Aussie musicians are winners for latest ISC comp - Press Release

AUSSIE AND KIWI ARTISTS BECOME FIRST GRAND PRIZE WINNERS OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA IN PRESTIGIOUS US-BASED 
UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION

Jared Porter and Kaylee Bell Take Home Grand Prize For Their Song "Pieces"

September 10, 2015 - Nashville, TN, USA... The Unsigned Only Music Competition, geared toward musical artists who are unsigned to a major record label or its affiliates, announced its 2015 winners today. The competition recognizes the best in up-and-coming artists worldwide and acts as a benchmark for excellence in contemporary music. Winners were selected from 7,000 entries from all over the world and represent many genres of contemporary, commercial music. More than $100,000 in cash and prizes are awarded to a total of 26 winners. The winning songs can be heard atwww.unsignedonly.com/winners.

Unsigned Only judges, who are responsible for selecting the winners, include: Aimee Mann; Dustin Lynch; The Killers; David Crowder; Robert Smith (The Cure); Ray Wylie Hubbard; Aaron Shust; Lucero; Kelly Price; Colt Ford; Frank Foster; 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); Shirley Halperin (Music Editor, Billboard and Hollywood Reporter); Hardeep Phull (Music Critic, New York Post), and many more.

The 2015 Grand Prize goes to Australian (California-born) Jared Porter and New Zealander Kaylee Bell for their acclaimed duet and co-written song, "Pieces." In addition to winning $10,000 in cash and $20,000 in merchandise and services, Porter and Bell also receive the opportunity to be mentored by the top echelon of record company professionals, including Presidents and top-level executives from Atlantic, Warner Bros., Sony Music Nashville, RCA, Capitol, Big Machine, Roc Nation, Vanguard, Sugar Hill, and American Recordings. 

Porter and Bell, who are solo artists individually, teamed up to write and perform their stunning duet, “Pieces.” With this collaboration, they have crafted a song that showcases their beautiful vocals in an emotional, stellar performance. The artists have a lot in common, as both are Toyota Star Maker winners and have accumulated extensive accolades, including winning the APRA New Zealand Best Country Song award for “Pieces.” The song also went to #1 on the Australia Country Music charts. 

"We are so incredibly honored and blown away to have won this award,” said Porter and Bell. “We both are so proud of our song "Pieces" and will use this achievement for the better."

Founders Candace Avery and Jim Morgan stated, “As we entered the fourth year of this competition, the level of talent has grown exponentially. This year, the winners impressed the judges with their passion, creativity, energy, and artistry. The Grand Prize winners, Jared Porter and Kaylee Bell, embody the future of music, and we hope that the recognition they receive through Unsigned Only gives them the inspiration and ammunition to keep growing as artists and succeed in attaining their goals.”

Jared Porter, a California native, moved to Australia when he was only 15, and after suffering a serious rock climbing accident, he decided to pursue music instead of sport. Since winning the Toyota Star Maker award in 2014, his career has escalated, and he has performed with some of Australia’s biggest country artists and also has performed at major festivals, including the CMA World GlobaLive concert in downtown Nashville. He was also announced as a Golden Guitar finalist for New Talent of the Year 2015, and a finalist for CMC (Country Music Channel) New Oz Artist of the Year 2015.

Kaylee Bell, a sassy young singer who hails from the small town of Waimate on New Zealand’s South Island, already has an impressive list of accolades to her name. She has garnered numerous awards in both New Zealand and Australia, having been a NZ Gold Guitar Winner at the age of 18 and a Telstra Horizon Award winner at the NZ Country Music Awards. Bell also won the prestigious 2013 Toyota Star Maker in Tamworth, Australia. She has already had several singles on the Country charts in both countries, and last year she was invited to sing with Keith Urban on his Light The Fuse Tour of Australia in 2014. 

Mentors for the Grand Prize winner include: Pete Ganberg (Executive Vice President/Head of A&R, Atlantic Records); Mike Elizondo (Senior Vice President of A&R, Warner Bros. Records); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R, Capitol Music Group); Lenny Santiago (Vice President of A&R, Roc Nation); Taylor Lindsey (Director of A&R, Sony Music Nashville); Dino Paredes (Senior Vice President of A&R/GM, American Recordings); Katie Welle (Senior Vice President of A&R, RCA Records); Gary Paczosa (Vice President of A&R, Sugar Hill Records/Vanguard Records); and Allison Jones (Senior Vice President, Big Machine).

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

In addition to the Grand Prize winners, more Unsigned Only winners hail from Australia, including:

AAA (Adult Album Alternative) 

Second Place
Allie & Ivy (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Cowboys And Indians” 

Honorable Mention
Nova & The Experience (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Jennifer Lawrence”
Enola Fall (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) – “Lions”

AC (Adult Contemporary) 

Honorable Mention
Danielle Deckard (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “I Lied”
Liam Burrows (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Never Fallen In Love”
Liam Burrows (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “You Shook Me”

Christian

Second Place
Day (Kirrawee, NSW, Australia) – “How Great Is The Love”

Honorable Mention
Alabaster Box (Gold Coast, QLD, Australia) – “Give Me The Rain”

Folk/Singer-Songwriter

Honorable Mention
The Blackbird Collective (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Maybe, Maybe”

Pop/Top 40

First Place
Rita Satch (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) – “Not Ready For Love”

Honorable Mention
Jeremy Drakeford (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) – “Anyone But You”

Screenshot

First Place
Lucy Lowe (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Red Car, Cold Heart””

Honorable Mention
Stone Parade (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Be Someone”
Wren (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Raw”

Teen

Honorable Mention
Brooke Allan (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) – “Act Like This”
Anna Mannering (Albury, NSW, Australia) – “Son Of Korah”

Vocal Performance

Second Place
Liam Burrows – Sydney, NSW, Australia – “You Shook Me”

Honorable Mention
Rita Satch (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) – “Not Ready For Love”
Lucy Lowe (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Red Car, Cold Heart”

Unsigned Only is now accepting entries for the 2016 competition. Information on entering the competition can be found at www.unsignedonly.com.
A complete list of winners can be viewed at www.unsignedonly.com. For high-res photos and to schedule an interview with winners, contact Candace Avery at [email protected].