Back in 1996, songwriter Alan Roy Scott (Music Bridges), publisher David Stark (SongLink International) and songwriter/promoter Brett Perkins (Brett Perkins Presents) set out to create a different kind of song contest. The 1997 Unisong International Song Contest was the first truly international song contest created "by songwriters...for songwriters." .

Our Grand Prize winner that year was Lindy Robbins (who went on to secure a publishing deal with PolyGram directly from her participation in the "Music Bridges" gathering in Ireland that year which was her Grand Prize. She has since had success with Anastascia, Monica, and Clay Aiken, and is a co-writer of recent break through hits like "What's Left of Me" for Nick Lachey, "Back To You" for Faith Hill, and "Incomplete" for the Backstreet Boys.
 

Since those early days, the Unisong team has worked hard to present a competition that offers fresh opportunities year after year. But even as we reach for new ideas, expansion, and ongoing innovations, we still pride ourselves on the same personal attention we have always given our entrants. We never want to outgrow the simple heart and soul we started with that makes us who we are, songwriters.
   
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Unisong's Grand Prize is consistently unique among the major song contests. Past Unisong Grand Prize winners have had the opportunity to write with the likes of Burt Bacharach, Peter Buck, Jimmy Buffet, Gary Burr, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Stewart Copeland, Rodney Crowell, Lamont Dozier, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Frampton, Indigo Girls, Montell Jordan, Gladys Knight, Lisa Loeb, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Joan Osborne, Lee Roy Parnell, Bonnie Raitt, Brenda Russell, Andy Summers, Don Was, and many others at "Music Bridges" retreats organized by Unisong co-founder Alan Roy Scott.
   
We've also made sure our entrants' music gets in front of people who matter. Previous Unisong judges and friends include: Lamont Dozier, Diane Warren, Bonnie Greenberg, K.C. Porter, Dave Koz, Peter Frampton, Fee Waybill, Allan Rich, Randy Bachman, Lester Sill, Don Grierson, Andrew Gold, Barry Mann, Randy Sharp, Harriet Schock, Mike Stoller, John Braheny, Michael Jay, Jorge Corrante, Don Was, John Kalodner, Bruce Lundvall and Desmond Child, Pat and Pete Luboff, and Dan Kimpel among many.
 

Over the years we've seen a lot of other song contests arrive on the scene. Many of them have followed Unisong's lead as we pioneered the online song contest. Online registration, MP3 entries and audio clips of winning songs -- we offered them all here first. Yes, we're certainly flattered by the imitators, but we don't want to be confused us with those other guys, or rest on past laurels. So we’re always tinkering around in the basement, trying to come up with ways to make it better and more responsive to your needs.

 
So (drum roll please!!!!) we're proud to present the 11th Annual Unisong International Song Contest. Take a look around and see all the latest additions and changes we’ve come up with this time around.
 
For starters, we’re upping the ante to over $70,00 in total cash and prizes! Our current one-of-a-kind Grand Prize really puts the "I" in International - a one week all expenses paid writing and performing retreat to your choice of Ireland, Costa Rica, Denmark, Crete, Sweden, Iceland, Spain, Big Sur, or New Zealand in conjunction with Listening Room International Songwriter Retreats and Music Bridges.
 
Our most recent Grand Prize winner Judith de los Santos just returned from the annual retreat on Inisheer, the smallest of the three Aran Islands off the West Coast of Ireland that she chose as her prize. It would be easy to say she had an amazing time creatively and it was an unforgettable experience for her, but if you go to the Prizes page on this site you can get a sense of it yourself via a short video she has already made to her Grand prize winning song “Everything” and some photos we have posted. This could be you come next June 30th.
 
We've expanded to 18 regular categories for this edition, reshuffling some existing categories around, dividing others, and adding new ones, most notably a Non-English Category where all our international entrants who don’t write lyrics or sing in English now have a category of their own.
 
And we’re especially proud and excited about our special 19th category in partnership with "L.U.N.C.H" www.lunchensemble.com where all net proceeds will go to benefit social programs they sponsor in the areas of hunger, homelessness, substance abuse, and domestic abuse. All songs entered in this special category should address any of these four main themes or similar variations. This category will also feature its’ own separate prize package and Compilation CD drawn just from the Top 10 selected songs in this special category. So here's a chance to make an immediate difference in the world with your songs.
 
We're also adding a new Performance Option that allows you to have the performance of any song entered in any category (except Lyrics Only) judged separately and specifically to compete for the "Best Performance" prize we're offering.
 
And in case you’re having a hard time deciding which category to enter your songs in, or where it fits best, we’re debuting a Category Selection Option where we’ll decide which category is best and most appropriate style wise for you if needed.
 
We've also added some cool new sponsors like Cakewalk, musicSUBMIT, SongBridge, John Braheny, Chet McCracken, and Music Media Entertainment Group to go with our existing team of supporters and creative partnerships such as our good friends and songwriter brethren over at Songsalive!, supporting and promoting songwriters and composers worldwide.
 
Our list of continuing sponsors for the 11th edition include: Brett Perkins Presents, Disc Makers, Dunlop, Indiebible, Music Bridges, Music Connection, Music Player Network (EQ, Keyboard, Guitar and Bass Player Magazines), Onlinegigs, Sibelius, Songsalive!, Songlink, SongU.com, Sonicbids, Stretch The Skies, Taxi, and VSS.
 
Songs overall are judged first on originality, melody, composition, and lyrics (when applicable). You don’t need a professional recording to enter. We've had plenty of winners with just a guitar or piano and vocal demo as well as more produced ones. We offer discounted entry fees for multiple entries throughout the entry period of the contest (October 15th, 2006-April 8th, 2007). Take advantage of our "Early bird" deadline and save $$ on every entry submitted on or before December 15th
 
In addition, all entrants in all categories will receive a complimentary SongU.com self-paced course ($39.95 value), and a free 30-day membership with Onlinegigs (a $20 value) just for entering. As an extra bonus besides the $$ saved, all entries received before the Early bird deadline will receive an expanded six month free membership with Onlinegigs (a $126 value).
 
Other popular features we’re bringing back include the “Winner of the Month”, an additional “contest-within-a-contest” where one winner selected in-house will automatically be selected from all entries in a given month and awarded a prize of $250, a one year membership in Songbridge, a free "killer drum track" by world class drummer Chet McCracken, and a one month individual spotlight of the writer and their song on our website. There will be a “Winner of the Month” selected in this edition for November, December, January and February. This feature is judged separately from the main contest, and wining this prize has NO bearing on the regular contest judging afterwards.
 
We will also once again offer a high quality critique for any song. Our team of knowledgeable and helpful critique experts are drawn from the same high level pool of songwriters, publishers, artists, and record company executives who do the regular judging for us. It’s a great extra opportunity to receive valuable personal feedback on your current song craft
 
And we’re also bringing back the "People's Choice Award”, so the public and other songwriters can tell us what they think is the best song after the judges have made their decision. And that lucky songwriter will get an extra $500 cash prize too for being selected. Last time around we had over 20,000 votes for this Award!!!
 
And last but surely not least, we'll once again be making our Disc Makers/Unisong Volume 3 Winner’s compilation CD of all the 1st prize category winners that we promote around the industry for additional exposure for our top winners
 
So that's it. We still may not operate by corporate committee (did you ever try to get a bunch of songwriters to be that organized?), or have a bus full of recording gear...yet. However, you can still count on us to do our very best to bring you an honest and friendly song contest with cool opportunities for songwriters and artists around the world like you
 
Thanks for checking us out. We can't wait to hear your songs and welcome you to the winner's circle!!!