The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced its 2018 winners. Established in 2002, ISC is the world’s largest international songwriting competition, receiving almost 19,000 entries from 140 countries in 2018. More than $150,000 in cash and merchandise is awarded to 71 winners in 23 categories covering all genres of music.
For the first time in the history of the competition, the Grand Prize is awarded to an R&B song. ISC has bestowed its highest honor to R&B artist/writer Reginald Lamar Williams Jr., (aka R.LUM.R) and co-writer/producer Josh Hawkins (aka Super Duper) for the song "Frustrated." The Grand Prize consists of $25,000 in cash (USD) and over $35,000 in additional prizes.
“With R&B being such a dominant force in today’s music landscape, it is exciting that an R&B song is the Grand Prize winner for the first time in ISC’s 18-year history. We are thrilled to acknowledge R.LUM.R and Super Duper, two artists who exemplify the present and the future of songwriting in this genre,” says ISC Founder and Director, Candace Avery."
Having amassed over 48 million streams on Spotify, the Grand Prize-winning song, “Frustrated,” was written at a time when R.LUM.R had some big decisions to make. He was contemplating moving from Florida to Nashville to pursue his music, and the uncertainty he felt during his relocation became the inspiration for his breakout single "Frustrated.” He did end up moving to Nashville, and it paid off for this incredibly talented singer and writer. Easily recognizable for his sultry, soulful vocals and effortless falsetto., R.LUM.R has performed the single on Jimmy Kimmel Live and has been praised by media such as NPR Music,The New York Times, Vibe, Billboard and Rolling Stone (who called him “an artist you need to know”).
Super Duper is an up-and-coming writer/artist/producer who has toured with The Chainsmokers, The Glitch Mob, Big Wild, and more. After writing and producing for others, Super Duper began to release music under his own moniker. His single "Angela" hit #1 on Hype Machine and entered Spotify's Viral 50 charts. He also recently received a Clio award for scoring the trailer to Steve McQueen's new motion picture Widows.
“Winning the Grand Prize in ISC is a huge honor for me, especially when you consider how many incredible writers entered,” says R.LUM.R. “I wrote “Frustrated” at a time when I was privately going through some very personal things that I honestly wasn’t sure anyone would understand, so it’s amazing to think the song would be honored in such a big way.”
In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share in the prestige and kudos of winning their respective categories in ISC. These winners hail from all over the world (50% of this year’s winners come from outside the USA) and represent diverse cultures while ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 23 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from Rock to Pop to Jazz to Country,Hip-Hop, and more.
For a complete list of ISC 2018 winners go to songwritingcompetition.com/winners
