Judges include Robert Smith (The Cure), Aimee Mann, Rodney Atkins, Hillsong Worship, Walk The Moon, Morgan Wade, Sanctus Real, and more!
Nashville, TN (September 28, 2023) - The Unsigned Only Music Competition, renowned for celebrating the best of independent and unsigned artists, is pleased to announce the 2023 winners.
Established in 2012, this year’s competition garnered almost 6,000 entries from almost 100 countries, reflecting the immense pool of musical talent worldwide. Winners share in over $150,000 in cash and prizes are split among 38 winners, including a $20,000 (US) cash prize to the overall Grand Prize winner. In addition to cash and merchandise, winners receive invaluable exposure through press, social media, and more.
It is with great pleasure that Unsigned Only bestows its highest honor, the overall Grand Prize, to Charlotte Sands, a Hopkinton, MA native who currently resides in Nashville, TN, for her upbeat, hit-worthy single, “Dress.”
The winning song, written in response to the negativity surrounding Harry Styles wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue, went viral when it was released and became an anthem of self-expression for millions of listeners worldwide.
The song has racked up more than 45 million plays on Spotify alone and has helped to launch Sands’ career. Since then, the electric blue-haired, tattooed singer/songwriter has put out a lot more singles, charted on Billboard, toured with Yungblud, amassed a legion of fans, and is embarking on a Fall tour in the US and Europe – all while remaining an indie artist. Raised on the pop-punk bands of the early 2000s and rooted in the storytelling of folk singer/songwriters, Sands combines upbeat melodies with unabashedly honest, self-reflective lyrics. Dubbed an “unstoppable force” by Alternative Press, Sands’ personal mission is to create a safe space for people to feel accepted and celebrated for their weirdness and diversity, and her fans take pride in championing her as they recognize how she champions them.
“Charlotte Sands seems to be an unstoppable force of talent,” said Co-Founders Candace Avery and Jim Morgan. “Her music reflects the essence of what it means to be truly exceptional in the world of unsigned, indie artists. We are excited to see how she, as well as our other winners, will shape the future of the music industry.”
In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving artists garnered first and second-place wins in the competition. A winner was also selected in Fandemonium, Unsigned Only’s public, popular vote which is separate from the winners selected by the official judging panel. To see the winners and to listen to the winning songs, go to: www.unsignedonly.com/winners.
The complete panel of judges includes:
Aimee Mann; Robert Smith (The Cure); Rodney Atkins; Sanctus Real; I Am They; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); O.A.R.; Nicholas Petricca (Walk The Moon); The Devil Makes Three; Janiva Magness; Morgan Wade; Gonzalo Rubalcaba; Paula Arenas; Ruthie Foster; Dame Evelyn Glennie; Kenny Barron; Derek Brown (The Flaming Lips); Russ Landau; Zbigniew Preisner; Jay Allen; Francisca Valenzuela; David Benoit; Chaerin Kim; Vertical Worship; 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); John Dibiase (President, Jesus Freak Hideout); Angel Romero (Music Consultant); Hilary Saunders (Managing Editor, No Depession); Jason Lipshutz (Music Editor, Billboard); Cyrus Kyle Langhorne (Founder, AttackTheCulture.com); Art Tipaldi (Editor, Blues Music Magazine); Brandon Chitwood (Founder/Writer, The EDM Scholar); Michael West (Reviews Editor, DownBeat); David Silbaugh (Talent Buyer, Summerfest); Brinson Strickland (President, Collective Music Nashville); James Kempner (Owner, JMK Connections); Paul Riario (Tech Editor, Guitar World); Jennifer Taunton (Music Supervisor, Level Two Music); James Whitting (Partner, Paradigm Talent Agency); Paul De Barros (Pop Music Editor/Jazz Writer, Seattle Times); Alison Bonaguro (Freelance Country Music Journalist); 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: ACE Products (Pig Hog Cables), Adam Audio, Alphabet Arm Design, Audix, Disc Makers, Eventric, Hiscox Cases, Image-Line Software, Joshua Tree Recording Studio, Ovation, Peavey Electronics, Play MPE, Protege, The Music Business Registry, WMR Music Group, and Süss Cookie Company.
For more information and to enter, go to www.unsignedonly.com.