WHAT WINNERS SAY ABOUT ISC
ISC 2016
GRAND PRIZE
“I was so shocked! I immediately told my parents and they were so proud! I remember smiling from ear to ear and being so grateful.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2012
1ST PLACE EDM
“Humbled, honored, grateful, and, of course, I was excited! Being ‘chosen’ is always a good feeling.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2019
1ST PLACE BLUES
“It received a lot of attention, and several friends and colleagues in the blues community also reached out to say they enjoyed the song.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2017
3RD PLACE CHILDREN’S MUSIC
“In the past year after the GRAMMY Win and ISC Win, I’ve signed on with fabulous Literary Agents to turn my music into children’s books. I have also noticed a large increase in my Instagram numbers.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2017
1ST PLACE JAZZ
“When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe it. The joy rushed in at once and it took me a while to believe that it was a reality.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2018
1ST PLACE INSTRUMENTAL
“The biggest change in my musical journey that came about from becoming a winner was simply that it provided me with greater self-confidence as an artist.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2018
2ND PLACE COUNTRY
“I think anytime you’re announced as a ‘winner’ of anything, especially in the songwriting & music world, it’s amazing! We spend our careers getting told, ‘NO’, 99.9% of the time so we try to soak up every, ‘Good Job!’, we get as much as we can.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2008
2ND PLACE TEEN
“I had been a finalist before, but I was enthralled when I found out that I was a second-place winner. I felt like the sky was the limit from then on – and I knew that I was ready to enter the world of professional jazz performance full-time.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2013
1ST PLACE AMERICANA
“That’s always a thrill when you get that kind of acknowledgment and affirmation for your hard work. The fact that heroes like Jason Isbell, Tom Waits & Bruce Hornsby were judges, really made it special & memorable for me. That carries a lot of weight for me.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2004
2ND PLACE R&B/HIP-HOP
“The day I heard about winning the ISC award, and how I heard the news, was UNFORGETTABLE! I answered the phone. The person on the other end said, ‘Whaddup, Ikoyi! This is D.M.C from Run-D.M.C.’, My response…’Yeah, right.’ Hung up the phone!”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2015
1ST PLACE INSTRUMENTAL
“I would definitely say giving yourself a try is better than doing nothing. Sometimes doors open not because you are there but you’ve been knocking all along. So why not give yourself a chance to see a wider world?”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2019
3RD PLACE R&B/HIP-HOP
“Becoming a winner opened doors I never thought I would reach. I got signed by Kevin Gates to his BreadWinners Association label. I got flown out to California which was my first time being there, so that was awesome!”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2009
1ST PLACE TEEN
“I cannot explain how important that experience was for me, not only for my musical growth but personal growth, as well. When I came home, I was lucky enough to have connected with some indie labels and music experts. These opportunities were all thanks to the clout winning the ISC provided me.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2019
2ND PLACE INSTRUMENTAL
“Winning the competition actually helped me secure a TV mini-series contract in Thailand. The show had a limited run in a specific region of the country, but it presented an incredible opportunity to record original music with a 60 piece orchestra in Macedonia.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2020
2ND PLACE LYRICS ONLY
“I like that everyone was on the same playing field. It was also very rewarding to be judged by a group of seasoned and accomplished songwriters. In an industry with a lot of noise and a lot of releases, doing well in the competition gives you an edge to have your song heard and that’s really what it is all about.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2017
1ST PLACE BLUES
“I was very excited to find out that I had won for the Best Blues song. Now I have the Winner of ISC COMPETITION on all my promo and social media so I believe it looks good on my promotion. For others considering entering, you can’t win if you don’t enter.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2014
1ST PLACE FOLK/SS
“I was almost immediately contacted by a fantastic synch publisher in the US who had been part of the judging panel. To date, I’ve signed around 15 songs to the publishing company and my music has appeared in shows on networks like ABC and CBS!“
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2016
2ND PLACE FOLK/SS
“Winning the ISC helped push my production and songwriting career ahead. I had an increase in streams, fans, and I started working with a lot of other artists from all over the globe. I’ve had music featured in commercials, games, and tv shows through collaborations with other ISC artists and producers who heard me through the competition.”
FULL INTERVIEW
ISC 2019
2ND PLACE JAZZ
“I got a lot of media spotlight on me in 2020, so it was a really good year to me. I was the first Polish winner of ISC, so everyone was talking about it: newspapers, TV stations, Radios. In Poland songwriting is still not treated as a real full-time job, so ISC really helped me to get attention.”
FULL INTERVIEW