UK Songwriters Honored In US-Based International Songwriting Competition (ISC)

Judges Include Lorde, Hardwell, Tom Waits, Nancy Wilson (Heart), Ziggy Marley, Kaskade, The Mavericks, Martie Maguire (Dixie Chicks), Bastille, and More

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC is pleased to announce its 2017 winners. Created in 2002, ISC is widely recognized as the most prestigious and respected songwriting competition in the world and received more than16,000 entries from almost 140 countries. Prizes include more than $175,000 in cash and merchandise.

The Grand Prize winners this year are Nicholas Miller (better known as Illenium), Annika Wells, Kate Morgan, and Michael Biancaniello for the song “Crawl Outta Love Ft. Annika Wells." Nevve.” Illenium is one of the hottest new djs and producers in the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene today. The Grand Prize consists of $25,000 in cash (USD) and over $35,000 in additional prizes.

Winners hail from all over the world (61% of this year’s winners come from outside the USA) and range from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 23 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from Rock to Pop to Country to R&B/Hip-Hop and more.

UK songwriters fared extremely well in ISC, garnering two First Places, one Second Place, and one Third Place. UK winners also received 19 Honorable Mentions.

“It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to write great songs,” said Candace Avery, ISC Founder and Director. “ISC is honored to throw the spotlight on these talented UK songwriters and add them to the list of previous winners that have included Bastille, Passenger, King Charles, and many more.”

For a complete list of ISC 2017 winners and to hear the winning songs, go to: https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.

The complete panel of judges includes: 

Recording Artists

Lorde; Tom Waits; Ziggy Marley; American Authors; Nancy Wilson (Heart); Martie Maguire (Dixie Chicks); Booker T. Jones; The Mavericks; Sara Evans; Bastille; Keane; Hardwell; Danilo Perez; James McNally (Afro Celt Sound System); Billy Cobham; Gerald Casale (Devo); Natalie Grant; Krewella; Matt Nathanson; Amadou & Miriam; John Tibbs; Kaskade; John Mayall; Joe Louis Walker; Nicholas Gunn; Ashwin Batish; Lonnie Liston Smith; Walter Trout; Trilok Gurtu; Tommy Chong; and Tony Joe White.

Industry Executives:

Gregg Nadel (President, Elektra Records); Seymour Stein (Chairman/CEO, Sire Records); Daniel Glass (President, Glassnote Records); John Esposito (Chairman/CEO, Warner Music Nashville); John Burk (President, Concord Label Group); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Steve Yegelwel (Sr. VP, Island Records); Nate Albert (Executive VP of A&R, Capitol Records); Jacob Edgar (Founder, Cumbancha); Aaron Bay-Schuck (President of A&R, Interscope Records); Mike Easterlin (President, Fueled By Ramen/Roadrunner Records); Josh Bailey (Senior VP of A&R, Word Entertainment); Gordon Kerr (CEO, Black River Entertainment); Richard Stumpf (CEO, Atlas Publishing); Steve Greenberg (CEO, S-Curve Records); Kim Buie (VP of A&R, New West Records); AJ Tobey (Head of A&R, Rough Trade Publishing); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Angel Carrasco (Latin Music Consultant); Julie Kertes (Editor/Manager, Hot Diggity Media); Laura Margolin (Publishing, Glassnote Records); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); Katherine Danes (Co-President, The Children’s Music Network); Claire S. Green (President, Parent’s Choice Foundation); Benjamin Groff (Founder, The Brill Building); Sas Metcalfe (President, Global Creative, Kobalt Music); Golnar Khosrowshahi (President, Reservoir Media Management); Carianne Marshall (Partner, Songs Music Publishing); Tamara Conniff (EVP, Roc Nation); Dara Frank (Head of Comedy Central Records/Viacom); Carl Caprioglio (Founder/CEO, Oglio Entertainment); and Elena Epstein (Director, National Parenting Product Awards).

ISC is sponsored by: AKG By Harman; Berklee College of Music; Celebrity Access; D'Addario; Dark Horse Institute; Disc Makers; Eventric; Gig Salad; JBL Professional by Harman; Lurrsen Mastering; Merch Cat; Musician Wellness; Musician’s Institute; ONErpm; PreSonus; SongU.com; Sweetwater Sound; PAWW Premium Sound; and Tunedly.

Entries are now open for the 2018 competition. For more information and to enter, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com.

The list of 2017 UK winners is as follows: 

First Place Winners

“Amy” - Roseanne Reid - Edinburgh, Scotland - Lyrics Only

“Lying Still” - Andy Vitolo, John King - Lytham St Annes, England - Unpublished

Second Place Winners

“Fire” - Barns Courtney, David Alfie Jackson - London, England - AAA (Adult Album Alternative)

Third Place Winners

“The War” - Thea Gilmore - Nantwich, England - Folk/Singer-Songwriter

Honorable Mentions

“Bones” - Conner Reeves, Mick Lister - London, England - AC (Adult Contemporary)

“Break It” - Tallia Storm, Alex Mann - Glasgow, Scotland - R&B/Hip-Hop

“Break It” - Tallia Storm, Alex Mann - Glasgow, Scotland - Unsigned Only

“Cabin Fever” - Nate Chronik - Cardiff, Wales - EDM (Electronic Dance Music)

“G.O.M.D” - Oritsé Williams, Dem Jointz - East Croydon, England - R&B/Hip-Hop

“He Loves Me” - Tallia Storm, Tessa Hartmann, Alex Mann - Glasgow, Scotland - Performance

“Heal” - Stephen Hughes - London, England - AC (Adult Contemporary)

“I’m So Tired Of Living” - Innes Sibun - Bath, England - Blues

“J-HO, From The Block” - Adam Waldmann - London, England - Jazz

“Kill It Off” - Oritsé Williams, Nait Masuka, Nathaniel Ledwidge, Tekiva Ledwidge - East Croydon, England - Pop/Top 40

“Love (Ain't Always So Good)” - Isaac Gracie - London, England - Folk/Singer-Songwriter

“Lying Still” - John King, Andy Vitolo - Lytham St Annes, England - R&B/Hip-Hop

“No One Compares” - George Redwood - Benfleet, England - AC (Adult Contemporary)

“See Ya Round” - Frank Edwards - Manchester, England - Rock

”Sleep On It” - Emi Green, David Dawood - Devon, England - Pop/Top 40

“Sometimes” - Gerry Cinnamon - Glasgow, Scotland - Unpublished

“The Day That I Was Killed” - Kalon Rae, Sue McMillan, Serge Sainte Rose -

London, England - Performance

“The Milky Stuff” - Paul Murray - London, England - Comedy/Novelty 

“Why Won’t You Hold Me?” - Lara Christina Snowdon, Roger John Styles -

Exeter, England - EDM (Electronic Dance Music)