Connect with us:
UPCOMING EVENTS:
IMSTA FESTA Toronto
Nov 23, 2024

SONG WRITING COMPETITION WINNERS

We are privileged to have so many talented artists, musicians, and songwriters enter our yearly competition. Here are our winners, check out their song entries!
Think you can do better? Submit your best songs to our contest today!


SEOUL WINNER

NYAN

Song: Burn Up



NYAN (Jun ki Son) is a student in Korea, studying music at Jeonghwa Arts College. His main interests is to make various music inspired by K-pop. NYAN wants to become a better producer by continually making music and reaching as many ears as possible.

NAMM WINNER

Caroline Pernick

Song: Diane



Caroline Josephine Pernick is a SF Bay Area native currently located in Los Angeles, who is passionate about catalyzing awe through song, storytelling, movement, and musical composition. Pursuing her B.A. in Musical Theater at the University of California, Los Angeles, Caroline was titled Overall Winner of UCLA’s Spring Sing (past winners include Sara Bareilles and Katie Boeck) for her 2018 duet performance of “For I Fear,” with friend and collaborator Hayden Everett, and is in the competition again this year as a solo performer. Caroline is currently raising money to produce her first EP (gf.me/u/xyqamz), and recently released her new single ‘Snow’ on streaming platforms everywhere! Other interests include driving to nowhere in particular, trying to perfect the coffee to milk ratio, and being inspired by her friends and family.

NYC WINNER

Carley Coma & Steven Richards

Song: Release



Steve Richards, is an Independent musician/ guitarist, producer and songwriter with over twenty years of writing & recording experience as well as live touring. As a guitarist, Steve has toured both nationally and internationally and has garnered several endorsement deals with manufactures including ESP Guitars and Splawn Amplication. Steve has worked with producers Rob Hawkins (Disciple, Fireflight) and Travis Wyrick (P.O.D.).

Carley Gervais -AKA Carley Coma, is an independent songwriter, vocalist and producer with over twenty years of writing & recording experience as well as live touring. As a lead vocalist/songwriter and producer, Carley has toured both nationally and internationally and has worked/collaborated with Producers Dave Bendeth (Paramore, Breaking Benjamin), Rob Hawkins (Disciple, Fireflight), Ben Moody (Evanescence) and Travis Wyrick (P.O.D.)

TORONTO WINNER

Mélissa Vales

Song: Make Me Bad



Canadian Urban-Pop singer, songwriter and dancer Mélissa Vales is inspired by pop queens, rap icons and film scoring. To date, she has released one EP: The Things I Should've Said To You in 2018, and has already been interviewed by FACES Magazine, performed live on Rogers TV and has been featured on many Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday and New Music Friday Canada. She also had the honor of graduating from Berklee College of Music alongside honorary graduates Missy Elliot and Justin Timberlake. Her Music Business degree is helping her manage her own career and remain an independent artist. Mélissa Vales' objective is to create a new musical and live experience using modern technology and awakening all five senses.

GERMANY WINNER

Séamus

Song: Maybe tomorrow



Séamus is a musician who falls into simple melodic guitar loops and self-reflections. His love of music grew in the era of emo and hasn’t strayed too far since. He released a few singles in 2019, including Maybe Tomorrow, a song that explores warming up to your interiority. He has also written and produced two instrumental albums under the name Níos Moille, an Irish phrase meaning “slower,” as in pace. All of his music can be found on the major music streaming providers.

SEOUL WINNER

RYAN LEE

Song: One Day



Ryan Lee is a Korean composer, arranger and engineer. He is based on K-Pop style music and produces a wide range of music, from dance to ballads. He has extensive experience in broadcasting, game music, recording and mixing engineer. He is now producing his songs with artists from Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

LA WINNER

BRI HOLLAND

Song: Louder



Bri Holland is a songwriter, singer, producer, engineer, and arranger. Her music work has garnered over 40 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award nominations and over a dozen wins, and has placed on several vocal music compilation albums. Bri is from Murrysville, PA. She studied music briefly at the University of Chicago and is currently based out of Los Angeles.

LONDON WINNER

Georgia van Etten

Song: Take My Hand



Georgia van Etten is a soulful, blues-driven songstress and international touring artist based in London. She has wowed audiences globally from the mega Falls Festival in her homeland Australia, to foremost London venues Borderline and Ronnie Scotts to famous European festivals like Montreux Jazz (Switzerland), Porretta Soul (Italy), Ealing Blues (UK), Cambridge International Jazz (UK) and Jazz à Vienne (France).

MIAMI WINNER

Christopher Pierson

Song: Losing Time



Aykay was born and raised in a small town named Livingston, Texas. Growing up poor in the country, there was never had much to do but to rob and sell drugs to make money. Around the age of 13, Aykay started looking at music as his way out of the struggle (the streets) with his Blood Brothers MGB which consisted of Ammo & Scuba (Mob gets bands). They released their first mixtape “MGB on the rise” in 2014 (it was recorded in their old rusty green Geo off of two cell phones). After the mixtape release, their studio was robbed. This occurrence made Aykay join the military to find himself.

TORONTO WINNER(s)

1st - X. ARI

Song: Stay v Go

X. ARI is a singer-songwriter-artist and mental health advocate from Toronto currently residing in Los Angeles and Toronto. X. ARI's motto is to turn pain into power using art to do so. Musically, the songstress deftly dances in and out of genre lines, moving from entrancing alternative pop to gritty hip-hop under a cover of electronic elegance. At the same time, the visceral lyrics transmit messages of hope as often as they ponder tragedy. Her sound comes to life in the middle.

2nd - Jenna Bennet

Song: Priceless

JENNA BENNETT is a Singer-Songwriter in the Toronto Pop Music Scene. This young artist’s open mind and unique vision gives her a special edge that sets her apart. Jenna’s writing comes from a true place of the heart about real life experiences. With her ability to feel emotion and her caring spirit, she is inspired to write and create music that makes you move, think, feel and left wanting more.

3rd - August Brodie

Song: Ride

Bringing a blend of rich and sultry vocals mixed with dark and dreamy R&B, August Brodie is a rising Canadian singer from Thunder Bay, Canada.

BERLIN WINNER(s)

1st - Globalites

Song: Colors

Globalites is the fusion of two artists going by the name of “Luzingo” and “Luis Linton”. Characterized by multiple musical backgrounds such as Reggae, Hip Hop, Rock, West African and Latin music, they would personally put their work under the bracket of World Fusion Music. This hybrid nature is not only the base of their musical concept, but also mirrors the artists in terms of being diverse cultural offsprings and reflects upon their hopes of a more unified world.

2nd - Lean Bravo

Song: The Journey

Lean Bravo was only 18 when he packed his bags and his guitar and embarked on a one-way journey from Santiago de Chile to Berlin, Germany. Since then, his music has been growing up along with him. His first release "Made to Fit" showed us his ability to craft catchy, yet complex songs that defy genre conventions, while still being inspired by his love of pop, blues and rock music.

New York WINNER(s)

1st - Dale Hitch

Song: I Want Your Love (Ricanstruction Mix

Effex is a NYC-based music producer, mix engineer, and musician inspired by several artists during the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. His inspiration brings a distinctive retrospective and rhythmic feel to R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Latin, and House by infusing Soul. Effex has spent 34 years as an instrumental musician which adds great songwriting capability to his repertoire. He has produced and mixed 1 instrumental album, 2 EPs, and 2 other albums for artists. One of his single releases was a remix for Bb Thomaz’s song, “Fighter” that gained much recognition in the US and abroad.

3rd - Noiz Kelley

Song: N.Y.L

Noiz Kelley is a songwriter and producer from New Jersey, raised in South Africa. He began writing music at 10 years old and started producing at the age of 17. He has an album called "Songs of Light" which is available on Itunes and a new album called "The Rediscovery" which was released in May. Follow him @noizkelley for music and upcoming events.

Chicago WINNER(s)

1st - RBT | NE

Song: Tell Me

RBT | NE is a Toronto based, international award-winning songwriting partnership between singer, songwriter Rosanne Baker Thornley (RBT) and North Easton (NE). Both have an impressive history as principal writers, singers and performers for their own projects. In 2014, they created the “RBT | NE Songwriting Partnership”. Writing with and often producing international established and emerging artists, RBT | NE has an organic approach to songwriting that finds the heart and voice of the artist.

2nd - Ayanna Jacobs-EL

Song: Know It's True

Ayanna Jacobs-EL is a composer, producer, songwriter, DJ, alto/baritone saxophonist, and vocalist. Her music spans a wide range of genres such as R&B, jazz, classical, pop, funk, and hip-hop. Her Los Angeles based music production company, Ayanna Jacobs-El Productions, provides high-quality, affordable music for independent films, games, recording artists, TV shows, and advertising. Her passion project is an initiative to address the lack of diversity in music technology by offering free workshops and lessons to women and minorities.

3rd - Jocelyn Scofield

Song: Gravity Takes the Lead

Jocelyn Scofield is a Los Angeles singer-songwriter whose piano-driven writing combines her greatest influences of pop, jazz, and classical. She has released three original albums and dozens of singles. Her music has been streamed over 35 million times. She has toured over 25,000 miles all over the country, performing in 200 venues. She participated in the Johnny Mercer˜Power of a Song”™, the ASCAP Pop Songwriters workshop, and the Lester Sill Songwriters™ workshops.

Los Angeles WINNER(s)

1st - Heaven Lee

Song: Losing Game

Heaven Lee was born in Santa Maria California and showed an interest in music and song writing at the very young age of 7. Her parents, knowing that a small town like Santa Maria had nothing to offer this aspiring young artist, picked up and moved the family to the greater Los Angeles area to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional singer\songwriter. She graduated from high school at the age of 16 and to further her education she is now a very proud college student at the Los Angeles film school, where she is currently working towards her associates degree in the hope of becoming an accomplished audio engineering\music producer. Heaven has also many other admirable achievements under her belt such as winning several singing competitions thus winning her a distribution deal through RCA records.

2nd - Monte Casino

Song: Snow Flakes

The genre-crossing, Montecasino mix hip-hop beats, lush R&B progressions with infectious pop melodies. The band consists of vocalist Joey Kurbanov, producer Cesar Cuesta, guitarist Chris Romero, and drummer Jordan Lamar Humphries. Formed in Los Angeles in 2018, the new group is starting off strong with their debut single, "Snowflakes" which is the first of many to come.

3rd - Apryll Aileen

Song: Fall With Grace

Apryll Aileen is a Canadian alternative pop rock singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist -- classically trained in piano. Her sultry vocals, captivating lyrics and alluring stage presence make Apryll a fan favorite at music festivals worldwide. Her debut release "Savannah Soul" was released in North America on November 25, 2016 with a concurrent release in the United Kingdom after a successful showcase in Cannes, France at MIDEM earlier in June 2016 (she was the first NB artist to showcase with CIMA).

SEOUL WINNER(s)

Lee Byung Wook

Song: See Me Now

Lee Byung Wook (L li) is a young composer in Korea. The music of Lee Byung Wook is artistic and popular.

Kwon Wol

Song: 오하이오 Ohio

Kwon Wol is Seoul-based Singer/Songwriter. He endeavors to capture certain sceneries and moments musically, but as if he paints on canvas with his notes. His music wants the audience to totally immerse themselves in his reminiscent world.

Jian Kim

Song: Bird Cage

JIAN(지안) is a Singer-Songwriter from Korea, influence by K-pop, electronic, R&B and hiphop. He uses his delicate and sensual voice over emotional and chill electronic beats. His debut single album "Breathing Underwater" was released on 23rd of March, 2018 where he shows that the depth of K-pop can go far deep and chill.

Berlin WINNER(s)

1st - Mike Shoe

Song: Coming to Shape Your Soul

Mike Shoe´s musical career began with the firm intention of three boys next door to become a rock star. For the lack of money the required instruments were just built or simply converted. An old tar tonne was covered with construction foil and from now on it served as a base drum. And with the help of an old tape recorder grandmother´s junior guitar changed into the much-longed-for e-guitar.

2nd - Admission Reduced

Song: Better Days

Admission Reduced is a newcomer band from Rostock, Germany consisting of Daniel Hofmann (20, guitar/vocals) Lasse Schickling (20, Bass) and Jorge Schlueter (19, drums) which was founded in 2014. Between rock and pop, the music is strongly influenced by the typical Fender stratocaster sound to go with some jazzy riffs, crispy bass licks and funky grooves. Among other things, they've been opening acts for bands like 'Großstadtgeflüster' and 'Edgar Wasser'. There first album is expected to be released in summer 2018.

3rd - Ceylan J. Morgan

Song: The Power

Ceylan J. Morgan is an extraordinarily dedicated singer, songwriter and composer/producer from Berlin, Germany. Morgan's interest to work in the Asian music industry led her to learn and speak the Korean language almost fluently. Her dedication was recognized early on by people in the industry and has eventually given her the chance to work with household names from the Asian music business such as Joombas Music Group (Justin Bieber, SHINee) and MUSSASHI Publishing/Albi Albertsson (EXO, Arashi, Kumi Koda, Da-iCE).

Toronto WINNER(s)

1st - Beatchild & The Slakadeliqs

Song: Bottom of You

"Beatchild", formerly known as Slakah the Beatchild, born Byram Joseph, is a music producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & performing artist from Toronto, Canada. Beatchild has written and produced countless hip-hop, soul infused recordings, including his own series of Soul Movement albums. In 2012 he introduced the genre bending sound of The Slakadeliqs, his psychedelic-soul project, which received numerous accolades and award nominations.

2nd - Civy C-del & Beatchild

Song: Blame

Cordel Brown, better known by his stage name Civy C-del, is a Canadian Hip Hop Recording Artist & Singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Known for his diverse witty lyrics, grungy attitude and high confidence, he continues to strive to create futuristic, uncommon flow pattern and styles that his fans view as inspirational.

3rd - Elliot Caroll

Song: Legacy

In the early years of YouTube, Elliot Caroll's hooky hometown ode "Songtario" was deemed "the next hottest video to race around the interweb" by BlogTO. Her self-described bedroom pop music eventually brought her to LA, where she was urged to pursue pop songwriting. Elliot's debut EP features Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo), Stacy Jones (Miley Cyrus, American Hi-Fi) and Chris Fudurich (Nada Surf).

New York City WINNER(s)

1st - Nick Deutsch

Song: Under Your Ocean

Winning a 2nd time at IMSTA FESTA NYC, Nick Deutsch is a New York based Singer/Songwriter originally from Wilmette, Illinois. He has shared the stage with established singer-songwriters Ian Axle, (Great Big World) Rob Mathes, Lizanne Knott, Andrew Fortier, Ari Zizzo and Jillette Johnson as well as recorded with American Idol’s WINNER Marissa Pontecorvo..

Chicago WINNER(s)

1st - Nancy Mosinski

Song: Captain Oblivious

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica Singer, songwriter, artist, improv comic etc., Nan brings an impressive array of talents to the table as Luna Blu's frontperson and creative engine. Capable of any style, Nan's favorites include; Ani DiFranco, Sarah McLachlan, Colin Hay, Eurythmics and Cathy Richardson.

Los Angeles WINNER(s)

1st - Flo

Song: Butterfly

Flo is known a soul/pop phenomenon. She’s a captivating artist with undeniable stage presence. When artists like Divine Brown, Lauryn Hill, Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, and 112 are looking for opening acts, they come to Flo. Whether it’s a huge arena or concert Hall, Flo is in her element on stage, her powerful, emotive voice shaking the rafters.

2nd - Idrise Wardel

Song: Should Be

Los Angeles based songwriter bringing urban roots to the pop market. With over 2 million streams on Spotify, 8 singles hitting the German MTV Bullet Charts (Urban), and one single in the Music Week (UK) Club Charts, Idrise is making waves and currently collaborating with grammy-winning songwriters on a vast array of musical projects in multiple genres including Pop, Rock, Country & K-Pop; landing him 3 placements in Korea, and a spot on Taxi's top 10 list this summer.

Miami WINNER(s)

1st - Matthew Cine

Song: Take Her Down

Born as Matthew Ciné on January 6th 1994 in Miami, Florida, exposed to music at a young age Matthew’s Haitian father was a professional pianist who encouraged his son's love for jazz, Gospel and soul music. Matthew’s primary instruments are the Tenor and soprano saxophone as well as the piano. 2014 was the year Matthew was introduced to the arts of songwriting and music production by longtime friend and business partner Patrick Georges. Since then he has been in infatuated with art of music production and songwriting. Matthew and Patrick have been in a joint venture as music production team. Since then Matthew has worked exclusively with many different local artist in South Florida and Philadelphia area.

3rd - Sebastion Lefeld

Song: Pineapple Love

Sebastian Lefeld is a Pop singer-songwriter in Miami, Florida whose Acoustic and Reggae influences reflect upbeat, yet insightful lyrics with sweet melodies to accompany them. Growing up in Jupiter, Florida, his sound is naturally tropical and uplifting, with a twist of love. Sebastian majored in Audio Engineering & Music Production and has worked with some of the biggest industry names including Shawn Mendes, Ricky Martin, Flo Rida, and Chayanne.

Toronto WINNER(s)

1st - Mademe X

Song: Q.U.E.E.N

Hailing from Toronto, Mademe X has been getting her elbows greased in the industry for some time. Since 2011, she had found her way into the pit of the industry, working behind the scenes with fashion designers for many well known recording artists. After a few years of being behind the curtain, a manager of an artist she was working with shifted her journey to musical composition.

2nd - Tony Bonanno

Song: Storm Arising

Tony is a songwriter/recording artist and co-producer with three original albums under his belt. He collaborates with other local artists to create original music in the studio setting and helps promote each artist involved. Tony loves all styles of music and also teaches guitar to all age levels.

New York City WINNER(s)

1st - Nick Deutsch

Song: Meteor

Nick Deutsch is a New York based Singer/Songwriter originally from Wilmette, Illinois. His musician mother prompted his early interest in music, helping to instill a deep love for Classical and Jazz Piano.

Chicago WINNER(s)

1st - Randall Rutledge

Song: Big Money Blues

Randall Rutledge was born on August 23, 1961 in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for A Peace of Life (2016).

2nd - Mike Hyden

Song: Bounce

Mike grew up literally "Livin' on Tulsa Time" as Tulsa, Oklahoma is where he was born and raised. Mike has recently won numerous awards for his music (do an internet search on mike hyden contest) and expects many more. He placed a first in the Austin Songwriter's Group Annual Song Contest which won him a professionally produced demo in Nashville. He realized that this was the way to go and had several more songs made and hopes to have even more done soon.

3rd - Rollin Jewett

Song: Ride Tall

Singer/songwriter Rollin Jewett grew up in South Florida and has lived in New York, Los Angeles and Phoenix, to name a few environmental influences. In addition to singing and songwriting, Rollin has also written and acted in several films.

Los Angeles WINNER(s)

1st - The Root Doctors

Song: Someday

The Root Doctors have been touring the Southeast for more than 20 years playing the music that makes you feel better than any prescription on the market. With seven strong "doctors of music" on stage, including a two-piece horn section, The Root Doctors are able to cover any style of music that is perfect for any occasion

2nd - DeDe Wedekind

Song: Dream of You

Being such a diverse award-winning singer/songwriter from Texas, DeDe has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. Over the past 3 years of her little over 4-year career, DeDe's been a repeat WINNER in many International Songwriting Competitions including: the International Songwriting Contest, the USA Songwriting Contest, the UK Songwriting Contest, the 2014 Annual Dallas Songwriting Contest, and Song of the Year.com's 2015 Songwriting Contest in July 2015.

3rd - TJ Doyle Band

Song: Everything

TJ Doyle transmits an authenticity that harks back to the 60's when artists were writing about the challenges of a generation instead of the more personal and relationship-oriented pop and rock that currently dominates the airwaves.

Toronto WINNER(s)

1st - Mary Segato

Song: Don't Give Up On Me

Mary started writing and recording her music in 2010. She does not consider herself a singer, so she has various different artists sing her songs. Most of Mary's songs would be considered Adult Contemporary, although she does write country and folk as well.

2nd - Sean Croley

Song: Holding Nothing Back

Sean began his career after graduating from Fanshawe Colleges Music Industry Arts (M.I.A.) program where he studied recording engineering and music production. After he graduated, Sean immediately started his own studio called IIdB Studio, that not only allowed him to help local bands to craft their own projects but more importantly, allowed him to work on his own original material both for corporate clients and his own song writing.

3rd - Chet Nichols

Song: I Know Who You Are

Chet Nichols is an award-winning songwriter, composer, music producer, engineer, singer, multi-instrumentalist. Chet is an Inductee in The Kansas Music Hall Of Fame. He joins artists like Pat Matheny, Melissa Ethridge, Martina McBride and others. He is included on The Chicago Actor's A-List of Chicago-born entertainers. He was nominated for an Honorary PhD from the Kansas University and a nominee in The Missouri Music Hall of Fame.

New York City WINNER(s)

1st - Adam Avery

Song: Halfway to You

Adam Avery is an ASCAP songwriter who lives with his wife and four children in Burlington, Vermont. He earned his first cut in 2012 when his song Redefined, was recorded by Chicago based band, Daniel's Window.

2nd - Joey Hatcher

Song: You Make Me Beautiful

Joey Hatcher's debut album, MUSIC IN MY HEAD, features a dramatic collection of both soaring and intimate songs. The music style can be described as melodically and lyrically driven alternative/pop with folk influences.

3rd - Noel Cohen

Song: Bombshell

Noel Cohen is a NYC based songwriter who's had his songs recorded by a wide variety of artists. Pop singer Vitamin C recorded his song "Unhappy Anniversary", which he co-wrote with Sean Altman of Rockeppella fame ("Where in the world is Carmen San Diego"), on her platinum selling debut on Elektra records.

Los Angeles WINNER(s)

1st - Zac Nelson

Song: Life is Wonderful

Zac Nelson is a composer with a huge catalogue of infectious but thoughtful songs. Aside from his work with his band The Dead Storm (currently enjoying some coveted commercial radio airplay in Australia despite being independent), Zac is also releasing a variety of tracks in diverse genres that showcase the depth of his song-writing talent.

2nd - James Hoppe

Song: Windshield

James Hoppe is an ASCAP songwriter and keyboardist from Los Angeles, California. James' musical inflences include singer songwriters of the early 70's, like Elton John, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, and rock bands like the Eagles, Boston, Van Halen and the Doobie Brothers.

3rd - Jellybean

Song: Swampy and Dirty

Songwriter experienced in Country, Rock, Pop, Christian and R&B. Producer with 20 years of studio experience. Owner/Operator of Nashville based recording studio. Offering special rates to fellow broadjam members on demos and full albums.

Chicago WINNER(s)

1st - Rollin' Jewett

Song: Arizona Sun

Singer/songwriter Rollin Jewett grew up in South Florida and has lived in New York, Los Angeles and Phoenix, to name a few influences. In addition to singing and songwriting, Rollin has also written and acted in several major films. He is presently working on new songs for an upcoming album made up entirely of love songs...the idea being to create a pure musical expression of love in all its variety and colors.

2nd - Shea

Song: InVerse

Shea is an R&B/Soul singer and songwriter from Lake Ozark, Missouri. Shea has performed in many shows during her time in Columbia, Missouri and in her hometown, including opening up for R&B singer Sid Sriram and R&B/Pop singer SOMO. Shea has continued to polish her song writing through the years, which contributes a great deal of originality to her soulful sound.