The Unsigned Only Music Competition is a vital platform for discovering and displaying some of the best unsigned contemporary musical talent from all around the world. Although based in the US, the competition exclusively for unsigned artists has honoured 19 Australian artists in its 2021 edition, which is a fantastic outcome. 16 of these Australian artists received honourable mentions, and 3 of them received coveted First and Second Place wins. All three winners are APRA AMCOS members.
Melbourne indie folk singer/songwriter Alexander Biggs was awarded First Place in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category for his song 'Madeleine.' The hit single is from Biggs’ independently released debut album Hit or Miss which was in early 2021, propelling him to 13 million streams on Spotify.
Electronic songwriter/producer du0 (aka Ryan Dobbrick) was awarded First Place for the song 'Come Home' in the EDM Category. Hailing from Brisbane, du0 has been making waves in the last few years, having released eight singles that have received support from various music critics as well as Spotify curated lists and Triple J airplay.
Indie rock duo Teenage Joans registered Second Place honours in the AAA (Adult Album Alternative) category for their song 'Ice Cream.' They have received multiple awards over the last few years, including Winner of Triple J Unearthed High 2020, and the South Australian Live Act of the Year at the 2019 National Music Awards.
“We always receive a lot of great entries from Australia, so we have come to expect it. Over the years, so many of our favorite winners have been Aussies, and we love having the opportunity to share their music with the world,” said Candace Avery and Jim Morgan, the founders of the Unsigned Only Music Competition.
A judging panel of prominent artists and music industry experts selected the winners. The judges included the likes of: Chris Daughtry (Daughtry), Robert Smith (The Cure), Aimee Mann, Sanctus Real, O.A.R., Ruthie Foster, David Benoit and Linda Perry. The panel also included journalists from a range of music publications such as Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, JazzTimes, Yahoo Music and many more.
Unsigned Only is sponsored by A&F Drum Company, Celebrity Access, Disc Makers, Ernie Ball, Eventric, IK Multimedia, Lurssen Mastering, Merch Cat, Mojave Microphones, Orange Amps, The Music Business Registry, TuneCore, and Zildjian.
The list of 2021 Australian winners:
First Place
Alexander Biggs (Melbourne, VIC) – 'Madeleine' – Folk/Singer-Songwriter
du0 (Brisbane, QLD) – 'Come Home' – EDM (Electronic Dance Music)
Second Place
Teenage Joans (Adelaide, SA) – 'Ice Cream' – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
Honorable Mentions
Alter Boy (Perth, WA) – 'Bad Dream Break In' – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
Alter Boy (Perth, WA) – 'Bad Dream Break In' – Pop/Top 40
Bree Rusev (Newcastle, NSW) – 'Drift' – Teen
Chuditch (Perth, WA) – 'Grasping At The Water' – Folk/Singer-Songwriter
ELKI (Sydney, NSW) – 'Spend Your Life' – AC (Adult Contemporary)
Em George (Sydney, NSW) – 'Light Comes In' – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
JEFFE (Brisbane, QLD) – 'Home' – AC (Adult Contemporary)
Jessica Arlo Irish (Sydney, NSW) – 'Breath Ft. Sihyun Park' – Instrumental
Josiah McAllan (Alice Springs, NT) – “Sanctify Me” – Christian
Lachlan Edwards (Newcastle, NSW) – 'Little Too Late' – Folk/Singer-Songwriter
Leonie Kingdom (Hervey Bay, QLD) – 'Night Terrors' – Folk/Singer-Songwriter
LT (Cairns, QLD) – 'How Would It Feel' – AC (Adult Contemporary)
Natasha Duarte (Sydney, NSW) – 'Can't Tell For Sure' – AC (Adult Contemporary)
Rumours (Melbourne, VIC) – 'If Only You Could Feel Something Too' – Rock
Sage Rogan (Melbourne, VIC) – 'Dusk' – Instrumental
Zoe A'dore (Melbourne, VIC) – 'Read' – Pop/Top 40
For the complete list of winners and to listen to the winning songs, head to: www.unsignedonly.com/winners.