The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) announced its 2008 winners. ISC bestowed its highest honor, the ISC Grand Prize, to Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall of Brisbane, QLD, Australia for their song "Caught In The Crowd," a brilliantly quirky pop song with an emotional message about schoolyard bullying and peer pressure. The Grand Prize winner takes home $25,000 in cash (US) and over $20,000 in prizes - the largest Grand Prize of any songwriting competition.
With judges as diverse as Tom Waits, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Ray Davies (The Kinks), Chaka Khan, McCoy Tyner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robert Smith (The Cure) and many more, winning the ISC Grand Prize is an accomplishment that recognizes excellence in the craft of songwriting.
In its seventh year, ISC received over 15,500 songs from amateur and professional songwriters from 100 countries worldwide, confirming ISC's status as the leading global songwriting event. The song "Caught In The Crowd" struck an emotive chord with the ISC judges for its narrative about a young girl who befriends a fellow student but then, succumbing to peer pressure, turns her back on him when he gets bullied at school. The song, entered in the Pop/Top 40 category, was praised by the ISC judges for its powerful lyrical content and strong pop sensibility.
Candace Avery, the founder and director of ISC, states, "The song tugs at my heart and give me chills every time I hear it. Its theme is so personal yet universal that everyone can relate to it. That, combined with its infectious melody, makes the song a stand-out. This is the first time the Grand Prize has ever been awarded to Australian songwriters, and we hope this throws the spotlight on the extraordinary and creative music scene in Australia."
The co-writers, Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall, are not just bandmates and musical collaborators but also husband and wife. Strong songwriters in their own right, together they create a yin-yang of music that brings out the best of each other. Miller-Heidke is already a rising star in her home country, Australia. With her early training as an operatic singer, Miller-Heidke has evolved into a pop artist whose debut CD, Little Eve, went Gold on the back of four ARIA nominations. Her latest CD, Curiouser, was produced in the USA by Mickey Petralia (Beck, Flight of the Conchords) and released in Australia at the end of 2008.
"Caught In The Crowd" is the newest single from the CD and was part of a national campaign in Australia where high school students were invited to make a video for the song addressing the issue of bullying, a common and disturbing occurrence in schools worldwide.
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 2008. These winners hail from all over the world (63% of this year's winners come from outside the USA), representing diverse cultures and ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 20 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from rock to pop to jazz to R&B/Hip-Hop and more. See below for a complete list of ISC 2008 winners.
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