Posted by Jessica Brandon on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 @ 01:35 PM
USA Songwriting Competition winner Christopher Tin wins 2 Grammy Awards at last night's 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. This marks a historic win, making Christopher the only USA Songwriting Competition winner to win 2 Grammy Awards in the same year. Christopher Tin won an honorable mention award at the 15th Annual USA Songwriting Competition with the same song that won two Grammy awards.
Christopher Tin is an American, Grammy-winning composer whose work is primarily classical, with a world music influence. He won two Grammy Awards for his classical crossover album, Calling All Dawns. He is also a composer for films, video games and commercials. Tin is best known for his composition Baba Yetu, featured in the 2005 computer game, Civilization IV. Christopher Tin made video game history today, becoming the first composer to win a Grammy Award for a song composed for a game. Tin took out the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) at the 53rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles yesterday for his composition "Baba Yetu", the opening track from Sid Meier's Civilization IV. Tin also won the Grammy for Best Classical Crossover Album for his debut album, Calling All Dawns, which also features the song "Baba Yetu".
He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, becoming the first to be awarded one for film scoring, to study composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music in London, and he graduated with a MMus with Distinction. He was also the winner of the Horovitz composition prize, and graduated with the highest grades in his class. He was also commissioned by the US Embassy in London to compose music for a string quartet. In 2003, he became a Sundance Institute Film Music Lab Fellow.
Darrell Scott (2005 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize Winner, Country) was nominated for a Grammy Award of Best Country Instrumental Performance of his song "Willow Creek" at the latest 53rd Grammy awards.
Past USA Songwriting Competition winners that have gone on to win Grammy awards include: Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxler who won first prize in the Children's catgeory of the USA Songwriting 2004 and won a Grammy in 2005. Current top winner of the USA Songwriting Competition, Alannah Myles won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance in 1991. Dave Merenda (Honorable Mention Winner, 15th USA Songwriting Competition) won a grammy award as a co-writer with Sarah McLaughlin with their song "I will Remember You". Dave will be performing live at USA Songwriting Competition's songwriters showcase during the SXSW (South By South West) on Friday 18, 2011 at Borders Books & Music (4477 S. Lamar, Austin, TX).
USA Songwriting Competition has a long history of having winners getting success, recording and publishing contracts, have their songs placed on the charts as well as having their songs placed on film and television. 2009 First Prize winner (country) was signed to Universal Records. 2005 First Prize winner (Pop) Kate Voegele was signed to Interscope Records the year after she won and had her winning song hit top 40 on the Billboard Charts, her latest album hit Top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album charts this summer. 2007 Overall Grand Prize Winner Ari Gold had his winning song “Where The Music Takes You” hit #10 on the Billboard Dance Charts. Judges include A&R managers from record labels such as Warner, Capitol Records, Universal, BMG/SONY Music.
For more information on the 16th Annual USA Songwriting Competition, visit:
http://www.songwriting.net
Posted by Jessica Brandon on Tue, Aug 24, 2010 @ 08:59 AM
Kate Voegele won first prize in the Pop category of the USA Songwriting Competition in 2005 and became the youngest winner at that time at just 18 years old as a teen phenom.
She went on to perform at USA Songwriting Competition showcase at SXSW (see picture below) and was signed to Interscope Records shortly after. Her winning song "Only Fooling Myself" went on to hit top 40 on the Billboard charts that year. Her 2nd album hit the Billboard 200 Album charts at #10. She has appeared on major TV shows such as "The Tonight Show", acted in "One Tree Hill" and toured with American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
For more information on the USA Songwriting Competition, go to: http://www.songwriting.net
Posted by Jessica Brandon on Mon, Jan 25, 2010 @ 06:52 PM
These are the top 10 USA Songwriting Competition winners of the decade:
1. Kate Voegele (2005 USA Songwriting Competition, 1st Prize Winner, Pop) appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Conan O'Brien performing her hit song "99 Times", a Billboard Adult Top 40 Hit, peaking at #24. She hit Top 10 On Billboard 200 Albums Chart on June 15, 20. Her album "A Fine Mess" was released on Interscope/MySpace records. Her winning song"Only Fooling Yourself" hit the Billboard charts at #37.
2. Ari Gold. Winner of the 12th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2007). After his win in the USA Songwriting Competition, Ari's winning song went on to hit #10 on the Billboard Charts, #1 on Sirius OutQ, #1 on Logo TV, etc.
3. Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. They won the first prize in the Children's music category of the 2005 competition for their song "Scat Like That". The album of the same name won a Grammy award in the "Best Musical Album For Children" category.
4. (3 way tie) Kyler England, Gabriel Mann and Adrianne Gonzalez. Kyler England (2009 USA Songwriting Competition 1st Prize Winner), Gabriel Mann (2003 USA Songwriting Competition Overall Grand Prize Winner) & Adrianne Gonzalez (1999 Overall Grand Prize Winner) formed a Pop group "The Rescues", were just signed to Universal Republic Records in 2009.
7. Sarah Lonsert. Only 17 years old, not only broke the first prize record of being the youngest winner but also the overall grand prize winner of being the youngest winner ever. The previous youngest first prize winner was Kate Voegele, who won in 2005 at 18 years old. Adrianne Gonzalez was the youngest overall grand prize winner at 22 years old when she won in 1999. Sarah also won first prize in the Dance/Electronica category, making her the first from that category to ever win the overall grand prize. Sarah Lonsert will be releasing a full length CD earlier next year. Although Sarah suffers from autism (first autistic winner ever), she is a budding singer-songwriter and has also won the L.A. Music Awards a month before her win.
8. Darrell Scott. His song "Good Ol USA" (first prize winner of the country category in 2005) was released by Faith Hill's album in 2006.
9. Vikki Simpson. Vikki became the first non-USA based musician to ever will the overall grand prize at the USA Songwriting Competition. She achieved that in 2006. She is part of the award winning group "The Waifs".
10. Steve Tannen. Steve won the overall grand prize in 2001. He went on to get signed by Nettwerk records with his duo "The Weepies" .
Posted by Jessica Brandon on Wed, Jun 24, 2009 @ 08:46 PM
Thanks to those that have e-mailed us and asked for our other winning songs that have hit the charts. Many that have won were cut by other major artists, placed on film & TV. Here are some of the winning songs that have hit the charts:
Kate Voegele (2005 USA Songwriting Competition 1st Prize winner, Pop category) had her winning song "Only Fooling Myself" peak at #37 on the Billboard AC Charts
Ari Gold (2007 USA Songwriting Competition Overall Grand Prize Winner) has his winning song "Where The Music Takes You" currently peak at #10 (Billboard HOT DANCE/CLUB PLAY Charts). The song hit #1 on Sirius OutQ and #1 video on Logo TV channel.
Aruna Sutra's song "Break You Open" which won first prize in the Pop category in 2004, hit the US Pop charts with a peak at #45 on the R&R® (Radio & Records) CHR/Pop Top 50 chart. R&R, like Billboard, is a national publication which tracks and monitors the most prominent airplay nationwide (CHR stands for Contemporary Hit Radio).
Darryl Zerro (1999, 2000 & 2001 first Prize winner - Dance category, 1999- 1st Prize - Pop, 2000 1st Prize - Latin Category, 2000 Honorable mention award) has his winning song "Let The Joy Rise" cut by Dance diva - Abigail. It hit #1 on the Dance charts and went #9 in the Billboard Dance charts. His winning song in 2000 (First Prize - Latin category) "Chiquita Mi Senorita" was recorded by Top 10 artist - Paulina Rubio. Darryl has won a record 6 awards - five 1st prizes and one honorable mention award in a period of 3 years (1999 to 2001)