Out of more than 18,000 entries from 140 countries, four songs written or co-written by SOCAN members won first-place honours in the 2023 International Songwriting Competition, in separate musical categories.
The SOCAN members honoured with first-place prizes for their songs were:
- Christina O’Connor (aka Constance) and Ronny Janssen (TONO), in the Adult Contemporary category, for “In Madness.”
- Raz Hyder, in the Hip-Hop/Rap category, for “Gave You Everything.”
- Brownman Ali, in the Jazz category, for “Wisom of Aurelius.”
- Donné Roberts (aka Dieudonné Rakotomamonjy), in the World category, for “Wenge Yongo.”
The SOCAN members honoured with second-place prizes for their songs were:
- Riell Phillipos (aka RIELL), in the Adult Contemporary category, for “My Ghost.”
- Mark and Maria Ihnatowycz, in the Music Video category, for “Gimme,” performed by their band, Balaklava Blues.
Twenty-two more songs written or co-written by SOCAN members earned honourable mentions. For a complete list of 2023 ISC winners and honourable mentions, and to hear the winning songs, visit the ISC website.
Now in its 23rd year, the ISC was created to recognize great songwriters and to provide a valuable platform for them to be heard by the music industry and public alike. The competition is open to both professional and amateur songwriters. More than 70 winners in more than 20 genre categories share more than $225,000 USD in cash and prizes, including an overall Grand Prize of $25,000 USD cash, and more. Previous winners have included Jane Siberry, Faouzia, Sam Roberts, Tenille Townes, The Trews, and many more.