Malagasy Artist Wins World Music Award at International Songwriting Competition

Nashville, Tennessee, USA – The International Songwriting Competition (ISC)
announced the winners for its 2004 annual competition.

Modeste, an artist from
Madagascar, now based in London
(England), won in the world music category. ISC received over 11,000 entries from
77 countries in its third year. ISC prizes include more than $100,000 (USD) in
cash and merchandise and are shared by 50 winners in 16 categories.

List of winners in the world music and other roots categories:

World Music

First Place
Agapi Mou by
Modeste
London, England

Second Place
Samulai by
Opetaia Foai
Auckland, New Zealand

Third Place
Waliyu by
Seydina Insa Wad
Dakar, Senegal

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AAA/Roots/Americana

First Place
Coffee With Jesus by
Dave Berg
Nashville, TN, USA

Second Place
On My Mind by
Ben Kyle
Robbinsdale, MN, USA

Third Place
Sharecroppin’ Man
Grey De Lisle by
Glendale, CA, USA

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Blues

First Place
The Honey I Want by
Suzie Vinnick/David Leask/Liz Tansey
Toronto, ON, Canada

Second Place
Right Side Of The Kingdom by
Peter Stein
Bellevue Hill, NSW, Australia

Third Place
Stuck With Me by
Mike Andersen
Hojbjerg, Denmark

For the first time ever in any major songwriting competition, a teen is the
winner of the overall Grand Prize. The winner is newcomer 18-yr. old Gin Wigmore
(Auckland, New Zealand) for her song “Hallelujah,” which was entered into the
Teen category. Her prizes include $10,000 US cash and over $30,000 US in
merchandise and services.

For a complete list of winners, please go to
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm

Judges for the 2004 competition included many of the music industry’s top
executives and recording artists:

Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Sean “P. Diddy” Combs; Aaron Lewis
(Staind); John Ondrasik (Five For Fighting); Bo Diddley; Clint Black; David
Hidalgo (Los Lobos); Branford Marsalis; Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Peter
Furler (Newsboys); Taj Mahal; Sully Erna (Godsmack); Macy Gray; Stacey Earle;
Scott Kirkland (The Crystal Method); Michael Gudinski (Chairman, Mushroom Group
of Companies); Alan Meltzer (CEO, Wind-Up Records); Tara Griggs-Magee (Executive
VP Gospel/Urban Music, Sony Records); Michael McDonald (President, ATO Records);
Tracy Gershon (Sr. Dir A&R/Artist Dev, Sony Records Nashville); Chris Parr (VP
of Music Programming & Talent Relations, CMT); Peter Asher (Co-President,
Sanctuary Artist Management); Kim Stephens (VP A&R, Lava Records); Barbara Sedun
(VP Creative, EMI Music Publishing Canada) and Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music For
Little People).

ISC is now accepting entries for 2005. Entry forms are available at
www.songwritingcompetition.com.

ISC is sponsored by: Xytar Digital Systems, Epiphone Guitars, Berklee
College of Music, Fishman Transducers, Disc Makers, Alphabet Arm Design, L.R.
Baggs, Sam Ash Music Stores, Planetary Group, Mixdown Media Network, Hear
Technologies, Sibelius, Cakewalk, Performer.com, FYE, Onlinegigs.com, and
Sonicbids.