Tones And I wins International Song Comp, leading the Aussie and Kiwi pack
(Tones And I at APRA AMCOS in February - Photo: Maya Luana)
Congratulations to Tones And I for winning the International Songwriting Competition's Grand Prize, the comp's highest honour, for her global hit 'Dance Monkey.' She led a spectacular charge for songwriters from Australia, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands, with Australia finishing with the most winners following the US.
“It’s hard to imagine that Aussie songwriters can perform better every subsequent year in ISC, but somehow they do. This year they surpassed our expectations, and their skill and artistry is of the very best kind,” said Candace Avery, the Founder and Director of ISC.
The full list below accounts for Tones' Grand Prize, four First Places, six Second Places, seven Third Places, and an incredible 51 Honorable Mentions.
Since its release in May 2019, 'Dance Monkey' has reached #1 in 30 countries; amassed more than seven billion streams; became the highest streamed song ever by a female artist on Spotify and the most Shazamed song of all time; and is now the longest ever running #1 song on the Spotify global charts. Tones was welcomed to The 1,000,000,000 List earlier in the year and is nominated for four APRA Music Awards.
“My life has been a rollercoaster since releasing this song, and to get this recognition is an honour,” said Tones ”I wrote this song on my own and for my friends, and I never imagined it would have become as big as it has. Thank you so much, I’m very proud to have written this song.”
Tones joins Vance Joy, Gotye and Kimbra as previous Grand Prize winners hailing from the region.
Fellow top finishers for 2019 ISC include four first place category winners:
AAA - The Teskey Brothers - So Caught Up (Songwriters: Josh Teskey, Sam Teskey, Brendon Love, Liam Gough)
Christian - The Sations - Floodgates (Songwriters: Rachel Wilson, Dominic Schryvers, Laura Schryvers)
Comedy - Sammy J - Pink Clouds (Songwriter: Sam Jonathan McMillan)
And Tkay Maidza for her unreleased track 'Shook' co-written with Dan Farber.
The People's Voice prize went Harry Cleverdon of Young, NSW for "Hit Me While I'm Down."
ISC has the full list of winners and songs streaming here.
Australian, New Zealand and Solomon Islands honourees:
GRAND PRIZE
"Dance Monkey" - Tones And I
FIRST PLACE
AAA (Adult Album Alternative) “So Caught Up” – Josh Teskey, Sam Teskey, Brendon Love, Liam Gough (The Teskey Borthers) – Warrandyte, VIC, Australia
Christian "Floodgates" – Rachel Wilson, Dominic Schryvers, Laura Schryvers (The Sations) – Auckland, New Zealand
Comedy/Novelty “Pink Clouds” – Sam Jonathan McMillan (Sammy J) – Northcote, VIC, Australia
R&B/Hip Hop “Shook” – Takudzwa Maidza, Dan Farber (Tkay Maidza) – Westlakes, SA, Australia
SECOND PLACE WINNERS
Country "Keith" – Kaylee Bell, Phil Barton, Lindsay Rimes (Kaylee Bell) – Auckland, New Zealand
Folk/Singer-Songwriter “Better In Blak” – Thelma Plum, Alexander Burnett (Thelma Plum) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Teen “Crushed” – Sophia Chesworth – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Unpublished “Queen Of Hearts” – Sahara Beck, Tony Buchen (Sahara Beck) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Unsigned Only “Stranger” – Rebecca Sandridge, Oscar Dawson (Bec Sandridge) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
World "Karma Of The Butterfly Effect" – Kirwan Hatigeva, James Moore (JAHBOY) –
Honiara, Solomon Islands
THIRD PLACE WINNERS
Americana “See Another Day” – Simon Rudston-Brown, Melinda Kirwin (Falls) – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Children's Music “Waiting For A Bus” – Luke Escombe (The Vegetable Plot) – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Music Video “Lies” – Mabel Windred-Wornes, Ivy Windred-Wornes (Charm Of Finches) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Pop/Top 40 “Charles And Jane” – Ivy-Jane Browne – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Pop/Top 40 “Thought I Could” – Grace Hughes, Andrew Hopkins (Yorke) – Bangalow, NSW, Australia
Unpublished "Not Your Princess" – Em-Haley Walker, Liam Quinn (Theia) – Auckland, New Zealand
Unsigned Only “Girl Is A Gun” – Sophie Curtis, Robby Desa, Isabella Kearney-Nurse (ASTON) – Glenning Valley, NSW, Australia
HONORABLE MENTIONS
AAA (Adult Album Alternative) “All My Love “ – Max O'Sullivan (MAXO) – Canberra, ACT, Australia
AAA (Adult Album Alternative) “Bring It On” – Glenn Cardier – Sydney, NSW, Australia
AAA (Adult Album Alternative) “Queen Of Hearts” – Sahara Beck, Tony Buchen – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
AAA (Adult Album Alternative) “Rain” – Josh Teskey, Sam Teskey, Liam Gough, Brendon Love (The Teskey Brothers) Warrandyte, VIC, Australia
AC (Adult Contemporary) “Light It Up“ – Max O'Sullivan (MAXO) – Canberra, ACT, Australia
AC (Adult Contemporary) “Shades” – Luke Bertoz, Simon Widauer (Tales In Space) – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Americana “Restless One” – Glenn Cardier – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Americana "Worst Crime" – Jamie McDell, Nash Chambers, Phil Barton (Jamie McDell Ft. Robert Ellis) – Auckland, New Zealand
Blues "One Evil Man" – Darren Watson (Darren Watson) – Wellington, New Zealand
Blues “Trouble In My Head” – Anna Scionti – North Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
Children's Music "Magic In Me" – Kath Bee, Luke Epapara, Ryan Beehre (Kath Bee Ft. Mika & Kurnel MC) – Auckland, New Zealand
Children’s Music “Mr. Potato” – Luke Escombe (The Vegetable Plot) – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Children's Music "Toothless" – Craig Smith (Craig Smith) – Queenstown, New Zealand
Christian "Up” – Jared Porter, Josh Smith (Citipointe Worship) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Comedy/Novelty “Chubby Love?” – Ngoc Tuan Hoang (Dave?) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Comedy/Novelty “Short People” – Susi Prendergast, Jude Bridge (The Additives) – Perth, WA, Australia
Comedy/Novelty “The Turbulence Of Flatulence” – Mason Clarke – Perth, WA, Australia
Country “Bumps And Bruises” – Lee Bowman, Paula, Bowman, Julian Sammut (Jetty Road) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Country “Johnnie, Jim & Jack'd” – Vanessa Selwyn, James Hoppe – Thurgoona, NSW, Australia
Folk/Singer-Songwriter “Anew” – Ryan Henderson, Matthew Carins (Hollow Coves) Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Folk/Singer-Songwriter "Eyes of a Child" – Levi Sesega (Levi Lights On Project) –Auckland, New Zealand
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) “Bleed Sunlight Ft. DLake” – Shane Burgess, DLake (Shane Burgess) – Goulburn, NSW, Australia
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) “Heavy Hearted” – Sam Hales (The Jungle Giants) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) “Rite Next To U” – Georgie Read (Georgieboiibeatzz ) – Perth, WA, Australia
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) “Stars Like Us” – Elina Godwin, Alexandra Nicholas (Xanza) – Sydney, NSW, Australia
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) “Way Back Down” – Ryan Dobbrick, Stuart Stuart (du0) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Lyrics Only “Dirty Shane” – Tiimo (Shane Timmo) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Music Video “Queen Of Hearts” – Sahara Beck, Tony Buchen – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Music Video “Stranger” – Rebecca Sandridge, Oscar Dawson (Bec Sandridge) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Music Video “Treading Water” – Danny Hacket, Elisha Apurado (ELI DAN) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Music Video “Ur A Piece Of Shit” – Ali Barter, Oscar Dawson – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
The People's Voice "Hit Me While I'm Down" – Harry Cleverdon – Young, NSW, Australia
Performance “Crystalline” – Rhia – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Performance “Queen Of Hearts” – Sahara Beck, Tony Buchen – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Performance "Version of Me" – Kimbra Johnson, Ethan Gruska, Tony Berg (Kimbra) –Hamilton, New Zealand
Pop/Top 40 “Animals” – Nick de la Hoyde, Joseph de la Hoyde – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Pop/Top 40 “Can't Turn It Off” – Seb Mont Holdinghausen, Janeva, Alex LiRosi (Seb Mont) – St.Kilda, VIC, Australia
Pop/Top 40 “Girl Is A Gun” – Sophie Curtis, Robby Desa, Isabella Kearney-Nurse (ASTON) – Glenning Valley, NSW, Australia
Pop/Top 40 “Not Your Princess” – Em-Haley Walker, Liam Quinn (Theia) – Auckland, New Zealand
Pop/Top 40 “Oats And Honey” – Takudzwa Maidza, Dan Farber, Autumn Rowe (Tkay Maidza) – Westlakes, SA, Australia
Pop/Top 40 “Sick Of Loving You” – Anna Buckingham, Liam Quinn (BOI) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
R&B/Hip-Hop “Overdue” – Matt Cicero, Nic Martin, Rudy Sandapa (Ojikae) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Rock “Better Know Better” – William Tom (Tomtom) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Rock “Hollywood” – Lily Richardson (CLEWS) – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Rock “Teach Me About Dying” – Timothy Carroll, Oscar Dawson, Ryan Strathie (HOLY HOLY) – Wollongong, VIC, Australia
Teen “Be You” – Angus Brill Reed – Adelaide, SA, Australia
Teen “Poison” – Cody Jon – Burraneer Bay, NSW, Australia
Teen “Self Love” – Violeta Bozanic – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Unpublished “Hit Me While I'm Down” – Harry Cleverdon – Young, NSW, Australia
Unsigned Only “Charles And Jane” – Ivy-Jane Browne – Sydney, NSW, Australia
Unsigned Only “Hit Me While I'm Down” – Harry Cleverdon – Young, NSW, Australia
Unsigned Only “Shades” – Luke Bertoz, Simon Widauer (Tales In Space) – Sydney, NSW, Australia