Passing this on for
any interest it has.
Hi ,
We just want to pass
on this important press release for Ottawa Blues, Jazz and Swing Guide to share
with musicians and songwriters in your reach, to let them know that the winners
for the inaugural 2012 Unsigned Only Music Competition ( http://www.unsignedonly.com/ ) have just
been announced, and we are now accepting entries for Unsigned Only
2013.
Thanks again for passing this information on, and we certainly hope
that artists you recommend Unsigned Only to become finalists (and winners) in
the 2013 competition!
Candace Avery
Co-Founder/Director
Unsigned
Only
1307 Eastland Ave
Nashville TN 37206
PH:
615-251-4441
Fax: 615-251-4442
www.unsignedonly.com
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Candace Avery
Unsigned
Only
615.251.4441
cavery@songwritingcompetition.com
www.songwritingcompetition.com
GRAND
PRIZE WINNER LARA JOHNSTON SETS THE BAR IN
INAUGURAL UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC
COMPETITION
Cyndi Lauper, Robert Smith (The Cure), St. Vincent, Kenny
Rogers,
and 3 Doors Down Are Among 2012 Judges
August 30, 2012 -
Unsigned Only is pleased to announce its 2012 winners selected from almost 7,500
entries worldwide. The Grand Prize, Unsigned Only's highest honor, goes to San
Francisco, CA artist Lara Johnston with the song, "K.I.S.S." Johnston was the
highest scoring artist overall in the competition and a favorite among the
judges. Upon learning the news, she stated, "The Unsigned Only Competition
presents truly unique, hands-on opportunities for an undiscovered artist like
myself, and I'm beyond honored and excited to be recognized as their first Grand
Prize winner!"
What makes Lara Johnston so captivating, aside from her
girl-next-door beauty, is her powerful voice, dynamic stage presence, creative
spirit, and great songwriting. Only 22 years old, she has shared the bill with
such acts as Willie Nelson, Huey Lewis and the News, Journey, Heart, Bonnie
Raitt, Steve Miller, Don Henley, rapper J. Dash, and many others. Over the past
three years she has toured throughout the world, writing and co-writing songs in
LA, London, and Nashville, and balancing her career pursuits with her time as a
student at USC's Thornton School of Music. This summer, Lara is touring locally,
collaborating as a writer and singer with multiple producers, and putting the
final touches on her debut album.
Launched only a year ago and judged by
a roster of celebrity notables such as Cyndi Lauper, 3 Doors Down, Kelly
Clarkson, Kenny Rogers, St. Vincent, and many more, Unsigned Only is a unique
music competition designed for solo artists, bands, and singers who are not
signed to a major label. With 36% of the entrants and 47% of the winners coming
from outside the USA, Unsigned Only has quickly established itself as the
international music competition for unsigned artists.
Unsigned Only's
goal is to find outstanding, talented artists: newcomers or veterans... raw or
polished... the "gems" that need to be discovered. Candace Avery and Jim Morgan,
the founders and directors of Unsigned Only, emphasize that what is different
about Unsigned Only is the mentoring component. "The Grand Prize winner will be
mentored by a group of upper echelon music industry executives, ranging from
label presidents to heads of A&R. Because these industry pros are typically
hard to reach, this is a rare opportunity for an artist. Gaining access to them
for guidance on a one-to-one basis could be a career changer, and we are pleased
to offer the opportunity to this year's Grand Prize winner, Lara Johnston. She
is an exciting artist with a great future."
In addition to the Grand
Prize winner, many other deserving artists are winners in their respective
categories. With a total of nine categories and First and Second Place in each
(along with a list of Honorable Mentions), Unsigned Only covers all genres of
commercial contemporary music, including: Adult Album Alternative (AAA); Adult
Contemporary (AC); Christian; Country; Folk/Singer-Songwriter; R&B/Hip-Hop;
Rock; Pop/Top 40; and Vocal Performance.
For a complete list of Unsigned Only
winners and to hear the winning songs, go to http://www.unsignedonly.com/winners
2012
Judges include: 3 Doors Down; Kelly Clarkson; Robert Smith (The Cure);
Kenny Rogers; Jeremy Camp; Musiq Soulchild; St. Vincent; Manchester Orchestra;
Angie Stone; G. Love; Craig Morgan; Aaron Shust; Charlie Daniels; Steve
Lillywhite (Producer); Matt and Kim; Cyndi Lauper; The Mountain Goats; Josh
Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine) and Scott Lapatine
(Founder/Editor-In-Chief, Stereogum.
2012 Mentors include: Monte Lipman
(President of Universal Republic); Pete Ganbarg (Executive VP/Head of A&R,
Atlantic Records); David Wolter (Senior VP of A&R, RCA Records); Kim
Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R/Capitol Music Group);
Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, J Records); David Wilkes (VP of A&R, eOne
Music); Pete Giberga (Head of A&R, Razor & Tie Records); and Jason Geter
(President, Grand Hustle Records).
Sponsors include: Posse, Steamboat
Ampworks, Verve Management, Music Business Registry, Mrs. Fields Cookies, and
Spider Capo
Unsigned is now accepting entries for 2013. Many new judges
will be added, as well as a new Teen category for artists 18 years old and
younger. Information on how to enter can be found at www.unsignedonly.com.
The complete
list of 2012 Unsigned Only winners is below:
GRAND PRIZE
Lara Johnston -
San Francisco, CA, USA - "K.I.S.S."
AAA (ADULT ALBUM
ALTERNATIVE)
First Place
Jacob Butler - Melbourne, VIC, Australia - "Mind
Waltz"
Second Place
Village (AKA The Village Musicians) - Yakima, WA,
USA - "All This Time"
Honorable Mention
Jen Foster - Nashville, TN,
USA - "Venice Beach"
Jonell Mosser - Nashville, TN, USA - "Come On Home To
Me"
Kelsy Davis Radical Soul - Atlanta, GA, USA - "No Grudge
(Classic)"
Lee'Mon - Albury, NSW, Australia - "Land On The Moon"
Matthew
Curry & The Fury - Normal, IL, USA - "Blinded By The Darkness"
Oh Village
- Abbotsford, BC, Canada - "Red Death"
OTiS - Brooklyn, NY, USA - "Making
Love Easy"
Skipping Girl Vinegar - Melbourne, VIV, Australia - "You
Can"
Tommy Indian - Prague, Czech Republic - "Slow Slow Slow"
ADULT
CONTEMPORARY (AC)
First Place
The Franklin Electric - Montreal, QC, Canada
- "Old Piano"
Second Place
Kate Vigo - Melbourne, VIC, Australia -
"Wanna Run"
Honorable Mention
Amoric - Burgas, Bulgaria -
"Symphony"
Benjamin Dunn & Friends - Santa Cruz, CA, USA - "Circus Of
Love"
Jen Foster - Nashville, TN, USA - "There For You"
Jessica Beach -
Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Warning Signs"
Lucio Rubino - St. Augustine, FL, USA
- "Fallin' From The Start"
Tiki Taane - Waitakere, New Zealand - "My Lion
(RWC Remix)"
Worldfly - Darwin, NT, Australia - "A Small
Boat"
CHRISTIAN
First Place
The Amorous - Clarksburg, WV, USA -
"Here It Goes"
Second Place
AMP - Burtonsville, MD, USA -
"Shine"
Honorable Mention
Alathea - Unicoi, TX, USA - "The
River"
American Swim Lesson - Saratoga Springs, NY, USA - "Lovers"
Anna
Weatherup - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Miracle"
Dan Bremnes - Kelowna, BC,
Canada - "Beautiful"
David Upton - Trabuco Canyon, CA, USA -
"Unshackled"
Nathan Ironside & The Stirring - Sydney, NSW, Australia -
"Born To Worship"
The Amorous - Clarksburg, WV, USA - "Free"
The Classic
City Collective - Athens, GA, USA - "God On High"
COUNTRY
First
Place
Molly Hunt - Franklin, TN, USA - "He Only Broke My Heart"
Second
Place
Burly Clyde - Nashville, TN, USA - "Enjoying The Ride"
Honorable
Mention
Brandon Lepere - Seabrook, NH, USA - "She Drives Me
Country"
Brantley - East Dublin, GA, USA - "Plainville"
Brantley - East
Dublin, GA, USA - "Country Life"
Bryce Hitchcock - Franklin, TN, USA -
"Fortune Cookie"
Chance Cody & Spur 503 - Denison, TX, USA - "You Can't
Argue With That"
Codie Prevost - Saskatoon, SK, Canada - "Rolling Back To
You"
Jaylene Johnson - Winnipeg, MB, Canada - "When It All Goes
South"
Kenny Scharlatt - Marshalls Creek, PA, USA - "Lie"
Memphis High -
Memphis, TN, USA - "Pistol Heart"
Michael Whitworth - Athens, GA, USA - "Just
As Surprised As You"
FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER
First Place
Timothy
Nelson & The Infidels - Perth, WA, USA - "Let Her Go"
Second
Place
Ed Romanoff - Brooklyn, NY, USA - "I Must Have Done Something
Right"
Honorable Mention
Andy Brown - Fredericton, NB, Canada -
"Ashes"
Ben Glover - Belfast, Ireland - "Memo"
Jesse Terry - Mamaroneck,
NY, USA - "Let The Blue Skies Go To Your Head"
Keith Moody - Spring Hill, TN,
USA - "One Big Ending"
Luke O'Shea - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "How Well Have
You Loved?"
Markus Rill - Munich, Germany - "The Kid From Tupelo"
Paul
Creane & The Changing Band - Wexford, Ireland - "All For You Baby"
SJ -
Miami Beach, FL, USA - "I Like You"
The Robbie Boyd Band - London, England -
"I Won't Let You Go"
Tony Villiers - Armagh, Northern Ireland -
"Radio"
POP/TOP 40
First Place
Laura Steel - London, England -
"Kriminal"
Second Place
KK Holliday - Kingston, Jamaica - "Shugga
Daddy"
Honorable Mention
Adam Katz - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Adore
Ya"
Chinkie Brown - Atlanta, GA, USA - "Human Nature"
Juliette Ashby -
London, England - "Bounce Right Back"
Kuba Oms - Vancouver, BC, Canada -
"Electrolove"
Ladi6 - Christchurch, New Zealand - "Like Water"
Michael And
Marisa - Boston, MA, USA - "You Feel Like Saturday"
Radio INK - Sydney, NSW,
Australia - "Who We Are Tonight"
Vice Vega - Saint Louis, MO, USA - "Lose
Your Mind"
R&B/HIP-HOP
First Place
Young Clipp - North
Hollywood, CA, USA - "So High"
Second Place
Juliette Ashby - London,
England - "Crazy"
Honorable Mention
CWolfe - Santa Monica, CA, USA -
"Sophisto Black Negro"
Flight School - Fuegen, Austria - "Let Me Go"
Fore
- Zimbabwe - "C'est Pas Bon"
Gyles - Toronto, ON, Canada - "On One
Knee"
Illin' P - Cambridge, MA, USA - "The Pick Up Problem"
Irrelevent -
Dallas, TX, USA - "Cookie Cutter Club Banger"
Lady Bonsai - Buenos Aires,
Argentina - "Drama Queen"
LaJon - Atlanta, GA, USA - "Try Me"
Santino Noir
- Toms River, NJ, USA - "Break You Down"
T. One - Miami, FL, USA - "Gone Too
Long (Ft. Leiah)"
Tasha Taylor - North Hollywood, CA, USA -
"Queen"
ROCK
First Place
The Family Crest - San Francisco, CA, USA
- "North"
Second Place
Golden State - Los Angeles, CA, USA -
"Bombs"
Honorable Mention
Everybody Else - Los Angeles, CA, USA -
"First Class"
Hug The Dog - Dublin, NH, USA - "Painted Faces"
Hunting
Grounds - Ballarat, VIC, Australia - "In Colour"
StereonoiZ - Lima, Peru -
"Painted Faces"
Stone Parade - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Paranoia"
The
Trews - Antigonish, NS, Canada - "Hope & Ruin"
UNITE IT - Moscow, Russia
- "Turn Off The Light"
V For Volume - Bogota, Colombia - "Cheap
Universe"
VOCAL PERFORMANCE
First Place
Ms. Monet - Sylmar, CA, USA
- "At This Moment"
Second Place
Liam Burrows - Sydney, NSW, Australia
- "I Could Write A Book"
Honorable Mention
Alexandria Maillot -
Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Be My Love"
Anna Weatherup - Sydney, NSW, Australia
- "Wade In The Water"
Gabrielle Sterbenz - Huntington, NY, USA - "Don't Think
Twice It's Alright"
Jasmine Thompson - London, England - "Safe And
Sound"
Kelsy Davis Radical Soul - Atlanta, GA, USA - "Special (Ain't
I?)"
Schascle - Saddle River, NJ, USA - "Justice"
Tasha Taylor - North
Hollywood, CA, USA - "I Got Love"
Tiffany Desrosiers - Langley, BC, Canada -
"Like I Would For You"
FANDEMONIUM
Lucio Rubino - St. Augustine, FL,
USA - "Fallin' From The Start"
Information on Unsigned Only and
Winners:
For more information and photos of winners, please contact Candace
Avery at cavery@unsignedonly.com
Contact
information for Grand Prize winner:
Lara Johnston: info@larajohnston.com
http://larajohnston.com/lj/
http://www.facebook.com/LaraJohnstonSings