The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) announced its 2008 winners. ISC bestowed its highest honor, the ISC Grand Prize, to Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall of Brisbane, QLD, Australia for their song "Caught In The Crowd," a brilliantly quirky pop song with an emotional message about schoolyard bullying and peer pressure. The Grand Prize winner takes home $25,000 in cash (US) and over $20,000 in prizes – the largest Grand Prize of any songwriting competition.
With judges as diverse as Tom Waits, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Ray Davies (The Kinks), Chaka Khan, McCoy Tyner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robert Smith (The Cure) and many more, winning the ISC Grand Prize is an accomplishment that recognizes excellence in the craft of songwriting.
In its seventh year, ISC received over 15,500 songs from amateur and professional songwriters from 100 countries worldwide, confirming ISC’s status as the leading global songwriting event. The song "Caught In The Crowd" struck an emotive chord with the ISC judges for its narrative about a young girl who befriends a fellow student but then, succumbing to peer pressure, turns her back on him when he gets bullied at school. The song, entered in the Pop/Top 40 category, was praised by the ISC judges for its powerful lyrical content and strong pop sensibility.
Candace Avery, the founder and director of ISC, states, "The song tugs at my heart and give me chills every time I hear it. Its theme is so personal yet universal that everyone can relate to it. That, combined with its infectious melody, makes the song a stand-out. This is the first time the Grand Prize has ever been awarded to Australian songwriters, and we hope this throws the spotlight on the extraordinary and creative music scene in Australia."
"Caught In The Crowd" is the newest single from the CD and was part of a national campaign in Australia where high school students were invited to make a video for the song addressing the issue of bullying, a common and disturbing occurrence in schools worldwide.
In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share in the prestige and kudos of winning their respective categories in ISC 2008. These winners hail from all over the world (63% of this year’s winners come from outside the USA), representing diverse cultures and ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 20 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from rock to pop to jazz to R&B/Hip-Hop and more. See below for a complete list of ISC 2008 winners.
The complete list of ISC 2008 Winners is as follows:
Grand Prize
"Caught in the Crowd" – Kate Miller-Heidke, Keir Nuttall – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
AAA
First Place
"Worlds Away, Yards Apart" – David A. Holland (Hiding in Public) – London, England
Second Place
"Hey Mister" – Suzanna Choffel – Austin, TX, USA
Third Place
"Somewhere Beneath This Sky" – Shahryar Mazgani – Lisbon, Portugal
Honorable Mention
"1978" – Salim Nourallah – Dallas, TX, USA"
"Brighter Star" – Alan Steil (SUDDYN) – Skerries, Ireland
"Catch My Breath" – Vivion Smith, Chris Bonavia (Juniper Lane) – Arlington, VA, USA
"How Many Miles" – Kid Tarri (Trash Wednesday) – Milan, Italy
"I Made You Smile" – Jay Condiotti (NoizyNinjaProductions) – Los Angeles, CA, USA "Leave" – Tim Mahoney – Minneapolis, MN, USA
"Novacaine Sweetheart" – James Henderson (Indigo Joe) – London, England
"Sorry" – Sue McMillan – London, England
"That Night Was the Day " – Audrey Richter, Max Butler – Oakland, CA, USA
"The Sound Of Our Life" – Peter Zsidek, Andras Kenyeres (SID) – Mogyorod, Hungary "Two Worlds Colliding" – Bruce Conlon – London, England
"Walk With Me" – Zuri Allen Star, Mike Krompass – Los Angeles, CA, USA
"Wherever You Are" – Adam McInnis – New York, NY, USA
Americana
First Place
"Cruising For Paradise" – Kevin Meisel – Belleville, MI, USA
Second Place
"The Dark" – Ben Kyle – Belfast, N. Ireland and Minneapolis, MN, USA
Third Place
"Lips Stained Red With Wine" – Kim Beggs – Whitehorse, YT, Canada
Honorable Mention
"Alabama" – Domenick Carino Jr. – New York, NY, USA
"American Blood" – Willy Braun (Reckless Kelly) – Austin, TX, USA
"Cry My Eyes" – Majeed Fick (Myrus Jones), Dan Rainey – Nashville, TN, USA _
"Heart It Was A Desert" – Sara Tindley – Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
"Hello Hello Hello" – Massimo Sergio Martella – Sheffield, England
"I Know A Bird" – Eric Brace – Nashville, TN, USA
"Let Me" – Mary Bragg – Brooklyn, NY, USA
"Most Of My Dime" – Oyvind Mo Larsen, Jan Henri Peeters (The Men They Couldn’t
Shave) – Nordby, Norway
"Straighter Road" – Markus Rill – Wuerzburg, Germany
"Volcanic Wind" – Boris McCutcheon – Ojo Sarco, NM, USA
"Without You" – Nathan Bishop – Toronto, ON, Canada
You Ain’t Comin’ By" – Kirsten Jones – Toronto, ON, Canada
"You Might Come Around" – Dale Boyle – Montreal, QC, Canada
Blues
First Place
"All Going Wrong" – Darren Watson – Wellington, New Zealand
Second Place
"U.P. Down Blues" – Uros Peric – Celje, Slovenia
Third Place
"Mister Coffee" – Chris James Del Villar and Patrick Ryan – Chicago, IL, USA
Honorable Mention
"Black Dog" – Mickey Pantelous – Athens, Greece
"Blind Man" – Thessex Johns (Johnny Drummer) – Chicago, IL, USA
"Falling" – Garry Meziere (Ellen Whyte) – Oregon City, OR, USA
"Get Up (Raise Your Head)" – Marshall Okell, Mathew Cummings (Marshall & The Fro) –
Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
"I Pray Most Everyday" – Gina Sicilia – Philadelphia, PA, USA
"I Wish You Well" – Sam McClain, Pat Herlehy (Mighty Sam McClain) – Newmarket, NH,
USA
"Looking the World Straight In The Eye" – JW-Jones ( J. Wynne-Jones) – Ottawa, ON,
Canada
"My Blues Keep Bringin’ Me Home" – Dalannah Gail Bowen, Michael Creber –
Vancouver, BC, Canada
"Natural Condition" – Karl Francis Morgan – Perth, WA, Australia
"Reason To Stay" – Carole Fredericks, Gildas Arzel – Canandaigua, NY, USA
"Somebody Else’s But Mine" – Bob Tunnoch (Fathead) – Toronto, ON, Canada
"Trapped" – Dorothy Ellis (Miss Blues) – Norman, OK, USA
Children’s Music
First Place
"Wee Wee Dance" – Rob Compton (Babaloo Music & Fun) – Washington, MO, USA
Second Place
"My Toothbrush Fell In The Toilet" – Rob Compton (Babaloo Music & Fun) –
Washington, MO, USA
Third Place
"Banana Pie" – Chris Pennington and Paul Johnston – Montreal, QC, Canada
Honorable Mention
"A Cow Who Likes To Whistle" – Jill Carole (The Flutterbys) – Corte Madera, CA, USA
"Bongo Baby" – Amy Elkins (Mama Mac) – Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA
"Broccoli Yet" – Dan Flannery (Flannery Brothers) – Bangor, ME, USA
"Commotion In The Ocean" – John Simmons, Leah Thomas (Bus-ta-groove) – Sydney,
NSW, Australia
"Flip Flapjacks" – Marcy Marxer (Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer) – Kensington, MD, USA
"Fuss On The Bus" – Radha Sahar (Radha & the Kiwi Kid) – Wellington, New Zealand
"Girls Vs. Boys" – Matt Lavan, Mike Griffith (Krazy Kuzins) – Cypress, TX, USA
"Mammals" – Ilene Altman, Steven Equi (Leeny and Steve) – Gloucester, MA, USA
"Scat in the Hat" – Chris McKhool, Kevin Laliberte – Toronto, ON, Canada
"We’re The Chorus" – Dr. Mac, Brian Mann (Dr. Mac And Friends) – Santa Barbara, CA,
USA
"When You Grow" – Up Chris Bihuniak (Rock Daddy Rock) – Leawood, KS, USA
"Wish Wish I Was A Fish" – Paul Runalls, Chris Atkinson – Regina, SK, Canada
Comedy/Novelty
First Place
"Clinton Got A Blowjob" – Eric Schwartz – Los Angeles, CA, USA
Second Place
"Moe" – George Wurzbach – Brooklyn, NY, USA
Third Place
"The Blarney Stone" – Brad Shapiro – Oviedo, FL, USA
Honorable Mention
"A Thong Gone Wrong" – George Nowak (Barefoot Man) – Grand Cayman, Cayman
Islands
"Doppleganger" – Brian Daly – Newcastle, NSW, Australia
"If I Had the Copyright" – Carla Ulbrich – Somerset, NJ, USA
"I’ve Done It" – Brent Lillie, Paul Harris – Gold Coast, QLD, Australia _
"Red, White & MILF" – David Beame, Martin Bejerano, Alex Lacamoire (Figghole) –
Brooklyn, NY, USA
"Spotless" – Chris Wolf – Mooresville, IN, USA
"The Nun Song" – Kate Micucci – Nazareth, PA, USA
Country
First Place
"Made For You" – Jackie Kavan, David G. Smith, and Mike Willis – Stockholm, Sweden
and Nashville, TN, USA
Second Place
"Where Would Your Heart Be" – Greg Johnson and Deanna Harper – Nashville, TN, USA
Third Place
"Somewhere Somehow" – Drew Timothy McAlister – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Honorable Mention
"7" – Ruben Estevez, Brad Ramsey – Houston, TX, and Atlanta, GA, USA
"102 (Songs About You)" – Lynn Carey Saylor – Los Angeles, CA, USA
"Beatles Without John" – Dave Tough, J.D. Dohnal – Nashville, TN, USA
"Cowboy’s Dream" – Dave Gunning, George Canyon – Pictou, NS, Canada
"Ford Fairlane" – Ryan Martinez – Los Angeles, CA, USA
"Ghosts Of Glen Rose" – Blu Sanders, Kelly Archer – El Paso, TX, USA and Nashville
TN, USA
"I Found Faith" – Rob Arey, Ryan Nicholson – Nashville, TN, USA
"Middle Child" – Kort McCumber, Kevin Deforrest – Boulder, CO, USA
"Not In This Life" – Mark Phillips (Nik Phillips) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
"Teardrop Tattoo" – Greg Johnson, Kelly Lynn, Nathan Christopher – Nashville, TN,
USA
"What Do We Do?" – Laura Critchley, David Whitmey – London, England
Dance/Electronica
First Place
"Raised By Wolves" – Bill Halliday and Gareth Jones (The Cansecos) – Toronto, ON, Canada
Second Place
"Imagination Kaskade-Remix" – Jes Brieden (Jes) , Josh Gabriel, and Dave Dresden (Gabriel & Dresden) – New York, NY, USA
Third Place
"The End Of Something Big" – Nic Gorissen (Bignic) – Penetanguishene, ON, Canada
Honorable Mention
"Alikitop" – Niko Westelinck (Niko) – Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle, Belgium
"Another World" – Serge Novikov, Marina Cherniavskaja (Neoclubber) – Moscow,
Russia
"Evolution" – Adrian Martinez (Bulleto) – Queretaro, Mexico
"Make Like Mine" – Brett Crockett, Heather Pierce, Paul Johnson (Karmacoda) – San
Francisco, CA, USA
"Open Your Eyes" – Tom Watson (Transparent) – Adelaide, SA, Australia
"Slideshow" – Matt Kowalsky, Eva Broczek – Warszawa, Poland
"Strangerangel" – Eva Turnova – Prague, Czech Republic
"The Story" – Martin Koszolko (Koshowko) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"This Is A Test" – Robert Michael Romano (Shock Of Pleasure) – Dallas, TX, USA
"Tonight" – Mocci Ryen (Daisy Pusher) – Oslo, Norway
Folk/Singer-Songwriter
First Place
"Davey Jones" – Gordie Sampson and Michael Logen – Halifax, NS, Canada and Nashville, TN, USA
Second Place
"The Treehouse Song" – Ane Brun – Stockholm, Sweden
Third Place
"Volunteers" – Mark Erelli and Peter Nelson – Somerville, MA, USA
Honorable Mention
"Amnesia" – Steven Thompson (Blabbermouth) – London, England
"Bees In Jars" – Steven Bowers – Halifax, NS, Canada
"London Town" – Jonny Taylor – London, England
"Lost Along The Way" – Jordie William Lane, Tracy Beth McNeil (Fireside Bellows) –
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"Love Look What You’ve Done" – Sam Buckingham – Sydney, NSW, Australia
"Not Gonna Think" – April Geesbreght – Fort Worth, TX, USA
"Reason" – Bryan Downey – Liverpool, England
"Southside Dandelion" – Andy Allen – Los Angeles, CA, USA
"The Last Love Song" – Andy Hackbarth – Nashville, TN, USA
"The Year Of The Horse" – Kevin Connolly (Herm) – Dublin, Ireland
"True Blue" – Patrick David Koch – Gainesville, FL, USA
"What Might’ve Been" – Markus Rill – Wuerzburg, Germany
Gospel/Christian
First Place
"What I Do With Your Time" – Anadara Arnold and Stephanie Lewis – Nashville, TN,
USA
Second Place
"We’re Not The Losers" – Wade Iedema (Lifetone) – Lismore Heights, NSW, Australia
Third Place
"Show Me The Way" – Sam McClain (Mighty Sam McClain) and Donn Scott Shetler – Newmarket, NH, USA
Honorable Mention
"Are You There?" – Jason Witte – Phoenix, AZ, USA
"Beautiful You" – John Reilly, Reilly – Landowne, PA, USA
"Cause I Get to Love You" – Bryan Weirmier – Toronto, ON, Canada
"Grace Baby" – Paris Wells, Ryan Ritchie – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"Heaven Is Waiting" – Anthony Hugh Harrison, JJ Plasencio – Austin, TX, USA
"I Need A Miracle" – Roma Waterman – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"I’m A Believer" – Greg Johnson, John Barner – Nashville, TN, USA
"My Divine" – Geoff Fifield, Tim Fifield, Jordan Allen, Nathan Elliot-Doucet (The Contact)
– Halifax, NS, Canada
"Rescued" – Stephen Hinkle – Gurnee, IL, USA
"Shine" – Carole Fredericks, Erick Benzi – Canandaigua, NY, USA
"The Way We Are" – Shiloh-Sheray Gagnon – St Basile Le Grand, QC, Canada
"This Is Love" – Todd Vaters – Spring Hill, TN, USA
Instrumental
First Place
"The Bletherer" – Colin Steele (Colin Steele’s Stramash) – Edinburgh, Scotland
Second Place
"Provocation" – Mizuho Sato – Tokyo, Japan
Third Place
"Luna (Whale Song)" – Chris McKhool and Kevin Laliberte (Sultons of String) – Toronto,
ON, Canada
Honorable Mention
"Bagiterra" – Dmitry Korneev – Moscow, Russia
"Black & White" – Marcela Taylor – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"Catch Me If You Can" – Brian Rolland – Boston, MA, USA
"DD’s Blues" – Duane Andrews – St. John’s, NL, Canada
"DNA" – Kaspar Torn – Tallinn, Estonia
"Flood Of Steel" – Yukihide Takiyama – Osaka, Japan
"Fugue Fest" – Tomas Mach – Prague, Czech Republic
"Modal Tune" – Gregg August – Brooklyn, NY, USA
"New Habana" – Glenda Del Monte Escalante (Glenda Del E & Mixology) – Toronto, ON,
Canada
"Ring The Alarm" – Senzoo-Lab-Project, Frank Brenken – Hamburg, Germany
"Sun In Your Eyes" – Yiannis Kapoulas – Hamilton, ON, Canada
"The New Tune Makers Of 2007" – Troy MacGillivray – Lanark, NS, Canada
"The Pursuit" – Eduardo De La Iglesia Nieto – Madrid, Spain
Jazz
First Place
"Code Word" – Pascal LeBouef (LeBouef Brothers Quintet) – New York, NY, USA
Second Place
Adversity" – Chie Imaizumi – Saitama, Japan
Third Place
"I’ll Catch You" – Peter Sarik – Budapest, Hungary
Honorable Mention
"Cake" – Kelly Mittleman – Redding, CT, USA
"Coexistence" – Matt Shulman – New York, NY, USA
"Dazzling Balls" – Oscar Schulze – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
"Down With Downs" – Brian Swartz – Los Angeles, CA, USA
"Mark’s Passion" – Tomoko Omura – Shizuoka, Japan
"Puertorro" – Paulo Stagnaro, Enrique ‘Kalani’ Trinidad (La Timbistica) – Boston, MA,
USA
"So Romantic" – Jim Tomlinson, Kazuo Ishiguro – London, England
"Tabula Rasa" – Remy LeBoeuf (LeBoeuf Brothers Quintet) – New York, NY, USA
"Tonight" – Mads Mathias (Six City Stompers) – Copenhagen, Denmark
"War" – Ferenc Nemeth – Brooklyn, NY, USA
Latin
First Place
"Pa’ Que Te Quedes" – Beca Perfecto – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Second Place
"Tan Solo Palabras" – Julio Andres Rodriguez and Anthony Merrifield – Barcelona, Spain
Third Place
"Suspiro De Limeña" – Camilo Masilva (Masilva) – Lima, Peru
Honorable Mention
"Aclarame Todo" – Jorge Laureano (Orquesta Fiesta) – Tampa, FL, USA
"Boom Boom" – Simen Fjeld, Ole Jorgen Olsen – Oslo, Norway
"Go" – Tiberiu Ticlea, Cristina Cornila (T-Boss) – Bucharest, Romania
"Guajira Enamora" – Margarita Restrepo – Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
"Jaleo" – La Yeni – Los Angeles, CA, USA
"Mas Que Un Amigo" – Lucas Brant (Ethnical) – North Hollywood, CA, USA
"Nuestra Amor" – James Bryan, Fernando Osorio (Sunshine State) – Toronto, ON,
Canada
"Si Preguntan Por Mi’ – Pedro Jose Rivera – Humacao, Puerto Rico
"Siempre Hay Esperanza" – Rei Ortiz – Jacksonville, FL, USA
"Solo Quiero" – Santiago Quevedo (Bipur) – Miami, FL, USA
Lyrics Only
First Place
"Your Available Heart" – Bryan Tess – Kerry, Ireland
Second Place
"Cold Snap" – Clementine – San Francisco, CA, USA
Third Place
"My Father’s Son (A Country Man)" – Ashley Godfrey – Canberra, ACT, Australia
Honorable Mention
"Chocolate Cake" – JC Cassis, Socrates Cruz – New York, NY, USA
"Cinderella Town" – George Gesner – New York, NY, USA
"Dancing Without Shoes" – Mike Fleming – Eastbourne, England
"Don’t Say A Word" – Denise Holl – Auckland, New Zealand
"Hide My Heart" – Andrea Pandolfi – Chadds Ford, PA, USA
"In This Diary" – Kristopher Roe (The Ataris) – Anderson, IN, USA
"Music City" – Danny Gravas – Dunbarton, NH, USA
"Precarious" – Peter Farrell, Arlene Farrell – Glasgow, Scotland
"Sail On" – Adrian Heath – Sydney, NSW, Australia
"She Lets Him Go" – Pamela Anderson – Kalamazoo, MI, USA
"Two Dudes Dressed In Drag" – Billy Simons – Ware, MA, USA
"The Wishing" – Bridget a’Beckett – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Music Video
First Place
"Overexposed" – Kahn Morbee, Glen Hodgson, Paul Hodgson, and Neil Pauw (The Parlotones) – Johannesburg, South Africa
Second Place
"The Treehouse Song" – Ane Brun – Stockholm, Sweden
Third Place
"Broken Bones" – Nick Milwright (Blackchords) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Honorable Mention
"1" – Pol Arida – Lasswade, Scotland
"A Cop’s Job Is Never Done" – Michael L Vidale, Ian G Hildebrand (St. Jam) – Sydney,
NSW, Australia
"Attractive" – Guy Ben Shitrit, Maya Dunietz (Eatliz) – Tel-Aviv, Israel
"Crystal – Robert Wilson (Fresh IE) – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
"Hospice For Destitute Lovers" – Steve Abel – Auckland, New Zealand
"Humbly For Her" – Unni Wilhelmsen – Oslo, Norway
"I’ll Be There" – Kahn Morbee, Glenn Hodgson, Paul Hodgson, Neil Pauw (The
Parlotones) – Johannesburg, South Africa
"Sophisticated Side Ponytail" – Luke Smith, Claire England, David Price (Natalie
Portman’s Shaved Head) – Seattle, WA, USA
"Still Wanna Leave" – Rashid Mosley (Melo Kan) – Rialto, CA, USA
"Time" – Julian Abrahams, Nick Keeling, Muchtar Johnson, Munro Melano, Pat Lillicrap,
Kane Watters, Yen Nguyen (Casual Projects) – Canberra, ACT, Australia
"To My Ears" – Chris Bradley – Edinburgh, Scotland
"Yes Nice" – General Twinz – London, England
"Zupper" – Cats Love Dogs – Bucharest, Romania
Performance
First Place
"It’s You" – Shayna Zaid and Joel Dean (Shayna Zaid & The Catch) – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / New York, NY, USA
Second Place
"Giant Mistake" – Kahn Morbee – Johannesburg, South Africa
Third Place
"Light" – Paula Valstein – New York, NY, USA
Honorable Mention
"Black Cat 3 Notes" – Grant Walmsley, Mark Tinson (Grant Walmsley And The Agents
Of Peace) – Newcastle, NSW, Australia
"Creepin" – Doc Span, Matthew Cang – Diamond Valley, QLD, Australia
"Dat Du Dat " – Paris Wells, Ryan Ritchie – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"I Keep On Tryin’" – Meri Voskanian – Yerevan, Armenia
"Little Piece of Love" – Anthony Snape, Lindsay Rimes – Sydney, NSW, Australia
"Lovely Face" – Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis – New York, NY, USA
"Missing You" – Chinbat Batmunkh, Scott Sena (SweetYmotion) – Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia; Mt. Prospect, IL, USA; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
"Sail Me" – Toby Breitenbach – Frankfurt, Germany
"Sold Me Down The River" – Sam Shake Anderson – Fort Worth, TX, USA
"The Belljar" – Susannah Legge, Julian Hewitt, Gavin Crawcour (The Hampdens) –
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Pop/Top 40
First Place
"Lonely" – Paris Wells and Ryan "RhyNO" Ritchie – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Second Place
"Because Of Me" – Yong Hyun Kim – Seoul, South Korea
Third Place
"Theme Song" – Tim Mahoney and Kevin Kadish – Minneapolis, MN, USA
Honorable Mention
"Break Your Heart" – Odette Albani – Rome, Italy
"Breaking" – Alana Grace, Steve Robson – Nashville, TN, USA
"Follow Lead" – Dhana Taprogge, Gregg Allen (Taxi Doll) – Hollywood, CA, USA
"Hear Me Now" – Alejandro Manzano (Boyce Avenue) – Sarasota, FL, USA
"Heartbeat" – Dayna Hollins, Stephanie Alexander, Benny Steele (Band Kamp 3) –
Brooklyn, NY, USA
"How Do You Leave" – Johan Vorster (Eden) – Pretoria, South Africa
"Hurry Up California" – Calvin Lechner, Simon Nagel (Sunset Main) – Los Angeles, CA,
USA
"If I Could" – Roxy Vice – Stafford, VA, USA
"I’m Going To Be Me" – Lane Lenhart – W. Hollywood, CA, USA
"It’s Not My Problem" – Angus McDonald, Connie Mitchell (Sneaky Sound System) –
Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
"Jealousy" – Alexander Burnett, David Hall (Sparkadia) – Sydney, NSW, Australia
You’re So Sexy" – Sarnai Tsogtbayer, Chinbat Batmunkh, John Steele, Twilite Jones
(SweetYmotion) – Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; River Forest, IL; and Brooklyn, NY, USA
R&B/Hip-Hop
First Place
"Fire & Flame" – Tea Petrovic – Vancouver, BC, Canada
Second Place
"Be The Change" – Gina Rene – Los Angeles, CA, USA
Third Place
"Uh-Oh" – Seyed Nazeri, Shari Hill, Kristopher Flagg (The Axis) – Dallas, TX, USA
Honorable Mention
"Ayrplane" – Sam Rhansum – Atlanta, GA, USA
"Eye Can See Now" – Kallen ‘Katchphraze’ Saczkowski, Robin Hooper – Oakville, ON,
Canada
"GeneTone" – General Twinz – London, England
"Go Lovely" – Joseph Joaquin Tavares, Rory Walter Restani, Joanna Lee Sousa
(Cloaked Characters) – Bend, OR, USA
"I Don’t Wanna Be Alone" – Reginald D. Staggers, Juan L. Brown (Devon Howard) –
Laurel, MD, USA
"In Love" – Kgomotso Tsatsi (KG) – Toronto, ON, Canada
"Keep Clappin" – Azeem Haq, Marcus Kane, Neetin Salwan, Mohsin Qureshi (E.O.S) –
Toronto, ON, Canada
"New Style, New Sound" – Armen Balyan (Armen) – North Hollywood, CA, USA
"Six Whole Days" – Darryl Matthew Palmer (Matt Palmer) – New York, NY, USA
Rock
First Place
"In This Diary" – Kristopher Roe (The Ataris) – Anderson, IN, USA
Second Place
"A Case Of Mistaken Identity" – Remi Chasse, Tailor Made Fable – Terrebonne, QC, Canada
Third Place
"Reflections Of A Madman" – Tony Villiers (Chrome Horse) – Dublin, Ireland
Honorable Mention
"Anymore" – Martin Kolarik, Radovan Krejci (Fate Magazine) – Krupka, Czech Republic
"Be Still (My Heart)" – John Stringer, James Beale, Thomas Panza, Chris Love (State Of
Man) – Atlanta, GA, USA
"Bright White Teeth" – Daniel James Maguire (Mog) – Canberra, ACT, Australia
"Broken Bones" – Nick Milwright (Blackchords) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"Carry On" – Leigh Davies, James Livesey, Daniel Teng (Sleep Parade) – Annandale,
NSW, Australia
"Explain" – Finn Martin, Philipp Steinke, Carl Kinney (Asher Lane) – Berlin, Germany
"He Said, She Said" – Travis Nesbitt, Ben Shillabeer, Morgan Gies, Logan Jacobs
(Social Code) – Edmonton, AB, Canada
"It’s About Something" – Matt Borck, Jeremy Friesen, Mike Newman, James Pendleton
(Yuca) – Vancouver, BC, Canada
"Man In Full" – Martin Ouellette, Brian Paul (Tenth Planet) – Toronto, ON, Canada
"Off Track" – Matthew Pelham, Roger Dabbs, Rollum Haas, Mark Bond (The Features) –
Nashville, TN, USA Rock
"One Crowded Hour" – Glenn Richards (Augie March) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
"Say Goodbye Adrianne" – Joshua Helgason, Tristan Norton, Tobias Jesso, Martin
Kottmeier (The Sessions) – North Vancouver, BC, Canada
"Two For My Seconds" – Amandah Wilkinson (Operator Please) – Gold Coast, QLD,
Australia
Teen
First Place
"Greeny" – Victor Michon-Petit – Dijon, France
Second Place
"A 6/4 Song (That’s Also In 6/4)" – Matt Savage – Francestown, NH, USA
Third Place
"Say So" – Jonathan Weaver (Weava) – Hoover, AL, USA
Honorable Mention
"But Life Goes On" – Grace Kelly – Brookline, MA, USA
"Comprehend" – Michaela Thurlow – Cape Elizabeth, ME, USA
"Crimson Sunset" – Jordan Ferreira, Mike Avakian, Tyler Hudson (Mindwalk Blvd) –
Wilmington, MA, USA
"Dark House" – Carson Leith (Sun From Shadow) – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA "Make Her Love Me" – Travis Marsh – Camarillo, CA, USA
"Mystic Man" – Roxy Vice – Stafford, VA, USA
"No Surprise" – Steffi Burns (Steffi) – Ashmore City, QLD, Australia
"Street Soldier" – Jackson Cook – Kelowna, BC, Canada
"Strings Attached" – Sophie Aboud – Robina, QLD, Australia
"Tattered Note (Hey Baby)" – Annie Dingwall – Plano, TX, USA
"Time To Grow" – Rebecca Lovell (The Lovell Sisters) – Calhoun, GA, USA
"Too Much To Ask For" – Joy Lippard – Great Falls, VA, USA
World Music
First Place
"Tamahana" – Opetaia Foa’I (Te Vaka) and Malcolm Smith – Auckland, New Zealand
Second Place
"1.000 Stars" – Leni Stern – New York, NY, USA
Third Place
"Stimabu So" – Ephrem Jonathan Ocalia (Ephrem J) – Willemstad, Curacao
Honorable Mention
"Ay Masilan" – Vanessa Sidibe (Mamadou And Vanessa) – Berkeley, CA, USA
"Bismillah" – Joshua Meltzer – Northampton, MA, USA
"Gadong" – Narawi Rashidi (Tuku Kame) – Kuching, Malaysia
"Leavened Heart (I Tumble Down)" – Keith Eric Johnston (Janah) – Atlanta, GA, USA
"New Asia" – Andrew Lum – Singapore, Singapore
"Obayo" – Richard Layton Gannaway, Jay Oliver, Miriam Stockley (AO) – Asheville, NC,
USA
"Ollu" – Omar Sosa, Mola Sylla – Camaguey, Cuba
"Orimitikore" – Florence Trautman (Floxy Bee) – Newark, NJ, USA
"Rere Reta" – Hareruia Abraham (Ruia) – Auckland, New Zealand
People’s Voice 2008 Winner
"Siempre Hay Esperanza" – Rei Ortiz – Jacksonville, FL, USA
Applauded for its high caliber of judges, ISC compiled a stellar panel of judges for the 2008 competition, including: Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20); Chaka Khan; Tom Waits; KT Tunstall; Robert Smith (The Cure); Ricky Martin; Loretta Lynn; Neil Finn (Crowded House); Buckcherry; T-Pain; James Cotton; Jerry Lee Lewis; Craig Morgan; Ray Davies (The Kinks); McCoy Tyner; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Michael W. Smith; Chris Hillman (The Byrds); John Scofield; Mario; Black Francis (The Pixies); Youssou N’Dour; John Mayall; DJ Tiesto; Paul Van Dyk; Jon Secada; Natalie Grant; Jeremy Camp; Matt Thiessen (Relient K); Pittbull; Angelique Kidjo; "Weird Al" Yankovic; Sandra Bernhard; David Brenner; Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Nick Burgess (Head of A&R, Virgin Records UK); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP of A&R, Latin America Sony BMG and President, Discos 605); Cameron Strang (President, New West Records); John Echevarria (President, Universal Music Latino); Rick Krim (Executive VP Talent and Programming, VH1); Amy Doyle (Sr. VP of Music and Talent, MTV); Kim Buie (VP of A&R, Lost Highway); Jon Pikus (Director of A&R, MySpace Records); Mitchell Cohen (VP of A&R, Verve Music Group); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music); Rene Bell (Executive VP A&R, Sony BMG Nashville); Peter Strickland (Senior VP, Jack Records/Warner Bros.); Steve Lillywhite (Producer – credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Morrissey, Peter Gabriel, and more); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Betty Pino (DJ, WAMR Miami); Paul Majors (CEO/Founder Majors Music); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music for Little People); and Dr. Demento (Radio Host of The Dr. Demento Show)
Sponsors included: Luna Guitars, Berklee College Of Music, Shure, D’Addario, M-Audio, Griffin Technology, Hear Technologies, Po Boy Drums, Thayers, Disc Makers, ASCAP, Phase One Studios, Stuph Merch, Sonicbids, Sam Ash, Alphabet Arm Design, Shari’s Berries, Taxi, George Stein, Esq., The Music Business Registry, SongU.com,
Sibelius, and Onlinegigs.
ISC is now accepting entries for 2009. The 2009 competition will include many new judges and a new Adult Contemporary (AC) category. Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for more information and an entry form.
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
