Katie Kittermaster has joined The UK Songwriting Contest judging panels and she will be taking time out from her very busy recording and national touring schedule in 2019 to help choose the winners.
As a recent UKSC Winner herself Katie knows exactly how it feels to be an entrant in this event from her own personal experience, and she told us that she is really looking forward to helping the other judges choose the winners this year. Katie is fast becoming one of the biggest new names in UK music since she won the Under 18s Category last year. Earlier this year she was nominated by the UKSC to be the UK representative in The Commonwealth Song Contest - and she went on to win the whole international event representing the UK with her UKSC winning song "T Shirt". She narrowly beat the Australian entry, which was also a UKSC Finalist!! Success is following success for Katie Kittermaster: she has been featured on BBC TV, is appearing in many live events over the summer, is recording her first album, and she has been signed as second headline billing in the highly anticipated national BoysLife Tour with Boyzone and Westlife stars Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy. We are very happy and proud to have been an important part of Katie´s career so far and we look forward to working with her on the judging panels for the 2019 UK Songwriting Contest. There is a lot more information on the UKSC website about all the judges and the great priizes on offer this year. These prizes include co writing a song with well known producer and UKSC judge Stuart Epps! Stuart has worked with some of the biggest names in the business and this will be a great opportunity to write with, and be produced by, one of the best. Check out all the UKSC judges here and look out for more new judge announcements over the coming weeks. Best wishes, The UKSC Team www.songwritingcontest.co.uk
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We are very pleased to officially announce that the internationally successful hit songwriter Belle Humble has joined the UK Songwriting Contest judging panels.
London born Belle is a mega successful songwriter and performer with worldwide hits from Europe to Korea to the USA and hundreds of millions of YouTube views for her songs. Most importantly she is also a past UK SONGWRITING CONTEST WINNER - so Belle knows exactly how it feels to be a UKSC entrant from her personal experience. Some of Belle´s songwriting and performing credits and successes (and there are many) include the massive worldwide hit "Cracks" with The Freestylers. Listen to it on YouTube where it has had many millions of views over various channels (over 36 million views and counting for this one link alone). She has written songs for Paloma Faith, Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry and has had her songs featured on BBC dramas. She also wrote the massive successful K-pop hit "Russian Roulette" by the South Korean group Red Velvet which was a top three hit in South Korea, Japan and the USA and has had an incredible 200 million (200,000,000!) views on YouTube to date. Belle is part of a new team of judges made up of succesful past UKSC entrants and they will work alongside the other celebrity judges. Check out all the UKSC judges here and look out for more new judge announcements over the coming weeks. Here is a video that is essential viewing for every songwriter! Paul McCartney is one of the biggest influences behind The UK Songwriting Contest, and in this new interview he talks about how he wrote and recorded some of his most iconic songs. We had to share this one with you because we know all songwriters will find this fascinating and will benefit from watching! In the interview Paul talks about the first song he ever wrote using the chords C, F, G and G7 and how he wrote songs together with John Lennon in the early days and how they never came away from a session without a new song. He tells us how he came up with the idea for Eleanor Rigby and how he found the name for that song character. He describes how George Harrison saved And I Love Her with a simple four note riff. He talks about how he comes up with song ideas and how he develops them, confiding that expressing his innermost personal feelings in his songs is so important. Around twenty songs are covered and there are some fascinating insights. ENTER YOUR SONGS For for the latest information, entry dates and entry forms visit songwritingcontest.co.uk SCIENCE CONFIRMS THAT SONGWRITING IS GOOD FOR YOU
The act of creative writing, and songwriting in particular, has more benefits than most people realize. The benefits are far reaching, affecting us both physically and mentally, and the interesting thing is that the quality of the writing has nothing to do with it. Just the act of writing itself leads to strong physical and mental health benefits and it doesn´t matter if anyone else reads your lyric or hears your composition, or if it is a commercial success or not. Just writing it is enough. The many benefits documented by researchers include long-term improvements in mood, reduction in stress levels, a reduction of depressive symptoms, lowered blood pressure, better lung and liver function and an improved immune system with fewer illnesses. A major study at the University of Sidney (by Karen Baikie and Kay Wilhelm) on emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing discovered just how much time spent writing is needed to make a big difference. And its not that much. They say that although the more time spent writing the better, just 15 to 20 minutes of writing on three to five occasions over the course of their four-month study was enough to make a real and noticeable difference. Another amazing finding is that writing can even make physical wounds heal faster. A study in New Zealand found that if medical biopsy patients wrote about their thoughts and feelings for just 20 minutes for three days in a row before the biopsy their wounds healed more quickly than the people in a control group. Other studies have shown that people with asthma who write have fewer attacks than those who don't, AIDS patients who write have higher T-cell counts and cancer patients who write have more optimistic perspectives and improved quality of life. So what exactly is it about writing that makes it so good for you? Well, researchers are generally agreed that the important thing is to express your own personal, traumatic, stressful or emotional events in your writing and composing. It seems that this is the key and it is this expression of personal events and trauma that leads to improvement in physical and mental health. One well known researcher in this area is James W. Pennebaker from the University of Texas, Austin, USA. He is a leading authority on expressive writing and health and he says; "When people are given the opportunity to write about emotional upheavals they often experience improved health. They go to the doctor less. They have changes in immune function." Pennebaker and others believe that the act of expressive writing distances people from the upheaval and trauma in their lives and allows them the space to creatively step back and express and evaluate their personal dramas and tragedies. They stop obsessing unhealthily on those events and instead they focus on turning this into a positive creative outcome. This leads to lower stress levels, a more positive outlook and an improvement in general health. The good news is that you don't need to be a famous or successful songwriter to get these great benefits. You just need to write! As a songwriter you probably already know that writing songs goes deeper than, well, just writing songs. We all instinctively know when we write that there is more going on at a deeper level. But now it has been confirmed by science. Every time you write a lyric or poem that expresses your feelings and your inner self, or compose a piece of music that expresses and contains a part of you, you are acting as your own personal therapist and doing your physical and mental health a huge favour. If you are a songwriter you are certainly doing something right. Keep on writing! The International UK Songwriting Contest is now open for entries from songwriters in any country. Get full details at songwritingcontest.co.uk Best wishes, The UKSC Team EARLY DEADLINE MIDNIGHT 7 AUGUST
The deadline for entering songs in the first session of the UKSC 2018 is midnight Tuesday 7 August. After that date all songs entered will go into the second session. If you are planning to enter songs and you would like to have early results (Semi Finalist positions from session one will be announced soon in August) you need to enter them on or before Tuesday 7 August. Updates to your entries with their live position in the judging panels will appear in your personal dashboard. TIP FOR SELF PROMOTERS If you want to get exposure and media coverage for your work entering the first session is a good way to get it because if you make the semis you can post this early on Facebook and Twitter etc saying that your song is in the Semi Finals and has a chance to go on to the finals and win one of the major prizes, such as working with producer Stuart Epps (see below). This creates an interest and a story that people can follow. In past years many semi finalists from the first session found that they were getting good coverage that continued all through the second session until the end of the contest. (Search Google for some of these stories). THE PRODUCTION PRIZE As part of the Grand Prize package in 2018 Stuart Epps has agreed to work with an entrant of his choice as part of the Epps Music Productions stable of songwriters and artists. Stuart has worked with Elton John, Oasis, Led Zeppelin, Robbie Williams and many more and this is a unique opportunity to work closely with, and maybe even co-write a song with, one of the top names in the music business! This year he has been in the studio with last year´s UKSC Winner Irina Barzykina (see photo above). She says: "Participating in the UK Songwriting Contest has been an incredible experience. It is beautifully run - no pressure, just music. Recognition of my work by professional judges has brought confidence and inspired me to create and to further pursue music, and wholeheartedly adore it. I was extremely honoured to have been given the opportunity of meeting legendary Stuart Epps, talking with him about the modern music industry and working together on my new song in his studio. Yes, singing into that famous microphone! Stuart’s impeccable musical advice helped me in understanding how to deliver a song and ultimately grow as an artist. Thank you ever so much for this unforgettable experience!" SPECIAL OFFERS This year there are FREE ENTRY add-ons to other major international songwriting events and special discounts (for the LOTY Awards for Lyrics, the CSC event and the ISAs International Songwriting Awards event). These are listed in the UKSC entry form so make sure you tick the boxes for the special offers and free entries that you want to receive. Full details are on the contest website at www.uksongwritingcontest.com NEW PRIZES There are also some great new prizes added this year in addition to the popular Mentoring (with chart topping songwriter Mark Cawley), Production and Studio Session prizes. This year selected entrants receive Honorary Diplomas in Music (Dip.Mus) from Music Aid International´s new Music Aid Academy and we will also be issuing up to 50 free Grade Music examinations (grade one to grade eight). There are also International Copyright Registration packages with the SCO for selected entrants. As usual there are UKSC Certificates and judges scores for every song from every entrant. YOUR SONG DASHBOARD AND EARLY SUBMISSIONS Every entrant this year gets a personal song submissions dashboard to list, check and track the progress of song entries. All songs entered before the 7 Aug deadline will soon be updated in your dashboard and you will able to see very early if they were selected for the Semi Finals or if they are being considered for other awards. For full details of this and all the great benefits on offer this year visit the official UKSC website at www.uksongwritingcontest.com We wish you every success with your songwriting now and in the future, Best wishes from the UKSC Team www.uksongwritingcontest.com EARLY DEADLINE 7 AUGUST
The deadline for entering songs in this first session of the UKSC is 7 August. After that date all songs entered will go into the second session. If you want your results early and see song status updates during August you need to enter them before midnight on the 7th. SPECIAL OFFERS This year there are FREE ENTRY add-ons to other major international songwriting events and special discounts (for the LOTY Awards for Lyrics, the CSC event and the ISAs International Songwriting Awards event). These are listed in the UKSC entry form so make sure you tick the boxes for the special offers and free entries that you want to receive. Full details are on the contest website at www.uksongwritingcontest.com NEW PRIZES There are some great new prizes added this year in addition to the popular Mentoring, Production and Studio Session prizes. Selected entrants will receive Honorary Diplomas in Music (Dip.Mus) from Music Aid International´s new Music Aid Academy and we will also be issuing up to 50 free Grade Music examinations bookings (grade one to grade eight). There are also International Copyright Registration packages with the SCO for selected entrants. As usual there are UKSC Certificates and judges scores for every song from every entrant. YOUR SONG DASHBOARD AND EARLY SUBMISSIONS Every entrant this year gets a personal song submissions dashboard to list, check and track the progress of song entries. All songs entered before the 7 Aug deadline will soon be updated in your dashboard and you will able to see very early if they were selected for the Semi Finals or if they are being considered for other awards. For full details of this and all the great benefits on offer this year visit the official UKSC website at www.uksongwritingcontest.com We wish you every success with your songwriting now and in the future, Best wishes from the UKSC Team www.uksongwritingcontest.com PS: The photo shows UKSC winner Irina Barzykina with producer and UKSC judge Stuart Epps during their recent Studio Session together. Look out for news about this coming soon. The header photo above shows UKSC 2017 Winner Irina Barzykina with well known producer, and UKSC judge, Stuart Epps during a studio session last week. Stuart chose Irina as the UKSC category winner he would most like to work with and produce and last week they spent time together working on some new songs and recording a brand new track. (Insider info: the AKG C12a mic in that photo is one of Stuart´s prized possessions. It originally belonged to the Rolling Stones and has been used by many other famous rock and pop legends while recording their vocals).
One of this year´s UKSC 2018 entrants will also be chosen for studio sessions and there are some great prizes on offer including Honorary Music Diplomas (Dip.Mus) for the top entrants and much more. The international UK Songwriting Contest 2018 is now open for entries and you can get full details and entry forms at www.uksongwritingcontest.com We also have a Facebook UKSC Songwriters Community group where you can interact and network with other entrants, ask questions and get support. And you can always contact us directly at any time with questions using the contact form on the UKSC website. If you haven´t entered a song yet; we hope to hear from you soon. If you have already entered songs this year, look out in your inbox for a special mailing to entrants over the next few days. Very best wishes The UKSC Team www.uksongwritingcontest.com Dear Songwriter,
The 2018 UKSC is now open for entries. Big changes this year include a brand new entry system where you can check and follow your song entries online in your personal submissions dashboard. Every song this year receives FREE ENTRY in The Lyricist Of The Year Awards (there is also something special in the pipeline coming for Instrumental writers too). There is also FREE entry in The Commonwealth Song Contest for entrants from any of the 53 Commonwealth nations, plus there is also an option to submit your song into The International Songwriting Awards for a small fraction of their usual fee. Some writers, depending on the category, will be able to enter up to four different events with just one form and one price! There are also some great new prizes this year including Honorary Music Diplomas (Dip.Mus)... check out the prizes page on the website for full details of all of this year´s prizes. The song categories this year are: Pop, Lyrics Only, Singer/Songwriter, Rock, Adult Contemporary, Love Songs, Acoustic & Folk, Music Videos, Under 18s, Jazz & Blues, Country, Christian/Faith, R&B/HipHop/Rap, Instrumental, Open/Other Category, EDM, Christmas Songs, Retro, World Music and Indie. Winners are chosen by the UKSC panel of professional top award winning judges - details on the contest website. Full details of 2018 prizes, the latest news, and the 2018 contest entry forms are on the official website at www.uksongwritingcontest.com We hope to see you in the 2018 event and we wish everyone reading this every success in your songwriting career. Best wishes, The UK Songwriting Contest Team. www.uksongwritingcontest.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/uksongwritingcontest TWITTER: www.twitter.com/uksongwriting YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/uksongwritingcontest Dear Songwriter,
DEADLINE - SUNDAY NIGHT - LAST HOURS TO ENTER The entry deadline for The UK Songwriting Contest 2017 is midnight Sunday 1 October. So if you haven't entered yet, or you want to enter more songs, you have until midnight Sunday to submit them. The UK Songwriting Contest is an opportunity to show your work to top names in the music industry in London and the world, to have your songs examined and marked by expert songwriters and to win great prizes and awards. Gold and Platinum Album, Grammy, Emmy, CMA and BRIT Award winning judges choose the winners - and prizes this year include the chance to work in the studio with the legendary producer Stuart Epps and to be personally mentored and coached by hit songwriter Mark Cawley. You can enter your demo recordings, videos, or written lyrics, and every entry will be graded and scored by the judges and a certificate issued. Full details of all the great prizes, the opportunities and the entry forms - and the four important reasons all songwriters need to be part of this international event - are on the official contest website at www.songwritingcontest.co.uk Best wishes, UKSC PHOTO: The photo below shows music producer and contest judge Stuart Epps working and checking out entrants on the UKSC website. Stuart will produce a lucky winner in London and Stu and the other judges are waiting for your song! 4 REASONS TO SUBMIT SONGS 1. THE EXPERIENCE
Most people enter songs in the UK Songwriting Contest to be part of a large respected international songwriting event and to have their song examined by experienced industry professionals. The UKSC is trusted worldwide and followed by many important people in the music industry so songwriters are comfortable and confident to enter their songs. This is the only songwriting event in the world that gives an exact judges' score for every song to be used as feedback to rate and compare each song entered. Every song in the event is awarded a different Award level to help the songwriter see which of their songs are most successful, and every song in the contest receives an official UKSC Certificate showing its position in the event. 2. THE JUDGES Winners are chosen by some of the best professionals in the business including Platinum, Gold, Grammy, Emmy, CMA and BRIT Award winning professionals such as top producer Stuart Epps (Elton John, Robbie Williams, Oasis), Multi Platinum number one hit songwriter Shelly Peiken, renowned musical director and BRIT Award winner Simon Ellis, top producer and arranger Richard Niles (Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Mariah Carey), Double Grammy and Emmy winner Kipper Eldridge, CMA Award winning country star Lucie Diamond, number one hit songwriter Mark Cawley, Oscar nominated TV and Film Composer Jamie Serafi, and UKSC winner and Platinum Album artist Natalie Chua. Unlike other major contests you can see for yourself that our judges really are involved in the event: we link to them, they join in and post on social media, and they provide personal comments on their favourite songs. 3. THE OPPORTUNITIES It is well known that success in the UKSC can often open doors and give big career opportunities to new songwriters. There are many examples of writers have gone on to sign recording and publishing deals, have released highly successful tracks, appeared on prime national TV in many countries, and have had major press coverage and radio play. We have at least one writer who went Platinum, others who have topped charts world wide, many who have had their win featured on TV, many signings and releases, writers who have since written for major artists or have had their entries covered by major artists and writers whose songs have had tens of millions of youtube views. 4. THE PRIZES If all the above is not enough there are also the Prizes! This year the overall winner will be flown to London at our expense to record with top producer Stuart Epps (or take the cash equivalent), top songwriter Mark Cawley will personally coach a lucky winner, they are valuable professional memberships to be won, song copyright registrations, software and so much more. Everyone who enters gets free gifts (membership of Broadjam and SongU with song pitching opportunities) worth $100. |
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