Record number of Aussies win top categories at International Songwriting Competition

Australians traditionally score well at the US-based International Songwriting Competition

But the 2017 wins, announced overnight, has seen a record trump card, with six First Place wins, five Second Places, three Third Places and a staggering 43 Honourable Mentions.

Aussies shut out two entire categories, Pop/Top-40 and Performance.

The ISC received more than 16,000 entries from almost 140 countries. Prizes include US$175,000 in cash and merchandise.

61% of winners come from outsider the United States.

Past winners – including three Grand Prize honours to Kate Miller-Heidke, Kasey Chambers and Vance Joy – number Augie March; Big Scary; Birds of Tokyo; Eskimo Joe; Flight Facilities; Gang of Youths; Gotye; Guy Sebastian; Jebediah; Matt Corby; Missy Higgins; Sarah Blasko; The Living End; and Troy Cassar-Daley among others.

“Australia always produces the most winners in ISC next to the USA, but this year they dominated the Pop/Top 40 and Performance categories, winning First, Second, and Third in each category,” said Candace Avery, Nashville-based ISC founder and director.

“This bears witness to the incredible talent coming from a country with only 7% of the population of the USA.

“This is truly impressive.”

The list of 2017 Australian winners is as follows:

FIRST PLACE WINNERS

‘Adore’ – Amy Billings (Amy Shark), M-Phazes – Gold Coast – AAA or Adult Album Alternative category

‘Busted Lip’ – Shane Nicholson – Americana

‘Don’t Tell Me’ – Ruel van Dijk (Ruel), Peter Harding – Melbourne – Pop/Top 40

‘Light Up – Fletcher Gull – Wollongong, – Folk/Singer-Songwriter

‘Love Not Lust’ – D.T (Strictly DT) – Perth – R&B/Hip-Hop

‘Waves’ – Dean Lewis, Nick Atkinson, Edd Holloway (Dean Lewis) – Brisbane – Performance

SECOND PLACE WINNERS

‘Brace’ – Ian Berney, Ian Kenny, Glenn Sarangapany, Adam Spark, Adam Weston (Birds Of Tokyo) – Sydney,– Rock

‘Golden Age’ – ELKI – Sydney – Unpublished

‘Torchlight’ – Melissa Higgins – Sydney – Performance

Secrets – Jessica Graham (Wren) – Sydney – Music Video

‘Waves’ – Dean Lewis, Nick Atkinson, Edd Holloway (Dean Lewis) – Brisbane– Pop/Top 40

THIIRD PLACE WINNERS

‘Catherine Wheel’ – Megan Washington (Washington) – Brisbane  – Performance

‘Lady Powers’ – Celia Pavey, Thomas Macken, Andy Mak, Adam Anders (Vera Blue) – Forbes, NSW,– Pop/Top 40

‘Wunybul (Vine Of Love)’ – Gawurra – Milingimbi, NT– World Music

HONOURABLE MENTION

‘Abbot Kinney’ – Jake Bosci, Jean Paul Fung – Tannum Sands, QLD,– Pop/Top 40

‘All I Know’ – Shane Nicholson” – Brisbane – Folk/Singer-Songwriter

‘Bad For Me’ – Chris Lanzon, JP Fung, Demi Louise, Hannah Robinson (In Stereo) –Sydney – Music Video

‘Bad For Me’ – Chris Lanzon, JP Fung, Demi Louise, Hannah Robinson (In Stereo) –Sydney – Pop/Top 40

‘Beach Fire” – Carus Thompson, Joel Quartermain – Fremantle– Folk/Singer-Songwriter

‘Beach Fires’ – Carus Thompson, Joel Quartermain – Fremantle – Unpublished

’Bleed Sunlight’ – Shane Burgess, D-Lake – Goulburn –Electronic Dance Music

‘Carry Me’ – Christopher Mustica (Lostsong Project) – Cobram – Christian

‘Driving Me Made’– Shane Nicholson – Brisbane – Americana

‘First Light’ – Dustin Tebbutt – Sydney – AAA

‘Fuck Everything’ – Kai Smythe (Hairy Soul  Man) – Tamborine Mountain, QLD – Comedy/Novelty

‘Good Enough’ – Chris Lanzon (In Stereo) – Sydney – Teen

‘Hard As Diamonds’ – Michael Delorenzis, Michael Paynter, Danielle Smarrelli (NUSSY) – Melbourne – Pop/Top 40

‘Light Up’ – Fletcher Gull – Wollongong,– Music Video

‘Light Up’ – Fletcher Gull – Wollongong, – Unsigned Only

‘Love Takes Time’ – Nick de la Hoyde, Joseph de la Hoyde – Sydney – Pop/Top 40

‘Mind The Gap’ – Adam Carl Stephens (Shetdogs) – Sydney, – AAA

‘Mun Mun’ – Nicola Wood (Cherry) – Melbourne,– R&B/Hip-Hop

‘Not Worth Hiding’ – Alexandra Lynn (Alex The Astronaut) – Sydney – Unsigned Only

‘Pretending’ – Kristy Coote, Clive Young – Newcastle– Children’s Music

‘Remedy’ – Alan Boyle, Chris Harvey (Blues Arcadia) – Brisbane – Blues

‘Save This World’ – Violeta Bozanic – Sydney – Teen

‘Scary People’ – Georgina Kingsley (Georgi Kay) – Perth, Adult Contemporary

‘Skinny Roads’ – Emma Mullings, Nathan Eshman, Kylie Beach – Sydney – Unsigned Only

‘Slaughterhouse Blues’ – Gretta Ziller – Melbourne – Americana

‘Slow Mover’ – Angie McMahon – Melbourne – AAA

‘Some People’ – Matt Ellis – Sydney – Americana

‘Songs Of Summer’ – Helen Croome, Steve Parkin (Gossling) – Perth – Folk/Singer-Songwriter

‘Stare’ – Rory Adams – Adelaide – Teen

‘The Battle Inside (Fight) ‘ – Tyller Fischer – Vermont, VIC,  – Teen

‘The Comedown’ – B J Donegal, N P Blom, A O Goodwin, L Galbraith, M Galbraith, T P O’Brien (Ocean Alley) – Sydney – Unsigned Only

‘The Signs’ – John Walsh – Sydney – Lyrics Only

‘The Way We Ride’ – Casey Barnes, Michael Paynter, Michael Delorenzis – Gold Coast – Country

‘True Lovers’ – Timothy Carroll, Oscar Dawson, Matt Redlich, Ryan Strathie (Holy Holy) – Sydne – AAA

‘Vaccine’ – Collegians – Melbourne – Rock

‘Vaccine’ – Vince Leigh, James Leigh, Jerry Leigh, Glenn Patrick (Collegians) – Melbourne – Music Video

‘Vaccine’ – Collegians – Melbourne – AAA

‘Vaccine’ – Collegians – Melbourne – Unsigned Only

‘Waltz A La Bra’ – Veren Grigorov, Rob Shannon, Tom Wade, Calvin Welch (Arabesk) – Sydney – Instrumental

‘Wasted’ – James Saaib, Enya G Angel (JaySounds Ft. Enya Angel) – Gold Coast – Electronic Dance Music

‘Waves’ – Dean Lewis, Nick Atkinson, Edd Holloway – Brisbane  – Music Video

‘’Worthy Ft. Brad Sabat’ – Emma Mullings, Terrence Mullings, Brad Sabat – Sydney – Christian

‘You And I’ – Ben Crawford, Zac Crawford (Crawford Brothers) – Hinton, NSW – Pop/Top 40

For full details, including the huge list of artist and music executive judges, go to www.songwritingcompetition.com