable Mention
After Dawn - Xi Bo, Wen-Kai Ying  (Viva Girls) - Beiging, China
Darkness Gives Way - Lucas Shogren, Stephanie Shogren, Derek Powers (Clocks & Clouds) - Minneapolis, MN, USA
Digital Apples - Chris West - Nashville, TN, USA
Furious Antennae - Tom Grose - Decatur, GA, USA
Kicking Up Dust - Brad Keller (The Creaking Tree String Quartet) - Toronto, ON, Canada
Left Field - Allen Hinds - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Lough Auna Horse Eels - Dave Mooney (Track Dogs) - Madrid, Spain
Mocha Maya - Tony Lechner - South Hadley, MA, USA
Overture - Ed Dampier - London, England
Palmas - Eddie Paton, Bret Menezes - Toronto, ON, Canada
Sumari's Waltz - Eden MacAdam-Somer - Boston, MA, USA
Temple Sunrise - Hassan El-Tayyab (American Nomad) - San Francisco, CA, USA
TheSingingBush - Eddie Rayner (RBR) - Auckland, New Zealand


Jazz
First Place
1960 What? - Gregory Porter - Bakersfield, CA, USA

Second Place
Lover - Martina Flaherty - Loughrea, Co Galway, Ireland

Third Place
Deadman's Hill - Steve Talaga - Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Honorable Mention
A Picture Of Dorian Mode - Michael Longo - New York, NY, USA
Above Ground - Greg Ward (Greg Ward's Phonic Juggernaut) - New York, NY, USA
Conversation With Nellie - Zoe Rahman - London, England
Grizzly's - Regina Litvinova - Ludwigshafen, Germany
Hadairo (Beige) - Andy Akiho - Columbia, SC, USA
Memphis Mix-Up - Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen (elizabeth!) - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Pukl-N-Pappo - Michael Janisch - London, England
Save Me - Stephen Coates, Joe Coles (The Real Tuesday Weld) - London, England
Shumshi - Michael Janisch - London, England
The King Is Dead (Long Live The King) - Marzio Scholten - Alphen a/d Rijn, The Netherlands
To Work Marvels - Vincenzo Amazio (Enzo Amazio) - Pozzuoli, Italy
You Are Here - Matt Savage - Francestown, NH, USA


Latin
First Name
La Ciudad - Gustabo Galindo - Mexico City, Mexico

Second Place
Cuentame - Rebeca Perfecto, Josue Parrilla, Ricardo Alvarez (Beca Perfecto) - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Third Place
Marina - Omar Torrez, Paul Duncan, Carlos Del Puerto Jr. (Omar Torrez) - Venice, CA, USA

Honorable Mention
Amanacer - Santiago Mena , Erik Martinez, Luis Lauro Moreno (Luis Lauro) - Mexico City, Mexico
Deja Lo Malo Afuera - Javier Coy, Carolina Cardenas, Angie Martinez (Sauti) - Bogota, Colombia
Heroes - Jhovan Tomasevich (Jhovan) - Lima, Peru
Histeria - Pablo Donelli, Santiago Inglese, Maria Belen Galiotti Banchero (Lady Bonsai) - Buenos Aires, Argentina
How Much I Love You Mi Cielo - Eduard Osorio (Edu Osorio) - Miami, FL, USA
Otra Vez - Jose Hernandez, Steve Baltazar, Delwin G. Neva (Sonsoles) - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Perdido - Jose Ignacio Gras Lopez, Jimmy Pinaitis (Radioz) - Alicante, Spain
Prende El Radio - Rei Ortiz - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Un Poco De Ti - Maddy Rodriguez, Ryan Stewart - Toronto, ON, Canada
Vacio - Rafael Rioz - Santiago, Chile


Lyrics Only
First Place
St Vincents - Ed Romanoff, Josh Ritter, Crit Harmon - Brooklyn, NY, USA

Second Place
Gavel - Arthur Alligood - White House, TN, USA

Third Place
I Don't Know What I'll Do - Bryan Tess - Tralee, Ireland

Honorable Mention
6 Feet Under - Rosie Grayson - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Because She Looked Like You - Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis - New York, NY, USA
Conspiracy Of Love - Jenrose Fitzgerald (Jenrose) - Stamping Ground, KY, USA
Gastown Serenade - Steve Seaton (Seaton) - Brendale, QLD, Australia
Gospel Of A Fool - Glenn Hammerstad - Oslo, Norway
I Must Have Done Something Right - Ed Romanoff, Crit Harmon - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Let It Spin - Sherri Gough - Nashville, TN, USA
Tell Tale - Jordan Fricker - Waterloo, ON, Canada
Two Yellow Roses - Ed Romanoff, Crit Harmon - Brooklyn, NY, USA


Music Video
First Place
Life Is Good - Jatin Puri - Gurgaon, India

Second Place
Loveless - Johnny Mackay, Heath Crawley (Children Collide) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Third Place
Opera 2 - Sergey Pudovken (Vitas) - Moscow, Russia

Honorable Mention
Bricks - Jon Markson, Will Brown, Will Kowall, Danny Joseph (Time Crisis) - Boston, MA, USA
I Talked To Italiano - Tamara Rodriguez - Boston, MA, USA
Like No Other - Anna Neradilkova (Anikiko) - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Lovesick - John Mark Seltzer, Jon Maddux (Jackson Wells) - Franklin, TN, USA
Man Walks Into A Bar - Brett Every - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Mind Games - Alex Post, Katie O'Doherty (Pony Cop) - Boise, ID, USA
Off The Beaten Path - Aram Rian - Yerevan, Armenia
River Too Wide - Matt Ellis - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Robot Girl Robot Boy - Helen Greenham (Helen & The Sirens) - London, England


Performance
First Place
Making Love Easy - Craig Schoenbaum (OTiS) - Brooklyn, NY, USA

Second Place
Lost - Wes Carr, Don Walker - Sydney, NSW, Australia

Third Place
Stumble - Suzanna Choffel - Austin, TX, USA

Honorable Mention
Beneath The Fire - Richard Perry, Steve Pedersen, Dominic DiCiano, Christian Lewis, Greg Petersen, Daniel Petersen (Evaline) - Turlock, CA, USA
Calling All Angels - Jane Siberry - Toronto, ON, Canada
Control - Aimee Francis - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Dream Street - Ariana Gillis, David Gillis - Toronto, ON, Canada
From The Outside - Victoria Celestine - San Antonio, TX, USA
Heatwave - Chris Cheney (The Living End) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Lady Flower - Jenie Thai - Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Reload - Sara Smith - London, ON, Canada
The Dream - Martina Flaherty - Loughrea, Co Galway, Ireland
These Four Walls - Rita Chiarelli - Toronto, ON, Canada


Pop/Top 40
First Place
Flaws - Dan Smith (Bastille) - London, England

Second Place
Jungle - Emma Louise - Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Third Place
Hazy - Ruby Frost - Auckland, New Zealand

Honorable Mention
Can't Afford This Way Of Life - Nicholas Owen, Alex Vaughan (The Brow Horn Orchestra) - Perth, WA, Australia
Everything's Gonna Be Alright - Timothy Skedden, Jason Kerrison, Jamie Greenslade, Selwyn Leaf (The Babysitters Circus)
It's Too Late - Jes Brieden, Richard Robson (JES) - New York, NY, USA
Kitchen On Fire - Caterina Torres, Jarrod Rogers, Si Connelly - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Love Is All - Jacob Washington (Je'kob) - San Diego, CA, USA
Save Me No More - Anna Krantz, Michael Kintish (IAmAnnA) - London, England
Summer Days - Meredith Coloma - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Thousand Suns - MoRo - London, England
Top Down - Shane Gelinas (Shane Divine) - Los Angeles, CA, USA

R&B/Hip-Hop
First Place
Up In Flames - Aaron Harris, Matt Smokovich, Travis Taylor (Eastern Sunz) - Portland, OR, USA

Second Place
Lighter Up - Kyle Jordan, Dustin Wolf - Regina, SK, Canada

Third Place
Off The Hook - Rachel White - Lichfield, England

Honorable Mention
A Thousand Lives - Kenny Sabir, Tim Levinson, Shannon Kennedy, Dale Harrison (The Herd) - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ain't Easy - Ayat Maqwam (Billy BanGer) - Accra, Ghana
Black Girl, White Boy - Stefan Ludik (Ludik) - Johannesburg, South Africa
Eleven - Fantine Pritoula, Marcello Maio (Fantine) - Sydney, VIC, Australia
Fly Away (feat. Honey Larochelle & Blitz the Ambassador) - Queen Rose, Blitz the Ambassador - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Girl If You Were Mine - Jonathan Gutierrez, Rolando Cuellar, Hector Chavera III, David Enriquez (Baby Jay) - Houston, TX, USA
Gone - Kamali Kaumu - College Park, GA, USA
Goodbye Yesterday - Christopher Gonzales (Kepstar) - Maspeth, NY, USA
Harder - Matt Dubois, John Michael - Ottawa, ON, Canada
I Was Somebody Else (Feat. Pez) - Tommaso Parisi (Tom Ugly) - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Shoot'em Bang Bang - TK Wonder, Ben Perowsky, Danny Blume, Glenn Patscha (TK Wonder) - Brooklyn, NY, USA
The Storm - Michelle Chadsey, Mike Asselin, Will Harris, Jesse Mackle, Kelly Schmale (The Proper Villains) - Surrey, BC, Canada
Thinking About U - Patrick Mwamba Mwilambwe, Nkulu Eric Mwilambwe (K9SLANG) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Wake Up - Tyrone Paul, Lloyd Perrin, Jordan Crisp (Chrome) - London, England


Rock
First Place
She's Like A Comet - Kevin Mitchell, Vanessa Thornton, Brett Mitchell, Chris Daymond (Jebediah) - Perth, WA, Australia

Second Place
Love Is A Drug - Kav Temperley, Stuart MacLeod, Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe) - Perth, WA, Australia

Third Place
Song For The Lonely - Chris Cheney (The Living End) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Honorable Mention
A Thousand Blind Windows - Gary McFarlane (Autumn Owls) - Dublin, Ireland
Batteries - Paul Stephen Donnelly (Strawhouses) - Liverpool, England
City Lights - Bekki Friesen (Domenica) - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Hope & Ruin - John-Angus MacDonald, Colin MacDonald, Jack Syperek, Sean Dalton, Gord Sinclair (The Trews) - Antigonish, NS, Canada
Little Suzie - Benoit Portolano, Mark Rutledge (Blackfeet Revolution) - Paris, France
Loveless - Johnny Mackay, Heath Crawley (Children Collide) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
One Step - Kimberley Benzie, Rob Maric, Stewart Hill, Luke Williams, Forrester Savell (Dead Letter Circus) - Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Sergeant Dylan Sand - Elias Bertini (Zero In On) - Locarno, Switzerland
Someday You Will Know - Christopher Farfán, Dennis Garcia, Nicolas Espinosa (StereonoiZ) - Lima, Peru
Stay Up (All Night) - Tatiana DeMaria (TAT) - London, England
Taken For Granted - The Mercy Now - Toronto, ON, Canada
Turn Off The Light - Evgeni Gor (UNITE IT) - Moscow, Russia
Universe - Chris Cheney (The Living End) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia


Teen
First Place
The Worst Part (Leave You Again) - Natasha Duarte - Glenmore Park, NSW, Australia

Second Place
In The World - Victoria Celestine - San Antonio, TX, USA

Third Place
I Bought A Tie - Sam Griffin-Ortiz (Population 5) - Salinas, CA, USA

Honorable Mention
All For The Best - Michelle Zarate (Nova Delai) - Malmo, Sweden
All This Time - Landon Wilkinson (The Village Musicians, AKA: Village) - Yakima, WA, USA
Believing - Rhianna Flaherty - Loughrea, Co Galway, Ireland
By My Side - Matt Dubois - Ottawa, ON, Canada
Forget About Me - Massad Barakat-Devine (Massad) - Epsom, New Zealand
From The Outside - Victoria Celestine - San Antonio, TX, USA
Heart On Fire - D'Arcy Spiller - Smeaton, VIC, Australia
If I Don't Got You - Matthew Curry - Normal, IL, USA
Ready, Set, Stun - Jared Goldstein (Jared Dylan) - Montville, NJ, USA
The Best Part (Of Falling In Love) - Abram Dean - Addison, TX, USA
Tuesday's Just As Bad - Charlie Dane - Oyster Bay, NY, USA
Whole Lot Better - Kathryn Hallberg - Spring, TX, USA


Unsigned Only
First Place
Are You Alive - Michael Paynter, Gary Clark, David Mead - Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Second Place
All This Time - Landon Wilkinson (The Village Musicians, AKA: Village) - Yakima, WA, USA

Third Place
Alive - Nate Fowler - Boise, ID, USA

Honorable Mention
Blew It All Away - Flávio Cristóvam (Jamandizen) - Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Grace - Jack Stone - Cape Town, South Africa
In Colour - Michael Belsar (Hunting Grounds) - Ballarat, VIC, Australia
In The World - Victoria Celestine - San Antonio, TX, USA
Kitchen On Fire - Caterina Torres, Jarrod Rogers, Si Connelly - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Lovelorn - Alison MacLea, Chris Ioannou, Chris Sytnyk (Little Creatures) - Toronto, ON, Canada
Never Walked On The Moon - Dylan Edward Roberts (King Dylan) - Calgary, AB, Canada
Real Love (Jazzy Rmx) - Alexandra Tutu, Daniel Macovei (Elpis) - Campodoro, Italy
Someday You Will Know - Christopher Farfán, Dennis Garcia, Nicolas Espinosa (StereonoiZ) - Lima, Peru
The Duet - Andrew Redford - Maroochydore, QLD, Australia
Wanna Run - Kate Vigo - Melbourne, VIC, Australia


World
First Place
Tere Bin Dil - Dilpreet Bhatia - Mumbai, India

Second Place
Lovely World - Opetaia Foai (Te Vaka) - Auckland, New Zealand

Third Place
AKEIO - Sharzy (Mako Mai) - Sharzy (Supa Trio of De Isles) - Honiara, Solomon Islands

Honorable Mention
Aibbas Jaska (All Still) - Elin Kåven, Ole Jørn Myklebust - Karasjok, Norway
Deja Lo Malo Afuera - Javier Coy, Carolina Cardenas, Angie Martinez (Sauti) - Bogota, Colombia
Ena Na Lena - Richard Gannaway, Miriam Stockley, Jay Oliver (AOMUSIC) - Asheville, NC, USA
Fire - Bulat Gafarov (Toke-Cha) - Moscow, Russia
I Believe - Marlon Edwards - Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago
Mambo Bado - Alex Kajumulo the Bushman - Muleba, Tanzania
Ombomo - Sally Nyolo - Paris, France
Rabba Ru - Kiran Ahluwalia - Toronto, ON, Canada
Spirit Dancer - Titus Fotso - Eugene, OR, USA
The Journey - Tim Foley (Skelpin) - San Diego, CA, USA


People's Voice Award
Someday You Will Know - Christopher Farfán, Dennis Garcia, Nicolas Espinosa (StereonoiZ) - Lima, Peru


###

19 Mar 2012

UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 11, 2012

By Candace Avery
Nashville, TN, USA - March 12, 2012 - Due to overwhelming demand, the inaugural Unsigned Only Music Competition has extended its deadline to enter until April 11, 2012. Designed for solo artists, bands, and singers who are not signed to a major record label, Unsigned Only's goal is to find an outstanding, talented performing artist: a band, singer, or solo artist...a newcomer or veteran...raw or polished - the "gem" that needs to be discovered. Unsigned Only is looking for the total package. Judging criteria includes vocals, performance, songwriting, and originality.

Created by the same team who founded the International Songwriting Competition (ISC), Unsigned Only offers great prizes, recognition, exposure, and the chance to be heard by a group of judges consisting of high-profile recording artists and industry professionals. It also takes it a step further, however, and offers the Grand Prize winner the unprecedented opportunity to be mentored by a group of record company presidents, A&R reps, and more. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for an artist to directly network with the top echelon of record company professionals and get guidance, advice, feedback, and networking opportunities.

The founders of Unsigned Only, Jim Morgan and Candace Avery, talk about the new venture: "We are pleased to introduce a new music competition of this caliber to artists throughout the world. Having worked with a wide variety of artists over many years, we know that what artists want most is access to record label professionals. However, it is virtually impossible for most up-and-coming artists to have direct access to this elite and elusive group of decision makers. So, Unsigned Only is offering the unprecedented opportunity for the Grand Prize winner to network with and be mentored by a prestigious group of record label executives. This has never been done before, and we are excited about the possibilities it affords the Unsigned Only winner."

The judging panel is comprised of an impressive group of recording artists, producers, and top-level music journalists. They include : Cyndi Lauper; Kenny Rogers; Angie Stone; 3 Doors Down; Charlie Daniels; Jeremy Camp; Manchester Orchestra; Craig Morgan; Robert Smith (The Cure); Kelly Clarkson; Musiq Soulchild; Aaron Shust; Steve Lillywhite (Producer); G. Love; Matt and Kim; St. Vincent; The Mountain Goats; Josh Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine); Scott Lapatine (Founder/Editor-In-Chief, Stereogum) and Lorraine Ali (Pop Music Editor, Los Angeles Times).

The panel of mentors who have signed on to participate is equally impressive. Included are: Monte Lipman (President of Universal Republic); Pete Ganbarg (Executive Vice President/Head of A&R, Atlantic Records); David Wolter (Senior VP of A&R, RCA Records); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R/Capitol Music Group); Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, RCA Records); David Wilkes (VP of A&R, eOne Music); Pete Giberga (Head of A&R, Razor & Tie Records); Jason Geter (President, Grand Hustle Records); Jason McArthur (VP of A&R, Provident Label Group); and Josh Bailey, SVP A&R, Word Label Group.

The Grand Prize Winner will be awarded $5,000 in cash (plus additional prizes) and one-on-one mentoring by an elite group of record company executives. First Place and Second Place winners will also be selected in each category. Entries are being accepted now until April 11, 2012.  Winners will be announced in July, 2012. Categories include : AAA (Adult Album Alternative), AC (Adult Contemporary), Christian Music, Country, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop/Top 40, and Vocal Performance.

All entries must be original music except for the Vocal Performance category which accepts original or cover songs. Judging criteria in the Vocal Performance category will be based solely on the quality of the vocals, thereby allowing singers who do not write their own songs the opportunity to enter.

For more information, please contact Candace Avery at 615.251.4441 or cavery@unsignedonly.com.
For entry and general information, please go to http://www.unsignedonly.com
24 Feb 2012

UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING ON MARCH 5 2012

By Candace Avery
Nashville, TN, USA - February 22, 2012 - The newly launched Unsigned Only Music Competition, from the team behind the International Songwriting Competition, is fast approaching its March 5 deadline for artists to enter. Designed for solo artists, bands, and singers who are not signed to a major record label, Unsigned Only's goal is to find an outstanding, talented performing artist: a band, singer, or solo artist...a newcomer or veteran...raw or polished - the "gem" that needs to be discovered. Unsigned Only is looking for the total package. Judging criteria includes vocals, performance, songwriting, and originality.

Completely separate and distinct from ISC, Unsigned Only is a fresh and novel approach to other music competitions. Not only does it offer great prizes, recognition, exposure, and the chance to be heard by a group of judges consisting of high-profile recording artists and industry professionals, but it also takes it a step further and puts the Grand Prize winner in direct, personal contact with the influential record label executives who are the ultimate decision makers. For the first time ever, a music competition offers the Grand Prize winner the unprecedented opportunity to be mentored by a group of record company presidents, A&R reps, and more. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for an artist to directly network with the top echelon of record company professionals and get guidance, advice, feedback, and networking opportunities.

The founders of Unsigned Only, Jim Morgan and Candace Avery, talk about the new venture: "We are pleased to introduce a new music competition of this caliber to artists throughout the world. Having worked with a wide variety of artists over many years, we know that what artists want most is access to record label professionals. However, it is virtually impossible for most up-and-coming artists to have direct access to this elite and elusive group of decision makers. So, Unsigned Only is offering the unprecedented opportunity for the Grand Prize winner to network with and be mentored by a prestigious group of record label executives. This has never been done before, and we are excited about the possibilities it affords the Unsigned Only winner."


The judging panel is comprised of an impressive group of recording artists, producers, and top-level music journalists. They include : Cyndi Lauper; Kenny Rogers; Angie Stone; 3 Doors Down; Jeremy Camp; Manchester Orchestra; Craig Morgan; Robert Smith (The Cure); Kelly Clarkson; Musiq Soulchild; Aaron Shust; Steve Lillywhite (Producer); G. Love; Matt and Kim; St. Vincent; The Mountain Goats; Josh Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine); Scott Lapatine (Founder/Editor-In-Chief, Stereogum) and Lorraine Ali (Pop Music Editor, Los Angeles Times).

The panel of mentors who have signed on to participate is equally impressive. Included are: Monte Lipman (President of Universal Republic); Pete Ganbarg (Executive Vice President/Head of A&R, Atlantic Records); David Wolter (Senior VP of A&R, RCA Records); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R/Capitol Music Group); Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, RCA Records); David Wilkes (VP of A&R, eOne Music); Pete Giberga (Head of A&R, Razor & Tie Records) and Jason Geter (President, Grand Hustle Records).

The Grand Prize Winner will be awarded $5,000 in cash (plus additional prizes) and one-on-one mentoring by an elite group of record company executives. First Place and Second Place winners will also be selected in each category. Entries are being accepted now until March 5, 2012.  Winners will be announced in July, 2012. Categories include : AAA (Adult Album Alternative), AC (Adult Contemporary), Christian Music, Country, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop/Top 40, and Vocal Performance.

All entries must be original music except for the Vocal Performance category which accepts original or cover songs. Judging criteria in the Vocal Performance category will be based solely on the quality of the vocals, thereby allowing singers who do not write their own songs the opportunity to enter.

For entry and general information, please go to http://www.unsignedonly.com

11 Aug 2011

MUSIC LUMINARIES SIGN ON AS JUDGES FOR THE 2011 INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION (ISC)

By Candace Avery
Tom Waits, Tori Amos, Ozzy Osbourne, My Morning Jacket, Jeff Beck, McCoy Tyner, Duran Duran, And Kelly Clarkson Join Music Industry Executives To Select 2011 ISC Winners 

August 9, 2011 - The prestigious International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has assembled a distinguished panel of judges for its 2011 competition. With the most high-profile judging panel of any music competition in the world, ISC offers songwriters and artists the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by iconic recording artists, as well as many major and indie record label Presidents, A&R executives, producers, music supervisors, and more.

Now accepting entries for the 2011 competition, ISC gives away more than $150,000 in cash and prizes (shared among the 68 winners) including an overall Grand Prize consisting of $25,000 (US) cash and $20,000 in prizes. Open to all levels of songwriters, ISC offers 22 categories that include all genres of popular music. Past winners have included artists from Grammy winners to hobbyist songwriters and everyone in between. 

For information and enter, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com

Winning ISC can be a tremendous career booster. Over the years, many winners have achieved great career success, including getting signed to labels such as Epic, Universal, Motown, and more. Many more winners have secured publishing deals, smaller label deals, licensing deals, and distribution deals in addition to getting more gigs, fans, and recognition.

The complete list of ISC judges includes: 

Recording Artists: Tom Waits; Tori Amos; Jeff Beck; Billy Currington; My Morning Jacket; Simon Le Bon & Roger Taylor (Duran Duran); Kelly Clarkson; Keane; McCoy Tyner; Wynonna; Francesca Battistelli; Tegan and Sara; Massive Attack; Michael W. Smith; Alejandro Sanz; Johnny Clegg; Jeremy Camp; Ray Wylie Hubbard; John Mayall; Craig Morgan; Basement Jaxx; James Cotton; Sandra Bernhard; Trombone Shorty; Robert Earl Keen; Black Francis (The Pixies); Mose Allison; Robert Smith (The Cure); Amadou & Mariam; Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); Matt Thiessen (Relient K); Chayanne; and more... 

Industry Executives: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); David Massey (President, Mercury Records); Brian Malouf (VP A&R, Walt Disney Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Ric Arboit (President, Nettwerk Music Group); Anastasia Brown (Music Supervisor, FORMAT); Allison Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Kim Buie (VP A&R, Lost Highway); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, J Records); Antony Bland (A&R, American Recordings); Steve Smith (VP of A&R, Aware Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); and more... 

ISC Sponsors: Presonus, Lowden Guitars, Sennhaiser, ASCAP, Berklee College of Music, Posse, D'Addario, Thayers, SongU.com, Online Gigs, The Music Business Registry, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq. Sonicbids, Taxi, and music Submit
13 Jul 2010

MUSIC ICONS TO JUDGE 2010 INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION (ISC)

By Candace Avery
Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits, Steve Winwood, Kings of Leon, Rihanna, Ben Harper, Train, Timbaland, McCoy Tyner, Kelly Clarkson, and Many More Celebrities Team Up With High-Profile Music Industry Executives To Choose 2010 ISC Winners

July 12, 2010 - The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has put together the most high-profile and prestigious judging panel in its nine-year history. Known for its high caliber of judges, ISC offers songwriters and artists the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by some of the world's most iconic and successful recording artists, as well as many major and indie record label presidents.

Now accepting entries for the 2010 competition, ISC gives away more than $150,000 in cash and prizes (shared among the 66 winners) including an overall Grand Prize consisting of $25,000 (US) cash and $20,000 in prizes.

To enter, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com

Open to both amateur and professional songwriters, ISC offers 22 categories to enter, representing all genres of popular music. Past winners have included artists at all levels, from Grammy winners to hobbyist songwriters and everyone in between. To better level the playing field for unsigned artists, ISC has added this year the "Unsigned Only" category which is open to songwriters and artists not signed to a major label record deal, publishing company, or distribution deal. This category provides an excellent opportunity for unknown artists to compete against others on a similar level.

Winning ISC can be a tremendous career booster. In the past five years, three of the Grand Prize winners have been signed to major label deals (Universal and Epic). Many more winners have secured publishing deals, smaller label deals, licensing deals, and distribution deals in addition to getting more gigs, fans, and recognition.

Monte Lipman, President of Universal Records, talks about his role as an ISC judge: "We're always been impressed with the talented songwriters who participate in the ISC. This is a great A&R source to find new artists."

ISC judges include :

Recording Artists: Peter Gabriel; Rihanna; Kings of Leon; Tom Waits; Ben Harper; Jeff Beck; Kelly Clarkson; Timbaland; Keane; McCoy Tyner; Ben Folds; Train; Wynonna; Robbie Williams; Michael W. Smith; John Scofield; Jerry Lee Lewis; Regina Spektor; Alejandro Sanz; Jeremy Camp; Terence Blanchard; Ray Wylie Hubbard; Montel Jordan; John Mayall; Craig Morgan; Jazmine Sullivan; DJ Tiesto; James Cotton; Sandra Bernhard; Robert Earl Keen; Baaba Maal; John Digweed; K'Naan; Adele; Black Francis (The Pixies); Robert Smith (The Cure); Chris Hillman (The Byrds); Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); Matt Thiessen (Relient K); and more to be announced...

Industry Executives: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); Amanda Ghost (President, Epic Records); Rick Krim (Exec. VP, Talent & Music Programming, VH1); Brian Malouf (VP A&R, Walt Disney Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Ric Arboit (President, Nettwerk Music Group); Daniel Glass (Founder/CEO, Glassnote Entertainment Group); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Lisa Ramsey Perkins (Sr. Director, A&R Sony Nashville) Kim Buie (VP A&R, Lost Highway); and more to be announced.

Please visit http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for an entry form or more details.

ISC Sponsors: ASCAP, Berklee College Of Music, Disc Makers, D'Addario, Shure, Thayers, Onlinegigs, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq., Sonicbids, Taxi, music Submit, and Alphabet Arm Design

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