International Songwriting Competition 2022 Reveals World Music Winners

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has recently announced the winners of the World Music category, marking yet another year of impressive talent from around the globe. The ISC is widely known as one of the most distinguished and influential songwriting competitions worldwide, and this year it received over 15,000 entries from 150 countries. A panel of judges comprising renowned figures from the music industry meticulously reviewed and assessed the entries, and ISC is celebrating the exceptional accomplishments of this year’s World Music winners.

Antonio Castrignanó, Andereya Baguma, Dana Salah, and Nasir Albashir: The Honorees

Antonio Castrignanó from Milan, Italy, took home the First Place honor in the World Music category for his song “Core Meu.” The Second Place accolade was awarded to Andereya Baguma from Kampala, Uganda, for the song “Mbasabira,” while Third Place went to Dana Salah and Nasir Albashir from Amman, Jordan, for the song “Weino.”

Judging the World Music category was a group of distinguished personalities from the music industry, including Ashwin Batish, James McNally, Jacob Edgar (Cumbancha), Sarah Wanstall (ARC Music), among others.

Diverse and Impressive Entries

Candace Avery, ISC Founder and Director, expressed her excitement at the vast array of entries received this year for the World Music category. “We were thrilled to receive such a diverse and impressive range of entries in the World Music category this year,” Avery said. “The winners truly represent the best of this global community while showcasing the richness of its traditions.”

Previous Winners

The ISC winners represent individuals from all over the world, with 53% of this year’s winners hailing from outside the United States, and encompassing a broad spectrum of skill levels from emerging talents to established songwriting veterans. The 24 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from World Music to Rock to Pop to Blues to EDM, among others.

Notably, previous World Music winners of the ISC include the likes of Claudia Acuña, BélO, Mira Awad, Moana Maniapoto, Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita, Ricky Kej, Baaba Maal, Seydina Insa Wade, Daby Toure, Ibrahim Maalouf, and many others.

World Music Honorable Mentions

Abdul Muse, Somtochukwu Ukomadu (KAR33M) – “Want Something” – Lagos, Nigeria
Adedeji Adetayo (ADÉDÈJÌ) – “Shyphiliezation” – Copenhagen, Denmark
Ehzay – “Hold Me Down” – Lagos, Nigeria
Emmanuel Pierre, Caleb Rimtobaye, Robints Paul (Manno Beats) – “Akouna” – Cap-Haitien, Haiti
Ezhevika Spirkina, Vladimir Osinsky (OYME) – “Vaya” – Saransk, Russia
Kimi Djabate – “Alidonke” – Tabato, Guinea-Bissau
Leroy Whitstone, Northern Cree, Chris McKhool, Kevin Laliberté, Drew Birston (Sultans of String Ft. Northern Cree) – “Nîmihito (Dance) ” – Toronto, ON, Canada
Marko Cvetkovi, Sanja Vu i, Vuksan Bilanovi, Vanja Zelenski (HURRICANE) – “Poljupci U Zoru” – Belgrade, Serbia
Matt B, Eddy Kenzo – “Gimme Love” – Chicago, IL, USA
Miz Moxie, Akanni Temiyato Bello (Kandybeat), Ugonoh Martin (Jammin’) – (The Mamiwata Band) – “Water Ft. Jammin'” – Corvallis, OR, USA
Msafiri Zawose – “Asili Yangu” – Pwani, Tanzania
Mubiru Joseph (Bright Sun UG) – “Gwankyusa” – Kampala, Uganda
Suldaan Seeraar – “Somali Weeye” – Jigjiga, Ethiopia

Complete List of ISC 2022 Winners

To access the full list of ISC 2022 winners and to listen to their award-winning songs, visit: https://songwritingcompetition.com/winners.

ISC Sponsorship

The ISC is sponsored by a consortium of esteemed companies, including AGD Entertainment; Arturia; Audeze; BSquared Management; Eventric; Gibson; Lewitt Audio; Lurseen Mastering; Play MPE, PreSonus, Protégé; SongU; Ultimate Ears Pro; and Wondershare Filmora.

Entries are now open for the 2023 competition. For more information and to enter, go to songwritingcompetition.com.