March Press Release for ISC

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has just announced finalists for the 2013 competition. A press release is attached below.

Candace Avery
Founder/Director

Called "the songwriting competition to take note of," by the New York Times, ISC gives away more than $150,000 in cash and prizes, including a Grand Prize of $25,000 cash and over $40,000 in prizes. Judges for this year include: Tom Waits, Imagine Dragons, Nas, Martina McBride, Bernie Taupin (Elton John Lyricist), Selina Gomez, Florida Georgia Line, McCoy Tyner, Garbage, Bruce Hornsby, Brian Setzer, Gerald Casale (Devo), Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic), Dan McCarroll (President, Capitol/Virgin Label Group); and many, many more.

INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

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 [email protected] 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

Press Release for Unsigned Only from ISC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Candace Avery
Unsigned Only Music Competition
615.251.4441
[email protected]
www.unsignedonly.com


2014 UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION
ANNOUNCES JUDGING PANEL AND MENTORS

Neon Trees, David Crowder, Rosanne Cash, Of Monsters and Men, Dustin Lynch, Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC) And More Sign On As Judges

January 23, 2014 - Unsigned Only Music Competition today announced its judging panel and mentors for the 2014 competition, which is now accepting entries. Judges consist of iconic recording artists and journalists, each bringing unique expertise in a wide variety of contemporary music genres. Mentors include the top echelon of record company executives, ranging from label Presidents to A&R reps.

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. The Grand Prize Winner will be awarded $10,000 in cash (plus additional prizes) and one-on-one mentoring by an elite group of record company executives. First and Second Place winners in each of ten categories of contemporary music will also be chosen. Original and cover songs are accepted. Winners will be announced in August, 2014.

"We are honored that so many high-profile, influential artists and music journalists have signed on to be judges," says Founders/Directors Candace Avery and Jim Morgan. "Additionally, the mentors this year are equally impressive, coming from labels such as Republic Records, Capitol, Sire, Warner Bros., Atlantic, Elektra, RocNation, Word, and more. We are thrilled that they want to participate, and we know that the Grand Prize winner will benefit greatly from the opportunity to network with them."

Last year's Grand Prize winner was country artist Wes Mack for his song "Duet." Wes commented, "Winning Unsigned Only proved exceptionally beneficial, and it actually helped us push the song higher in the charts (it peaked at #9 on the Canadian Country Billboard Chart). The mentoring sessions were great, and Unsigned Only has been a phenomenal experience and one I feel very lucky to have had."

Judges include:  Neon Trees; John Oates (Hall & Oates); Of Monsters and Men; 3 Doors Down; Dustin Lynch; Black Francis (The Pixies); Rosanne Cash; Delbert McClinton; David Crowder; Craig Morgan; Robert Smith (The Cure); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Aaron Shust; G. Love; Jason Gray; Rapsody; Alt-J; The Mountain Goats; Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone); Josh Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine); Chris Richards (Pop Music Critic, The Washington Post); and more to be announced.

Mentors include: Monte Lipman (Chairman and 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); Josh Bailey (Sr. VP of A&R, Word Label Group); Tony Kiewel (VP of A&R, Sub Pop Records, Hardly Art, Sub Pop Publishing ); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R/Capitol Music Group); Lenny Santiago (VP of A&R, Roc Nation); Dino Paredes (GM, American Recordings); and more to be announced.

Unsigned Only is sponsored by Sony Creative Software, Guitar Center, D'Addario, Casio, Disc Makers, Intellitouch Tuner, Topspin Media, David Bean Photography, Mrs. Fields Cookies, The Music Business Registry, and Celebrity Access.

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