INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION (ISC) ANNOUNCES 2013 WINNERS
JAPANESE ARTISTS SHINE IN HIGH-PROFILE COMPETITION
Shunzo Ohno Is Awarded Overall Grand Prize With The Song “Musashi”
May 6, 2014 - - The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), widely recognized as the most prestigious and respected songwriting competition in the world, has today announced its 2013 winners.
Based in the USA and established in 2002, ISC awards more than $150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and professional songwriters around the world. A total of 68 winners from 120 countries worldwide were selected from almost 20,000 entries and were chosen for their songwriting skill. The Grand Prize winner is awarded $25,000 in cash (US) and an additional $35,000 in merchandise and services.
ISC’s highest distinction, the overall Grand Prize, is awarded to Japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno for his song “Musashi,” entered in the Jazz category. This is the first time in the history of ISC that the Grand Prize has been awarded to a an artist from Japan. It is also the first time that the prize has been awarded in the Jazz category. Ohno was also honored with an Honorable Mention for his song “Okinawa” in the Instrumental category.
Winners were selected by a panel of Judges which included popular recording artists Imagine Dragons,
Martina McBride, Joshua Redman, Josh Turner, Keane, Jon Secada, Dido, Garbage, Darryl McDaniels, James Cotton, Boney James, Jason Isbell, Anoushka Shankar, Monte Lipman (Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Republic Records), Dan McCarroll (President, Warner Bros. Records), Alison Donald (Co-President, Columbia Records UK), and many more.
“ISC provides a significant platform for artists to have their music heard in an international arena and encourages songwriters to create and develop their artistry,” stated Candace Avery, Founder and Director. “It is vital for all artists to be recognized for their talents and awarded the due respect for their accomplishments. This year we have awarded our highest honor, the ISC Grand Prize, to a Jazz artist, and we applaud the importance of this genre in our musical landscape. The recipient, Shunzo Ohno, greatly deserves this honor, and ISC is proud to bestow this award on him.”
