Nashville, TN (PRWEB) May 02, 2012

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), the world’s foremost global songwriting event, is pleased to announce its 2011 winners. ISCs Grand Prize is awarded to New Zealand native Kimbra for her song Cameo Lover, entered in the Pop/Top 40 category. Kimbra also holds the distinction of having won First Place in the Pop/Top 40 category in 2010 for her song Settle Down. The Grand Prize winner takes home $ 25,000 in cash (US) and an additional $ 25,000 in merchandise and services.

Called the songwriting competition to take note of by the New York Times, ISC was

established in 2002 and awards more than $ 150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and

professional songwriters around the globe. This year was the most competitive of any year

in terms of quantity and quality of entries, and winners were selected from over 16,000 songs

submitted from 112 countries worldwide. Judges included iconic artists Tom Waits, Jeff Beck,

McCoy Tyner, Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monae, Ozzy Osbourne, Lucinda Williams, Tori Amos,

Wynonna, Keane, and many more. In addition to the high-profile artists, the roster of judges

also included five record label presidents as well as other industry leaders, offering songwriters

the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by influential decision-makers. See

below for the complete list of judges.

For a complete list of 2011 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

Winning ISC’s highest honor is New Zealand’s latest export, the quirky and wonderfully eclectic artist Kimbra. Kimbra has recently exploded onto the international music charts as the featured singer on Australian artist Gotye’s current #1 hit song, “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Her recent TV performances with Gotye on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Saturday Night Live were electrifying and introduced her to the US public, fortifying her meteoric rise to fame.

Only 22 years old, Kimbra began writing songs and performing at the age of 10. Spending her early years gigging around her native New Zealand, it was only once Kimbra borrowed a small eight-track recorder from her schools music department that her songwriting blossomed in earnest. Since then, she has made enormous strides in her career. Her debut album, Vows, was released in 2011 in New Zealand and Australia, and in its first week of release the album charted at #3 in New Zealand and #5 in Australia (peaking at #4 on the ARIA Charts). The album will be released in the US and Canada on May 22.

Accolades include winning the 2011 NZ Critics’ Choice awards and also the Best Female Artist for Cameo Lover at the 2011 ARIA awards.

Even at such a young age, Kimbra already possesses great maturity and musical sophistication. Candace Avery, the Founder and Director of ISC, says this of Kimbra:

We first became aware of Kimbra in 2010 when she entered ISC and won First Place in the Pop/Top 40 category with her song Settle Down. At that time we knew she was one of those artists who had “it”. As a songwriter, her eclectic and somewhat quirky songwriting made her stand out. As an artist, she brings her songs to life with her unique vocal styling and compelling stage presence. Kimbra is rapidly establishing herself as a significant talent and a fresh and exciting new voice on the international music scene. We are proud to have her as our 2011 Grand Prize winner.

To download low-res photos of all winners, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

For high-res photos, please contact Candace Avery at cavery(at)songwritingcompetition(dot)com

In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share the spotlight for winning their respective categories in ISC 2011. These winners represent diverse cultures and range from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. See below for a complete list of ISC 2011 winners.

Applauded for its high caliber of judges, ISC compiled a stellar panel of judges for the 2011 competition, including:

Recording Artists: Tom Waits; Tori Amos; Jeff Beck; Lucinda Williams; My Morning Jacket; Kelly Clarkson; Ozzy Osbourne; Keane; McCoy Tyner; Wynonna; Francesca Battistelli; Janelle Monae; Billy Currington; Tegan and Sara; Massive Attack; Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor (Duran Duran); Michael W. Smith; Alejandro Sanz; Johnny Clegg; Jeremy Camp; Ray Wylie Hubbard; John Mayall; Craig Morgan; Basement Jaxx; James Cotton; Sandra Bernhard; Trombone Shorty; Robert Earl Keen; Black Francis (The Pixies); Mose Allison; Robert Smith (The Cure); Amadou & Mariam; Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); and Matt Thiessen (Relient K)

Industry Executives: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); David Massey (President, Mercury Records); Brian Malouf (VP A&R, Walt Disney Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Ric Arboit (President, Nettwerk Music Group); Anastasia Brown (Music Supervisor, FORMAT); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); Allison Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Kim Buie (A&R and Artist Manager, Thirty Tigers); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, RCA Records); Antony Bland (Co-Owner, CandyShop Management); Steve Smith (VP of A&R, Aware Records); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); and Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment)

Sponsors included: Presonus, Lowden Guitars, Sennheiser, Posse, Mrs. Fields Cookies, ASCAP, Berklee College Of Music, D’Addario, Thayers, Onlinegigs, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, SongTrust, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq., Sonicbids, Taxi, and music Submit.

ISC is now accepting entries for 2012. Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for more information and an entry form.

The complete list of ISC 2011 winners is as follows:

Grand Prize

Cameo Lover – Kimbra (Auckland, New Zealand)

AAA (Adult Album Alternative)

First Place

Celia – Anna Heiberg Macdonald (Annah Mac) – Auckland, New Zealand

Second Place

For What It’s Worth – Maggie Eckford, Nathan Finochio – Nashville, TN, USA

Third Place

All My Love Is Gone – Dallas Frasca, Jeff Curran, Pete McDonald (Dallas Frasca) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Honorable Mention

Everybody’s Lost Someone – Matt Joe Gow (The Dead Leaves) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

L.A. Can Wait – Michael Tiernan – San Diego, CA, USA

Les Filles Francaises – Gavin Duffy, Lewis Parker (The Jude) – London, England

Moonshine – Todd Michaelsen (My Pet Dragon) – New York, NY, USA

One More Last Chance – Tim Chapman London, England

RGB – Nuno Goncalves, Sonia Tavares (The Gift) – Alcoba