International Songwriting Competition (ISC), a contest based in the United States, has announced its 2020 winners. For the first time in its history, the competition’s highest honor, the overall Grand Prize, is awarded to Scandinavian songwriters. The winners are Swedish folk/pop duo Smith & Thell (comprised of Maria Jane Smith and Victor Thell) and songwriter-producer Peter Kvint for their co-written song “Goliath.” The Grand Prize includes $25,000 in cash (US) and more than $40,000 in additional merchandise and services.
More than $150,000 in cash and merchandise is awarded to 71 winners in 23 categories covering all genres of music. The winners in the World category are:
1st Place: “Ithu Kanavaa” by Sreekanth Hariharan from Trivandrum, India
2nd Place: “Eda” by Jean BelOny Murat (BélO) from Route Frere, Haiti
3rd place: “Mayahuabá” by Ceshia Ubau, Hdyeshua, Said Palacios from Managua, Nicaragua
Smith & Thell said after winning the Grand Prize: “We’ve always written about our real stories and our real life history. It’s always beautiful to be acknowledged for telling your own, real-life story. “’Goliath’ is about facing your fears and learning that no challenge is too big to handle. It’s an honor to hear that the message of the song reached through to the jury and to win this prestigious award especially during these challenging times.”
Entries are now open for ISC 2021. For more information about the other winners and to enter, go to www.songwritingcompetition.com
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
beautiful Eda!!!! Love this song.