The Unsigned Only Music Competition has announced its 2022 winners. Unsigned Only has bestowed its highest honor, the overall Grand Prize, to the Inglewood, CA rapper Tia P. for the song “That Action.” The Grand Prize winner is awarded a prize package totaling $50,000, including $20,000 in cash (US) and more in merchandise and services geared toward helping an artist's career.
Winners were selected by a judging panel comprised of high-profile industry experts and renowned recording artists, including: Aimee Mann; Sanctus Real; O.A.R.; Ruthie Foster; Robert Smith (The Cure); NLE Choppa; The Devil Makes Three; LoCash; and many more (see complete list below). Also on the judging panel were industry executives as well as music journalists from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Guitar Player, JazzTimes, Seattle Times, Yahoo Music, Pandora, Guitar World; No Depression; Blues Music Magazine; and more (see complete list below).
Established in 2012, Unsigned Only is the leading international music competition honoring artists who are not signed to a major record label. Selected from almost 7,000 entries worldwide, the winners share in over $150,000 in cash and prizes split among 38 winners.
“Tia P. is one of the most dynamic and exciting artists in the contemporary music world today. Not only is she a prolific, in-demand performer and songwriter, but she also has some serious drumming chops,” say Candace Avery and Jim Morgan, the founders of Unsigned Only. “We first became aware of her when she was only 11 years old, and throughout the years we have been lucky enough to watch her incredible growth as an artist. She is undeniably a star in the making.”
Hailing from Inglewood, CA, Tia P. is an extraordinary and multi-talented artist whose skills include rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and drummer. Influenced by artists such Missy Elliott, Lauren Hill, and Pharrell Williams, she is the voice of a new generation embodied in the soul of the old.
She is a charismatic artist with an impressive and enviable list of accomplishments that showcase her talents She first became widely known to the public when she was on BET’s The Next Big Thing. Since then, her music has been heard all over hit tv shows such as Shameless, Empire, Grown-ish, Charmed, Cobra Kai, Black Lady Sketch Show, and many more. Her music has also been used in a myriad of commercials for Pepsi, Sprite, Hyundai, and more. Her recent collaboration with five-time Grammy winner Brittany Howard (lead singer/guitarist, Alabama Shakes) for the LA-based Angel City Football Club resulted in the single “Running With The Angels” and is the first original anthem for a U.S. women’s professional sports team. She is currently working on a new album and also songs for the upcoming Warner Bros. Barbie movie.
Tia P’s winning song “That Action” is emblematic of her drive as an artist and takes her cue from a director’s call: Lights, Camera, Action - meaning don’t slow down until they yell CUT. Clearly this inspires the ways she creates music and live her life.
The complete panel of judges includes:
NLE Choppa; Aimee Mann; Robert Smith (The Cure); Sanctus Real; LoCash; I Am They; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); O.A.R.; Nicholas Petricca (Walk The Moon); The Devil Makes Three; Janiva Magness; Ruthie Foster; Derek Brown (The Flaming Lips); Russ Landau; Zbigniew Preisner; Tinariwen; Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone); Lyndsey Parker (Managing Editor, Yahoo Music); Christopher Scapelliti (Editor-In-Chief, Guitar Player); Kevin McNeese (President, NewReleaseToday); Jeff Zuchowski (VP, Artist Marketing/Industry Relations, Pandora); Damian Fanelli (Editor-In-Chief, Guitar World); John Dibiase (President, Jesus Freak Hideout); John Cameron (Editor-In-Chief, Selector); Angel Romero (Music Consultant); Hilary Saunders (Managing Editor, No Depession); Cyrus Kyle Langhorne (Founder, AttackTheCulture.com); Art Tipaldi (Editor, Blues Music Magazine); Brandon Chitwood (Founder/Writer, The EDM Scholar); Mac Randall (Editor, JazzTimes); Brinson Strickland (President, Collective Music Nashville); James Kempner (Owner, JMK Connections); Jennifer Taunton (Music Supervisor, Level Two Music); James Whitting (Partner, Paradigm Talent Agency); Alison Bonaguro (Freelance Country Music Journalist); Angela Stefano (Editor-In-Chief, The Boot); Gaston Leone (Talent Buyer, Goldenvoice); Dylan Berry (Owner, SmashHaus); Mike Locke (VP, Creative Synchronization & Marketing, Atlas Music); Mark Garfield (Co-Director, Pop-Up Music UK Ltd.); Debra Delshad (Sr. Director, Synchronization & Licensing, Angry Mob Music); and Daryl Berg (VP, Music Strategies and Licensing Hallmark (Crown Media)
Unsigned Only is sponsored by: Celebrity Access; Dark Horse Institute; Disc Makers; Ernie Ball; Eventric; Lurssen Mastering; My Sheet Music Transcription; Make Music, Inc; Mojave Audio; Radio Airplay; The Music Business Registry; Merch Cat; and View Maniac.
For more information and to enter, go to www.unsignedonly.com. To listen to the winning songs, go to: www.unsignedonly.com/winners.
The list of 2022 winners is as follows (see website for Honorable Mentions):
Grand Prize
Tia P. (Inglewood, CA, USA) – “That Action”
AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
First Place: LT (Cairns, QLD, Australia) – “Rollercoaster”
Second Place: Johnny Walker's Dead Horses (Salt Lake City, UT, USA) – “How Are Your Friends”
Adult Contemporary (AC)
First Place: Lost Blonde (Golden, CO, USA) – “Dreamin' About You”
Second Place: The Eves (Edinburgh, Scotland) – “Big Love”
Americana
First Place: The Red Clay Strays (Mobile, AL, USA) – “Wondering Why”
Second Place: Drumming Bird (Nashville, TN, USA) – “American Spirits”
Blues
First Place: Trudy Lynn (Houston, TX, USA) – “Golden Girl Blues”
Second Place: Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps (Los Angeles, CA, USA) “Takes One To Know One Ft. Anson Funderburgh”
Christian
First Place: Daniel Doss (Martin, TN, USA) – “Revival”
Second Place: Maria Hilman (St. Cloud, MN, USA) – “Never Fail”
Country
First Place: Clayton Anderson (Bedford, IN, USA) – “Let Me Go”
Second Place: James Johnston (Wingham, NSW, Australia) “Raised Like That”
EDM
First Place: Rheo Uno (Leicester, England) – “Deep End”
Second Place: Steve Brian (Nordstemmen, Germany) – “Sweet Little Lies”
Folk/Singer-Songwriter
First Place: Alix Page (Costa Mesa, CA, USA) – “Radiohead”
Second Place: Sam Heselwood (Christchurch, New Zealand) – “Don't Speak”
Instrumental
First Place: Delphi Project (Albuquerque, NM, USA) – “Runaway”
Second Place: Sherwood-Roberts (London, England) – “Suspicion”
Jazz
First Place: Marquis Hill Blacktet (Chicago, IL, USA) – “Law & Order”
Second Place: Carsten Dahl, Tim Hagans, Jukkis Uotila, and Johnny Åman (Copenhagen, Denmark) – “Old Voyage”
Latin
First Place: Stefany (Mendrisio, Switzerland) – “Fuego”
Second Place: RaiNao (San Juan, Puerto Rico) – “Plug”
Pop/Top 40
First Place: Halle Abadi (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – “Focus”
Second Place: HARLOW (Omaha, NE, USA) – “Dirty Mouth”
R&B/Hip-Hop
First Place: Mia Delamar (Atlanta, GA, USA) – “Cool”
Second Place: Kéwork (Almere, Netherlands) – “Flying”
Rock
First Place: Beddy Rays (Redland Bay, QLD, Australia) – “Sobercoaster”
Second Place: Mild Orange (Otago, New Zealand) – “What's Your Fire?”
Screen Shot
First Place: FKA Rayne (Surrey, BC, Canada) – “Sour Candy”
Second Place: Illumen (Stockholm, Sweden) – “Drifting Apart”
Teen
First Place: Sade Frame (Kailua, HI, USA) – “Dating Isn't Fun”
Second Place: Vaughn Prangley (Johannesburg, South Africa) – “Avalanche To The Sea”
Vocal Performance
First Place: DarylAnne (Milwaukee, WI, USA) – “Might As Well”
Second Place: Maria Manuel (London, England) – “Happy Place”
World Music
First Place: Ras Canly (Tshilamba, South Africa) – “You're A Winner”
Second Place: Chris St. Hilaire (Brooklyn, NY, USA) – “Black Christ”
Fandemonium (online public vote)
Dylan Lock (Penetanguishene, ON, Canada) – “Time For A Change”
Special Promotion Winners
Sad/ Happy Song
Sad Song Winner: Kylie Price (Dunedin, New Zealand) – “Stay”
Happy Song Winner: Max M (Bry, France) – “Imaginary Problems”
Get Published
Winner: James Johnston (Wingham, NSW, Australia) – “Raised Like That”
Runners-Up:
Cozi anda Flounder (Dallas, TX, USA) – “No One Can Take Away”
Daniel Duke (Edinburgh, Scotland) – “Lies”
Maria Hilman (St. Cloud, MN, USA) – “Never Fail”
Megan Slankard (San Francisco, CA, USA) – “I Want To Be Loved”
Riley Pearce (Perth, WA, Australia) – “Bottle It Up”
Sam Heselwood (Christchurch, New Zealand) – “Don't Speak”
Skyler Day (Cumming, GA, USA) – “The Best Worst Thing”
Taryn Papa (Stafford, CT, USA) – “Changed”
Timothy James Bowen (Bomaderry, NSW, Australia) – “Let Love Reign”
Win Some Love
Winner: Ben Drysdale (Canberra, ACT, Australia) – “I’m Flyin Now”
Winner: Mikalyn (Guelph, ON, Canada) – “Ready To Love You”
Winner: Bree Rusev (Newcastle, NSW, Australia) – “Younger”
Network Now
Winner: Alix Page (Costa Mesa, CA, USA) – “Radiohead”
Video Only
Professional Video Winner: Duff Kelly (Rutland, SK, Canada) ¬– “Holy Lady”
Homemade Video Winner: Dani Rocca (Houston, TX, USA) – “Woman”
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