Tamworth Young Country

Including A Clean Sweep in the Rock Category

April 10, 2008 -- The prestigious US-based International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is pleased to announce its 2007 winners and the dominance of Australian songwriters across the board in many categories. Aussie winners range from up-and-coming, unsigned songwriters to established award-winning artists such as Gotye, Eskimo Joe, Clare Bowditch, Abby Dobson, and more.

Renowned for its prestigious celebrity judges, ISC received over 15,000 songs from amateur and professional songwriters from 100 countries worldwide, confirming ISC's status as the leading global songwriting event. ISC judges are touted as being the most high-profile in any music competition and range from celebrity recording artists to presidents of major record labels. More than $150,000 in cash and prizes is shared among the 59 winners, including an overall Grand Prize of $25,000 (US) cash, the largest cash Grand Prize of any songwriting competition in the world, and $30,000 in merchandise and services.

For a complete list of 2007 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, go to www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm

The big news for ISC this year is the prominence of Australian songwriters as winners in many different categories, including a clean sweep of the Rock category. This is the first time that songwriters from a country outside the USA have won First, Second, and Third Place in a specific category. It is especially remarkable that Australia, a country of only 20 million residents, has produced ten winners in this year's ISC, attesting to the country's dynamic music scene. Overall, Australian songwriters won First Place in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Performance, and Rock categories, Second Place in the AAA, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Gospel/Christian, and Rock categories, Third Place in the Blues, Country, and Rock categories, and many Honorable Mentions in multiple categories.

Candace Avery, Founder and Director of ISC, says "Over the years, ISC has always received many great entries from Australian songwriters, but this year was especially significant because so many songs made it through to the finals and eventually became winners. The depth and diversity of the songs impressed the judges across the board. Let's hope this is a continuing trend for Aussie songwriters."

Eskimo Joe (Kav Temperley, Stuart MacLeod, and Joel Quartermain) from Perth, WA, won triple honors in this year's competition; this is the first time ever that any artist has had three winning songs in ISC in the same year. The group's song "London Bombs" won First Place in the Performance Category; "Black Fingernails, Red Wine" won Second Place in the Rock category; and "New York" received an Honorable Mention in the Rock category. Eskimo Joe recently released their self-produced, third studio album, Black Fingernails, Red Wine. The album has enjoyed recent success in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand and is a chart-topping, quadruple-platinum smash in Australia.

Wally De Backer, better known as Gotye has been awarded First Place in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category for his song, "Hearts A Mess." Born in Belgium, but raised in Merricks Beach, VIC, Gotye is an ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter. His second album Like Drawing Blood was featured by Triple J in May, 2006 and was voted #1 in Triple J's Listeners' Poll for the Best Album of 2006. The winning song "Hearts A Mess" reached #8 on Triple J's Hottest 100. The album was also nominated for a J Award that year. In 2007, Gotye won the ARIA for best male artist.

The band Stone Parade (Alex Qasabian, Kevin Fouche, Mark Fouche, and Greg Byrne) from Sydney, NSW, garnered First Place in the Rock category with their song "Somebody Will Miss You." Stone Parade has toured extensively around Australia, supporting major artists such as Maroon 5, Hoobastank and 3 Doors Down. They have received rotation on Australian radio (Triple M, Triple J, 2Day FM, Nova, and FBI) and were the winner of Nokia Be heard (2007) and Coca Cola Live n Local (2005). In 2007, the group recorded their album Chase The Setting Sun and plan on releasing it in September of 2008.

Second Place honors are claimed by Abby Dobson (formerly of the chart-topping group Leonardo's Bride) and Ian Houston Shadwell of Sydney, NSW, for their song "Horses" in the AAA category; Clare Bowditch (Clare Bowditch & the Feeding Set) of Melbourne, VIC, for the song "Peccadilloes" in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category; and Wade Iedema (Lifetone) of Lismore Heights, NSW, for the song "Wildflower" in the Gospel/Christian category.

Third Place winners include Natalie Howard and James Dean Hicks of Nerang, QLD, for the song "Paint Me Blue" in the Country category; Clint Crighton, Dale Allison, and James Sarzotti of Sydney, NSW, Australia for the song "Unborn" in the Rock category; and Peter David Harper (Harper) of Perth, WA for the song "Just What You're Looking For" in the Blues category. ISC judge and blues legend John Mayall was so impressed with Peter's song that he asked to perform it live in his shows and include it on his next album.

In addition to these winners, many Australian songwriters garnered an Honorable Mention in their respective categories:

"On My Way" - Kara Grainger / David Kalish / SLIM - Sydney, NSW - AAA
"The World Is Turning" - Jackie Bristow - Sydney, NSW - AAA
"Number's Down" - Andrew Winton - Scarborough, WA - Blues
"Rainbow (Inside Of You)" - Jane E. Robertson - Tamworth, NSW - Children's Music
"I've Done It" - Brent Lillie / Paul Harris - Burleigh Heads, QLD - Comedy/Novelty
"Somebody Stole My Horse" - Harmony James - Tennant Creek, NT - Country
"Thank God" - Jay Collie / Jasper Somerville-Collie / Tim Dutton (Jonah's Road) - Sydney, NSW - Country
"This Old Love" - Lior Attar (Lior) - Sydney, NSW - Folk/Singer-Songwriter
"Union Square" - Rebecca Jane Quade / Andrew John Maclean (The Millers Tale) - Fitzroy, VIC - Folk/Singer-Songwriter
"Our Anthem" - Jo Cinquina / Abe van Hatch / Daniel Const / Stuart Henry / Joshua Heglund / Joel Seneque (Stadium) - Perth, WA - Gospel/Christian
"Where Love Is King" - Roma Waterman - Melbourne, VIC- Gospel/Christian
"Kerry's Lament" - Carmel McCallum / Steve Montgomery - Sydney, NSW - Lyrics Only
"Making My Way Back Home" - Paul Hicks - Melbourne, VIC - Performance
"Paint Me Blue" - Natalie Howard / James Dean Hicks - Nerang, QLD - Performance
"Soul" - Michael Paynter / Peter Gordeno - Melbourne, VIC - Performance
"Closer" - Michael Paynter / Gary Clark - Melbourne, VIC - Pop/Top 40
"Getting Better" - Sean Lowry / Robert Taylor / Bowden Campbell / Paul Bianco (Celebrity Drug Disasters) - Sydney, NSW - Pop/Top 40
"Move Along" - Julian Abrahams / Kane Watters / Nick Keeling / Pat Lillicrap / Muchtar Johnson / Dan Bray / Yen Nguyen / Munro Melano (Casual Projects) - Canberra, ACT - Pop/Top 40
"Unsettle My Heart" - Robin Waters (The Boat People) - Brisbane, QLD - Pop/Top 40
"Dear John Letter" - Brett Winterford (Peregrine) - Sydney, NSW - Rock
"Metric System" - Raj-Kumar Siva-Rajah (The Sunpilots) - Sydney, NSW - Rock
"New York" - Kav Temperley / Stuart MacLeod / Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe) - Perth, WA - Rock

Many other countries across the world are also represented with ISC wins. In fact, for the first time in the competition's history, the majority of winners (59%) come from outside the USA. The 2007 Grand Prize is awarded to Eduard Glumov (Aktobe, Kazakhstan) and Z. Mulls (Swarthmore, PA, USA) for their song "I'm Not Your Friend." The collaboration between Eduard Glumov and Z. Mulls - from Kazakhstan to the USA - from one side of the globe to the other - perfectly reflects ISC's mission of creating a competition that is inclusive of songwriters worldwide.

Applauded for its high caliber of judges, ISC compiled a stellar panel of judges for the 2007 competition, including: Tom Waits; Loretta Lynn; Julian Casablancas (The Strokes); Nelly Furtado; Ray Davies (The Kinks); Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Ornette Coleman; Youssou N'Dour; Sean Paul; Jerry Lee Lewis; "Weird Al" Yankovic; Black Francis (Pixies); Robert Smith (The Cure); Cassandra Wilson; David Cross; Craig Morgan; John Mayall; Joe Satriani; Toby Mac; Michael W. Smith; Chris Hillman (The Byrds); John Scofield; Hinder; Amy Ray (Indigo Girls); Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Macy Gray; Peter Hook (New Order); Paulina Rubio; Tiesto; Charlie Walk (President, Epic Records); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Mona Scott-Young (President, Violator Records); Cameron Strang (President, New West Records); Steve Lillywhite (Producer - credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Peter Gabriel, and more); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Betty Pino (DJ, WAMR Miami, pioneer of Latin radio); Angel Carrasco (President, 605 Discos and Sr. VP A&R, Sony BMG Latin America); Thomas Brooman (Co-Founder/Artistic Director, WOMAD); Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music); Nancy Wolpert (VP Home Entertainment and Nick Records, Nickelodeon/BMG); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music For Little People); and Paul Majors (CEO/Founder Majors Music).

International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Deadline Approaching -- Final 2007 Judging Panel Is Announced
Tom Waits, Nelly Furtado, Ray Davies (The Kinks), Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Robert Smith (The Cure), Loretta Lynn, Weird Al, Cassandra Wilson, And Many More Celebrities Team Up With Dozens Of Top Music Industry Executives To Choose This Year's Winners

(PRWEB) August 24, 2007 -- The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is now accepting entries for 2007. One of the largest songwriting competitions in the world, ISC gives away over $150,000 in cash and prizes, including an Overall Grand Prize package of $25,000 (US) in cash and over $20,000 in merchandise. ISC offers artists the most exposure, the best judges, and the biggest cash prize, unmatched by any other songwriting competition. ISC winners benefit from extensive press and publicity, gaining exposure and recognition from an international music market of industry professionals and fans.

PasteMagazine.com says, "How do you show the world that you have just made history? You could sit back down on the couch and hope for a record executive's phone call, or you could be proactive and win $25,000. The latter approach is not a dream; it merely requires talent and a submission to the 2007 International Songwriting Competition."

ISC is proud to announce a new category for 2007: Comedy/Novelty. Judging the new category will be comedy icons "Weird Al" Yankovic, David Cross (FOX TV's Arrested Development), and Cheech Marin (Cheech and Chong). All original comedy, parody, and novelty songs are welcome in the new category. In all, ISC offers 19 different categories to enter: Pop/Top 40, AAA (Adult Album Alternative), Rock, Country, Americana, R&B/Hip-Hop, Blues, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Jazz, Gospel/Christian, Latin Music, Instrumental, Dance/Electronica, World Music, Children's Music, Comedy/Novelty, Lyrics Only, Teen, and Performance.

ISC is unique because of its judges. Since its inception, ISC has become internationally renowned for having the most prestigious judging panel of any songwriting competition in the world, offering entrants the unprecedented opportunity to have their songs heard by the industry's top recording artists and influential music executives.

Continuing in that tradition, the ISC 2007 judging panel includes recording artists Tom Waits; Loretta Lynn; Ray Davies (The Kinks); Julian Casablancas (The Strokes); Nelly Furtado; Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Ornette Coleman; Youssou N'Dour; Sean Paul; Jerry Lee Lewis; "Weird Al" Yankovic; Frank Black (Pixies); Robert Smith (The Cure); Cassandra Wilson; David Cross; Craig Morgan; John Mayall; Joe Satriani; Toby Mac; Michael W. Smith; Chris Hillman (The Byrds); John Scofield; Hinder; Amy Ray (Indigo Girls); Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Macy Gray; Peter Hook (New Order); Paulina Rubio; and Tiesto

Also judging will be music industry executives Charlie Walk (President, Epic Records); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Mona Scott-Young (President, Violator Records); Cameron Strang (President, New West Records); Steve Lillywhite (Producer - credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Peter Gabriel, and more); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Betty Pino (DJ, WAMR Miami, pioneer of Latin radio); Angel Carrasco (President, 605 Discos and Sr. VP A&R, Sony BMG Latin America); Thomas Brooman (Co-Founder/Artistic Director, WOMAD); Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music); Nancy Wolpert (VP Home Entertainment and Nick Records, Nickelodeon/BMG); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music For Little People); and Paul Majors (CEO/Founder Majors Music)

ISC is open to musicians, artists, and songwriters at every level from amateur to professional. Artists may submit as many songs as desired in each category or enter the same song in more than one category.

Entries are accepted online or by mail. For more information or to enter ISC 2007, please visit www.songwritingcompetition.com . The deadline is quickly approaching, so enter now!

ISC 2007 sponsors include Electro-Voice, ASCAP, Berklee College Of Music, Cakewalk, Shure, D'Addario, Hear Technologies, Disc Makers, Sonicbids, Musician's Atlas, Sibelius, Karian Studios, OnlineGigs, The Music Business Registry, Mediaguide, ArtistMonitor, Platinum Blue Music Intelligence, Alphabet Arm Design, George Stein, Esq., SongU, The Indie Bible, Shari's Berries, and Taxi

International Songwriting Competition
1307 Eastland Ave
Nashville, TN 37206
(615) 251-4441
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International Songwriting Competition "Early Bird Deadline" Quickly Approaching -- Enter On or Before July 16 and Save On Entry Fees

(PRWEB) July 5, 2007 -- One of the largest songwriting competitions in the world, ISC offers entrants a chance to share in $150,000 in cash and prizes, including an Overall Grand Prize package of $25,000 (US) in cash and more than $20,000 in merchandise, unmatched by any other songwriting competition. Enter early and take advantage of ISC's Early Bird deadline. For songs entered on or before July 16, the first song entry is $30, and all additional entries are only $20 (save $10 per entry on multiple entries). After July 16, the fee is $30 per song entry with no discount for additional entries. This is a great opportunity to save on entry fees.

All online entrants also receive a complimentary six-month membership to Sonicbids.

Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com to enter songs via mail or online.

ISC winners benefit from extensive press and publicity, gaining exposure and recognition from an international music market of industry professionals and fans. ISC welcomes original songs from musicians, artists, and songwriters at every level from amateur to professional. Multiple songs may be submitted in each category or the same song may be entered in more than one category.

ISC is proud to announce the addition of a new category for 2007: Comedy/Novelty. Judging this category will be comedy icons "Weird Al' Yankovic (Three-Time Grammy Winner), David Cross (Arrested Development), and Cheech Marin (Cheech and Chong).

ISC is unique because of its judges. Since its inception, ISC has been renowned for having the most prestigious judging panel of any songwriting competition in the world. Its judges include high-profile recording artists and respected music executives. Entering ISC offers you an unprecedented opportunity to have your music heard by these influential members of the music industry.

The 2007 ISC judging panel includes recording artists such as: Tom Waits; Loretta Lynn; Julian Casablancas (The Strokes); Nelly Furtado; Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Ornette Coleman; Youssou N'Dour; Sean Paul; Jerry Lee Lewis; "Weird Al" Yankovic; Frank Black (Pixies); Robert Smith (The Cure); Cassandra Wilson; David Cross; Craig Morgan; John Mayall; Joe Satriani; Toby Mac; Billy Dean; Michael W. Smith; Chris Hillman (The Byrds); John Scofield; Hinder; Amy Ray (Indigo Girls); Cheech Marin; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Macy Gray; Peter Hook (New Order); Paulina Rubio; and Tiesto.

And the judging panel also includes top industry executives such as: Charlie Walk (President, Epic Records); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Mona Scott-Young (President, Violator Records); Cameron Strang (President, New West Records); Steve Lillywhite (Producer - credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Peter Gabriel, and more); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Betty Pino (DJ, WAMR Miami, pioneer of Latin radio); Angel Carrasco (President, 605 Discos and Sr. VP A&R, Sony BMG Latin America); Thomas Brooman (Co-Founder/Artistic Director, WOMAD); Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music); Nancy Wolpert (VP Home Entertainment and Nick Records, Nickelodeon/BMG); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music For Little People); and Paul Majors (CEO/Founder Majors Music).

Enter any of ISC's 19 categories:
Pop/Top 40, AAA (Adult Album Alternative), Rock, Country, Americana, R&B/Hip-Hop, Blues, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Jazz, Gospel/Christian, Latin Music, Instrumental, Dance/Electronica, Comedy/Novelty, World Music, Children's Music, Lyrics Only, Teen, and Performance

Please visit http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for an entry form or more details.

ISC 2007 Sponsors: Electro-Voice, ASCAP, Berklee College Of Music, Cakewalk, Shure, D'Addario, Hear Technologies, Disc Makers, Sonicbids, Musician's Atlas, Sibelius, Karian Studios, OnlineGigs, The Music Business Registry, Mediaguide, ArtistMonitor, Platinum Blue Music Intelligence, Alphabet Arm Design, George Stein, Esq., SongU, Shari's Berries, and Taxi

Australian Songwriters Win Big In International Songwriting Competition

April 6, 2007 -The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), the world's leading global songwriting event, is pleased to announce its 2006 winners. More than $150,000 in cash and prizes will be shared among the 56 winners, including an overall Grand Prize of $25,000 (US) cash - the largest cash Grand Prize of any songwriting competition in the world. ISC received almost 15,000 songs by amateur and professional songwriters from 88 countries in the 2006 competition.

Australian songwriters also did extremely well in this year's competition, winning First Place in the Country category, Second Place in the Dance/Electronica and Performance categories, Third Place in Gospel/Christian and Rock categories, and several Honorable Mentions in multiple categories.

"Tailwind," by Harmony James of Tennant Creek, NT, has been awarded First Place in the Country category. Judges included such high-profile artists as Rosanne Cash, Craig Morgan, and Mark Chesnutt. Not only is James the first Australian ever to win top honors for the Country category, but her song beat out many extremely respected Nashville songwriters. James wrote the autobiographical song last year, not long after graduating from the Australian College Of Country Music. Her winning song is also her first single on her newly-released debut EP Harmony.

"Pictures," by Connie Mitchell and Angus McDonald (Sneaky Sound System) of Bondi Beach, NSW, won Second Place in the Dance/Electronica category. The Sneaky Sound System trio has had an extremely busy six months. After touring with both Robbie Williams and The Scissor Sisters, their winning ISC track "Pictures" spent an incredible 15 weeks at #1 on the Australian Dance Charts. The song also charted in the ARIA Top 20, and their win in ISC strengthens their global appeal as one of the worlds leading dance acts.

Sunshine Coast, QLD, residents Mishelle Bradford Jones, Phil Barton, and Jamie Sullivan are awarded Second Place in the Performance category for their collaboration on the song "Racket." After being discovered at age 21 by the Ausmusic scholarship board at University, Australian songbird Mishelle Bradford Jones' folk/pop album Firefly was released in 2003. Now as an independent artist and songwriter, Mishelle is widely known for her emotive image-driven lyric style. Phil Barton has had several Australian Record Industry Award (ARIA) nominations for his work and an APRA song nomination in 2000 for Best Children's Song.

Third Place honors are claimed by Roma Waterman in the Gospel/Christian category for her song "Wings Of Love;" and by Phil Usher, Scott Mullane, and Sean Bower (of the band Grand Atlantic) for their song "Coolite" in the Rock category. Usher, Mullane, and Bower also earned an Honorable Mention in the Performance category for their song "Wonderful Tragedy."

In addition to these winners, several Australian songwriters garnered an Honorable Mention in their respective categories:

"For Everything Else I Got You" - Mark Lucas (Leichhardt, NSW) - Americana
"Love Someone" - Lou Bradley (Brunswick Heads, NSW) - Americana
"Silver Dollar" - Colin Germano (Bourbon Street) (Drummoyne, NSW) - Blues
"Ed The Emu" - Kirk Simpson (Jimboomba, QLD) - Children's Music
"Falling In the Sea" - Michael Paynter/Sven Tydeman/Michael Szmouski (Melbourne, VIC) - Folk/Singer-Songwriter
"Tears Of The Oppressed" - Dave Hanbury/Tyler Hall/Rich Thompson/Mike Tenkate (Revive) (Sydney, NSW) - Gospel/Christian
"The Boisterous Border Collie" - Pete Hawkes (Melbourne, VIC) - Instrumental
"Almost Crazy" - Virna Sanzone/Lindsay Page (Sydney, NSW) - Jazz
"El Ciego" - Carlos Naranjo (Carlito's Orchestra) (St. Peters, NSW) - Latin
"Mad Mad Love" - Lisa Richards (Townsville, QLD) - Performance
"Wonderful Tragedy" - Phil Usher/Scott Mullane/Sean Bower (Grand Atlantic) (Wavell Heights, QLD) - Performance
"I Want You" - Mick Anderson/Patrick Ricapito/Huw Griffiths/Dave Simon/Laurent Salgine (Kid Courageous) (Bonnet Bay, NSW) - Pop/Top 40
"Something Crazy" - Nathan Ironside (The Stirring) (Sunshine Coast, QLD) - Rock

Many other countries across the world are also represented with ISC wins. The 2006 Grand Prize is awarded to Scott Leger of Austin, TX, USA for his song "Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow." In addition to its lyrical content, the song's memorable chorus and strong pop sensibility resonated with the ISC judges, culminating in it being awarded this year's prestigious Grand Prize. Upon learning of a friend's cancer diagnosis, Leger wrote the song both as a personal coping mechanism and as a tribute to honor survivors across the world.

ISC is now accepting entries for 2007. The ISC Overall Grand Prize for 2007 includes a $25,000 cash prize, the largest cash Grand Prize of any songwriting competition. Visit www.songwritingcompetition.com for more information and entry forms.

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

It is with the greatest pleasure that ISC is awarding this year's Grand Prize to Scott Leger of Austin, TX, USA for his song "Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow."

Upon learning of a friend's cancer diagnosis, Scott wrote the song both as a personal coping mechanism and as a tribute to honor cancer survivors across the world. According to Leger, the song is dedicated not only to his friend but also to the millions of people affected by cancer. His hope is that the song will encourage people everywhere to live life to its fullest, whether they're dealing with cancer or any other challenge. The song was debuted at the Lance Armstrong Foundation Gala in front of a room full of VIP's including former President Bill Clinton.

In addition to its lyrical content, the song's memorable chorus and strong pop sensibility resonated with the ISC judges, culminating in it being awarded this year's Grand Prize.

As the lead singer and principle songwriter of the award-winning band Wideawake, Leger brings a passion and purpose to his songwriting that is inspirational and timeless. Wideawake's two releases, Bigger than Ourselves, and Not So Far Away have sold a combined 40,000 units independently, and they have shared the stage with Switchfoot, Blue October, Third Eye Blind, Sister Hazel, Sheryl Crow, Hootie and the Blowfish, Tears for Fears, Vertical Horizon, and Gavin Degraw. Leger has also recently launched a solo career.

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 2006. These winners hail from all over the world, representing diverse cultures and ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 18 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from rock to jazz to R&B/Hip-Hop and more.
Click here for winners.

the world's leading global songwriting event, is pleased to announce its 2006 winners. More than $150,000 in cash and prizes will be shared among the 56 winners, including an overall Grand Prize of $25,000 (US) cash - the largest cash Grand Prize of any songwriting competition in the world. Almost 15,000 songs by amateur and professional songwriters from 88 countries were submitted to the 2006 competition. Entries were received from all across the globe, from Rwanda and Cameroon, to Croatia and Uzbekistan, to Panama and Guatemala, to China and Singapore, to New Zealand and Australia, and beyond.

Please visit http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm for a complete list of 2006 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs.

It is with the greatest pleasure that ISC is awarding this year's Grand Prize to Scott Leger of Austin, TX, USA for his song "Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow."

In addition to its lyrical content, the song's memorable chorus and strong pop sensibility resonated with the ISC judges, culminating in it being awarded this year's prestigious Grand Prize.

Candace Avery, the founder and director of ISC, applauds Leger, stating, "Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow" is a song that all of us can relate to and draw strength from. As the lead singer and principle songwriter of the award-winning band Wideawake, Leger brings a passion and purpose to his songwriting that is inspirational and timeless."

In response to winning ISC, Leger says, "It's a huge honor to be recognized by the ISC and their renowned group of judges among so many talented artists and great songs. I'm truly blown away by the overwhelming response and all the support that this song has gotten."

Upon learning of a friend's cancer diagnosis, Leger wrote the song both as a personal coping mechanism and as a tribute to honor survivors across the world. Since its release, the song has understandably become an anthem of hope and courage. 100% of the proceeds from the song's iTunes downloads are donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and its cancer initiatives.

Wideawake's two releases, Bigger than Ourselves, and Not So Far Away have sold a combined 40,000 units independently, and they have shared the stage with Switchfoot, Blue October, Third Eye Blind, Sister Hazel, Sheryl Crow, Hootie and the Blowfish, Tears for Fears, Vertical Horizon, and Gavin Degraw. Leger has also recently launched a solo career.

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 2006; winners include First, Second, and Third Place winners, as well as a group of Honorable Mentions. These winners hail from all over the world (46% of this year's winners come from outside the USA), representing diverse cultures and ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 18 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from rock to jazz to R&B/hip-hop and more.

Renowned for its high caliber of judges, ISC compiled a stellar panel of judges for the 2006 competition, including: Brian Wilson; Tom Waits; Rosanne Cash; Sean Paul; Mark Chesnutt; Jerry Lee Lewis; Frank Black (Pixies); Robert Smith (The Cure); Cassandra Wilson; Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse); Medeski Martin & Wood; Craig Morgan; John Mayall; John Scofield; Amy Ray (Indigo Girls); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); MercyMe; Macy Gray; Charlie Musselwhite; Peter Hook (New Order); Blue Man Group; Tiesto; Jeff Stinco (Simple Plan); Charlie Walk (President, Epic Records); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Mona Scott-Young (President, Violator Records); Cameron Strang (President, New West Records); Steve Lillywhite (Sr. VP A&R, Columbia Records and Producer - credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Peter Gabriel, and more); Alexandra Patsavas (Owner, The Chop Shop Music Supervision - credits include The OC, Grey's Anatomy, Without A Trace, Carnivale, Rescue Me); Barbara Sedun (VP Creative, EMI Music Publishing Canada); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Betty Pino (DJ, WAMR Miami, pioneer of Latin radio); Angel Carrasco (President, 605 Discos and Sr. VP A&R, Sony BMG Latin America); Thomas Brooman (Co-Founder/Artistic Director, WOMAD); Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music); Danny Epstein (Music Supervisor, Sesame Street/Sesame Workshop); Tara Griggs-Magee (Executive VP Gospel/Urban Music, Sony Records); Emily Wittmann (VP, Nick Records); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music For Little People); Larry Willoughby (VP A&R, Capitol Records Nashville) and Manolo Gonzalez (Sr VP Regional Mexican A&R and National Promotion, Univision Records).

2006 Sponsors: ASCAP, Epiphone, Berklee College Of Music, Sam Ash, Cakewalk, Shure, D'Addario, Hear Technologies, Disc Makers, Sonicbids, Musician's Atlas, Sibelius, Karian Studios, Planetary Group, OnlineGigs, The Music Business Registry, Mediaguide, ArtistMonitor, Shari's Berries, Platinum Blue Music Intelligence, Alphabet Arm Design, George Stein, Esq., SongU, Sleepless Media, and Taxi

ISC is now accepting entries for 2007.
Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com