The Unisong International Songwriting Contest is the oldest international songwriting competition

Songwriting competition

A songwriting competition is a contest whereby musicians submit original music to a third party or forum, generally to win a prize or some other benefit. Songwriting competitions have existed long before the advent of the Internet, but today many are conducted through websites or musician forums...

, that is for and judged by songwriters.

Unisong International Song Contest was founded in 1996 by songwriter Alan Roy Scott (Music Bridges), publisher David Stark (SongLink International) and songwriter/promoter Brett Perkins (Brett Perkins Presents) .

Unisong is offering 16 songwriting categories:

• Pop Ballad
• Pop Uptempo/Dance
• Country
  Country music
  Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
  
  
• Rock
  Rock music
  Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
  
  
• Acoustic/Folk
• Rap/Hip Hop
• AAA/Americana, Gospel/Christian
• Jazz & Blues
• World Music
  World music
  World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
  
  
• Instrumental
  Instrumental
  An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
  
  
• Lyrics Only
• Performance (Artist & Song)

where the winner is judged equally on the quality of their song, originality AND the performance of it.

Winners receive prizes like a one-week all paid writing and performing retreat, cash and merchandise.

The Unisong judges have included Lamont Dozier

Lamont Dozier

Lamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...

, Diane Warren

Diane Warren

Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...

, Bonnie Greenberg, Tom Sturges, K. C. Porter

K. C. Porter

KC Porter is an American record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. For nearly three decades in the entertainment industry, Porter has earned numerous Grammy nominations and 3 Grammys and Latin Grammys...

, Dave Koz

Dave Koz

Dave Koz is an American smooth jazz saxophonist.- Life and career :Dave Koz was born on March 27, 1963 in Encino, California....

, Peter Frampton

Peter Frampton

Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...

, Fee Waybill

Fee Waybill

John Waldo Waybill , known as Fee Waybill, is the lead singer and songwriter of the band the Tubes...

, Alan Rich

Alan Rich

Alan Rich was an American music critic who served on the staff of many newspapers and magazines on both coasts. Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, he first studied medicine at Harvard University before turning to music...

, Brenda Russell

Brenda Russell

Brenda Russell is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Known for her eclectic musical style, her recordings have encompassed several different genres, including pop, soul, dance, jazz and adult contemporary...

, Randy Bachman

Randy Bachman

Randolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...

, Lester Sill

Lester Sill

Lester Sill was an American record label executive, best remembered as Phil Spector's partner in Philles Records , and also as the head of both Colpix Records and the later Colgems Records...

, Don Grierson

Don Grierson

Professor Don Grierson OBE, FRS is a British geneticist. He graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Biological Sciences in 1967, and obtained his PhD in Plant Science from the University of Edinburgh in 1972. He is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at University of Nottingham....

, Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold

Andrew Maurice Gold was an American singer, musician and songwriter. His works include the Top 10 single "Lonely Boy" , as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend" , and "Never Let Her Slip Away" ....

, Barry Mann

Barry Mann

Barry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...

, Randy Sharp

Randy Sharp

Randy Sharp is a country songwriter who has written songs for Clay Walker, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, and the Dixie Chicks. He is also the father of Country singer-songwriter Maia Sharp. In 2002, Sharp released an album titled The Connection....

, Harriet Schock

Harriet Schock

Harriet Schock is an American singer, songwriter, teacher, author, and actress. She made three albums for a major label in the 70s, scoring gold and platinum awards for her Grammy-nominated Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady, before moving into teaching and soundtrack work, and then resuming an ongoing...

, Mike Stoller, John Braheny

John Braheny

John Braheny is an American author and singer-songwriter. He released a solo album in 1970, Some Kind of change, on the Pete label. He has also written songs for others, including "December Dream", which has been recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys.- Bibliography :* 2006 The Craft and...

, Michael Jay, Jorge Corrante, Don Was

Don Was

Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...

, John Kalodner

John Kalodner

John David Kalodner is a retired American A&R executive. His achievements included signing Foreigner, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Atlantic Records in the seventies....

, Bruce Lundvall

Bruce Lundvall

Bruce Lundvall, is an American record company executive, most known as being the President/CEO of the Blue Note Label Group, reporting directly to Eric Nicoli, the Chief Executive Officer of EMI Group.- Career :...

 & Desmond Child

Desmond Child

Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...

.

External links

• Unisong International Songwriting Contest official website