HTML MessagePassing this on for any interest it has. Jim Roy Ottawa Blues, Jazz & Swing Guide Phone: (613) 829-3725 www.ottawabluesjazz.ca Hi , I'm emailing to let you know that the US-based Unsigned Only Music Competition has announced its 2012 winners, and Canadians did extremely well for the first year of the competition, with one First Place win and 11 honorable mentions! The competition is produced by the same people behind the International Songwriting Competition - ISC. It is extremely important to Unsigned Only that the accomplishments of these Canadian artists be recognized, and we sincerely hope that you will help us to accomplish this goal by promoting this press release and helping to spread the word about their international achievements. I have included a press release below, and please go to our website to see all the winners: http://www.unsignedonly.com/winners If you need additional information about the Unsigned Only winners and the competition, please contact me. You can download a low-res photo of many Unsigned Only winners at http://www.unsignedonly.com/winners If you need a high-res photo, please me at cavery(a)unsignedonly.com and I will email you one. Thank you very much for your support of local unsigned artists! All the best, Candace Avery Co-Founder/Director Unsigned Only 1307 Eastland Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 ph: 615.251.4441 fx: 615.251.4442 http://www.unsignedonly.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Candace Avery Unsigned Only 615.251.4441 cavery(a)unsignedonly.com www.unsignedonly.com Canadian Artists Honored In US-Based Unsigned Only Music Competition Grand Prize is Awarded to San Francisco Artist Lara Johnston With The Song "K.I.S.S." September 5, 2012 - The Unsigned Only Music Competition is pleased to announce its 2012 inaugural winners. Nearly 7,500 songs were submitted and of those, Canadian artists have come away with one First Place win and an impressive 11 Honorable Mentions. Canadian winners were present across nearly all nine genres of popular music, confirming the expansive nature of the Canadian music scene and the array of sounds coming from the country's best bands and artists. 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. In addition to the high-profile artists, the roster of judges also included 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. Canadian Winners Include: First Place Winner First Place The Franklin Electric - Montreal, QC, Canada - "Old Piano"- AC (Adult Contemporary) John Matte, Kevin Warren, Bud Rice, Martin Desrosby, and Jean-Sebastien Leblanc of The Franklin Electric take First Place in the Adult Contemporary category for their first single, "Old Piano." The Montreal-based collective is vocal-oriented and well versed in a variety of rock and folk genres, inspired by ambient guitar textures and brass. For the past few years, The Franklin Electric has been performing at local clubs and festivals across Canada. They are currently in the final steps of production for their debut album, which is due for release this winter. Honorable Mentions Oh Village - Abbotsford, BC, Canada - "Red Death"- AAA (Adult Album Alternative) Jessica Beach - Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Warning Signs"- AC (Adult Contemporary) Dan Bremnes - Kelowna, BC, Canada - "Beautiful"- Christian Codie Prevost - Saskatoon, SK, Canada - "Rolling Back To You"- Country Jaylene Johnson - Winnipeg, MB, Canada - "When It All Goes South"- Country Andy Brown - Fredericton, NB, Canada - "Ashes"- Folk/Singer-Songwriter Kuba Oms - Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Electrolove"- Pop/Top 40 Gyles - Toronto, ON, Canada - "On One Knee"- R&B/Hip-Hop The Trews - Antigonish, NS, Canada - "Hope & Ruin"- Rock Alexandria Maillot - Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Be My Love"- Vocal Performance Tiffany Desrosiers - Langley, BC, Canada - "Like I Would For You"- Vocal Performance For a complete list of Unsigned Only winners and to hear the winning songs, go to http://www.unsignedonly.com/winners 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. 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. 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.