Kiwi Band Wins First Place In US Based Music Competition

New Zealand Band Streets of Laredo Honored In US-based Unsigned Only Music Competition

Nashville, TN, USA…September 5, 2013 – The winners of the 2013 Unsigned Only Music Competition have been announced. The US-based competition awards over $50,000 in cash and prizes, including a $10,000 cash prize to the overall Grand Prize winner. Produced by the same team that puts together the prestigious International Songwriting Competition (ISC), Unsigned Only honors artists who are unsigned to a major record label and acts as a benchmark for excellence in the arena of contemporary music.

Garnering First Place in the Adult Album Alternative (AAA) category with their song “Girlfriend” are the Auckland, NZ band Streets of Laredo. In a country brimming with talent, Streets of Laredo stand out for their indie folk sound that is completely current yet timeless. Their winning song, “Girlfriend” is infectious, catchy, and creative, and they might just be the next big thing to come out of New Zealand, following in the footsteps of Kimbra, Gin Wigmore, and Lorde.

Founders Candace Avery and Jim Morgan said, "With more than 9,000 entries from all over the world, Unsigned Only was very competitive, and the finalists impressed the judges with the immense talent displayed. Especially impressive was the Kiwi band Streets of Laredo who were a unanimous winner in their category. They encompass everything that should make a major label take notice and sign them now – before someone else does. They are that good.”

The judging panel consists of iconic recording artists Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders); Iggy Pop; Neon Trees; Cyndi Lauper; Dustin Lynch; Carly Simon; Brandi Carlile; John Oates (Hall & Oates); Hunter Hayes; 3 Doors Down; Of Monsters And Men; David Crowder; Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); G. Love; Craig Morgan; Jason Gray; Ryan Bingham; Aaron Shust; and The Mountain Goats. Judges also include a group of influential music journalists and editors from Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, The Washington Post, and Spin.

Unsigned Only is a fresh and novel approach to other music competitions, offering the Grand Prize winner the opportunity to be mentored by the top echelon of record company professionals. Mentors include presidents and top-level executives from Universal Republic, Capitol, Vagrant, RCA, Bad Boy Entertainment, Disney Music Group, Atlantic, Sony, Big Machine, Word, and G-Unit.

In addition to Streets of Laredo, 21 other winners were selected, representing 10 different genres of music. The overall Grand Prize winner was awarded to rising Canadian country artist Wes Mack. Influenced by artists as diverse as Hank Williams and The Beatles, Mack is also an actor and is currently in the CBC Western drama, Heartland, playing an up-and-coming country musician. His winning song and first single “Duet,” featuring Carly McKillip of One More Girl, is currently charting on Canadian country radio.

The compete list of winners:

Grand Prize Wes Mack (Calgary, AB, Canada) – “Duet”

Adult Album Alternative (AAA) First Place: Streets of Laredo (Auckland, New Zealand) – “Girlfriend” Second Place: Skipping Girl Vinegar (Melbourne, Vic, Australia) – “Chase The Sun”

Adult Contemporary (AC) First Place: Jerzy Jung (Haddon Township, NJ) – “I Hope” Second Place: Mikey Wax (Syosset, NY, USA) – “Counting On You”

Christian First Place: Paul Stephens (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – “Wonder Second Place: Skyhawk Drive (Greencastle, PA, USA) – “Whisper”

Country First Place: Fairchild Brothers (Toronto, ON, Canada) – “I Have Your Touch” Second Place: Rachel Honza (Nederland, TX, USA) – “Anonymous”

Folk/Singer-Songwriter First Place: Heymun (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) – “By Sea” Second Place: Ben Glover (Glenarn, Northern Ireland) – “Melodies of Midnight”

Pop/Top 40 First Place: Ginger And The Ghost (Sydney, NSW, Australia) – “Where Wolf” Second Place: Miracle Bell (Dublin, Ireland) – Love Sounds

R&B/Hip-Hop First Place: Teri ‘Lyric’ Green (Crown Point, IN, USA) – Death Of A Poet Second Place: Tia P. (Inglewood, CA, USA) – I’m Already Tomorrow”

Rock First Place: The Deans (Galway, Ireland) – “Lonely Like Me” Second Place: Stefan Weiner (Northampton, MA, USA) – “Say I’m Strong”

Teen First Place: Darla Beaux (Las Vegas, NV, USA) – “Rebel Soul” Second Place: Lena Fayre (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – “Silver”

Vocal Performance First Place: Nehemie (Miami, FL, USA) – “Tainted Love” Second Place: Nikisha Reyes (London, England) – “So Cold”

Unsigned Only is sponsored by Sony Creative Software, Disc Makers, David Bean Photography, D'Addario, Mrs. Fields Cookies, The Music Business Registry, Celebrity Access, and CAD Audio.

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ENDS

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