The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) said that Matt Epp was inspired to write the chorus of the winning entry while on tour and missing his family and later completed the song after meeting Faouzia through a mentorship group. The song has already found traction on the radio, hitting #1 on the CBC Radio 2 chart, and it recently earned the SOCAN No.1 Song Award in Canada based on its radio success.
When Epp heard that they had won the Grand Prize, he said, "I've always felt that we songwriters receive songs, more than write them. I'm so grateful for this one to have chosen me and my very talented collaborator Faouzia, and especially to the ISC for this prestigious Grand Prize award!" The Grand Prize winners take home $25,000 in cash and over $45,000 in additional prizes. In addition to the Grand Prize winners, numerous other songwriters won first, second and third place in a variety of categories, ranging from folk to EDM, as well as special categories for unsigned songwriters. Judges for 2016 included both artists and industry execs, including Tom Waits, Lorde, Donovan, Bastille, Joe Bonamassa, India Arie, Sara Evans, Craig Kallman (Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records); John Esposito (Chairman & CEO, Warner Music Nashville); Dan McCarroll (President, Warner Bros. Records); Daniel Glass (President, Glassnote Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); and numerous others. The full list of winners for the 2016 ISCAAA (ADULT ALBUM ALTERNATIVE)1ST PLACEJason Dill, Frank Hammonds, Brock Berryhill, Stephen Campbell, Evan Coffman (The Upset Victory)Cincinnati, OH, USA2ND PLACETom Iansek, Jo Syme (Big Scary)Melbourne, VIC, Australia3RD PLACEPhebe Starr Sydney, NSW, Australia AC (ADULT CONTEMPORARY)1ST PLACELauren Riley, Melissa Fuller, Joel Heumann (Lauren Riley) Cave Creek, AZ, USA 2ND PLACEGrace Kelly, April Bender (Grace Kelly)New York, NY, USA3RD PLACERob StormJohannesburg, South AfricaAMERICANA1ST PLACEGrace AskewMemphis, TN, USA2ND PLACETim EastonNashville, TN, USA3RD PLACEJosh Rennie-HynesWoodford, QLD, AustraliaBLUES1ST PLACEThessex Johns (Johnny Drummer)Chicago, IL, USA2ND PLACEJai Malano, Daniel Barrett (JaiDan)Austin, TX, USA3RD PLACESpencer Mackenzie, Richard Mackenzie (Spencer Mackenzie)Ridgeway, ON, CanadaCHILDREN'S MUSIC1ST PLACELucy KalantariBrooklyn, NY, USA2ND PLACELalo Crane, Kyler England (Freckleland)Los Angeles, CA, USA3RD PLACELaszlo Kerekgyarto, Csilla Kovacs (Buborek Band)Budapest, HungaryCHRISTIAN1ST PLACERyan Payne, Jeff Edgel, Christian Morris, Melanie Morris (Attaboy)Huntington, IN, USA2ND PLACEJaylene JohnsonWinnipeg, MB, Canada3RD PLACETroy Kokol, Tenille Nadkrynechny (Tenille)Calgary, AB, CanadaCOMEDY/NOVELTY1ST PLACEKate Miller-Heidke, Keir Nuttall, Louis Schoorl (Kate Miller-Heidke Ft. The Beards)Brisbane, QLD, Australia2ND PLACEJoey WhiteUpper Arlington, OH, USA3RD PLACEJohn Pearson, Dave Freeland (Johnny and the TipperZ)Ossining, NY, USACOUNTRY1ST PLACECaitlin Notey, Matias Mora, Jeannie Lurie, Keith ArmstrongLos Angeles, CA, USA2ND PLACECaitlin RushingOrlando, FL, USA3RD PLACEKatrina Burgoyne, Goran Kralj, Joe Doyle (Katrina Burgoyne)Gunnedah, NSW, Australia / Nashville, TN, USAEDM (ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC)1ST PLACESophie SimmonsLos Angeles, CA, USA2ND PLACEAdam Katz, Tim Maxx (Tim Maxx Ft. Adam Katz)Sydney, NSW, Australia / Los Angeles, CA, USA3RD PLACEZimri, John Hiler, KVSH (Zimri)Nashville, TN, USA / Chicago, IL, USA / Belo Horizonte, BrazilFOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER1ST PLACEPrateek KuhadNew Delhi, India2ND PLACENate IharaChantilly, VA, USA3RD PLACEJoe BrooksSouthampton, EnglandINSTRUMENTAL1ST PLACEGustavo Assis-BrasilSanta Maria, Brazil / Arlington, MA, USA2ND PLACEDexter BritainBrighton, England3RD PLACEYves Barbieux (Urban Trad)Marche en Famenne, BelgiumJAZZ1ST PLACEShunzo OhnoGifu, Japan2ND PLACEPaolo Fresu (Omar Sosa & Paolo Fresu)Berchidda, Italy3RD PLACEXavier Faro (Meajam)Cahors, FranceLATIN1ST PLACEMaca TorresLa Serena, Chile2ND PLACEOscar Jimenez (Oscar Jimenez Ft. La Phonoclorica)Barranquilla, Colombia / Melbourne, VIC, Australia3RD PLACECindy Arguello, Javier Arguello (Chaostronaut)Saltillo, Coahuila, MexicoLYRICS ONLY1ST PLACEGordon Anthony Patrick BarryWexford, Ireland2ND PLACEMichael Harmel (Government Town)Regina, SK, Canada3RD PLACESalar Nasir Khan (Salar Khan)Peshawar, PakistanMUSIC VIDEO1ST PLACEClaire Pamella Kamahoro (Kleyah)Dar es Salaam, Tanzania2ND PLACETan Peng Sing, Johnathan Lim, Jonathan Ong, Jeryl Yeo, Siow Wen Sing (Take Two)Singapore, Republic of Singapore3RD PLACEPiper MadisonLouisville, KY, USAPERFORMANCE1ST PLACEGlenn CardierSydney, NSW, Australia2ND PLACETaavi Paomets, Sander Molder (Avoid Dave)Tallinn, Estonia3RD PLACETatiana Mayfield, Ben Bohorquez (Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield)Fort Worth, TX, USAPOP/TOP 401ST PLACEFly By MidnightStaten Island, NY, USA2ND PLACECarla Cappa (CAPPA), Kenny Fleetwood, Dylan BauldPhiladelphia, PA, USA3RD PLACERavi Kumar, Anjulie Persaud, David Bache (Anjulie)Wolverhampton, West Midlands, EnglandR&B/HIP-HOP1ST PLACERavi Kumar, Whitney Phillips, Zac Poor, David Bache (Zac Poor)Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England2ND PLACEKyle BentRandolph, MA, USA3RD PLACEPaul EvansLos Angeles, CA, USAROCK1ST PLACEDavid Leaupepe (Gang Of Youths)Sydney, NSW, Australia2ND PLACEKeaton Simons, John Nathaniel (Keaton Simons)Laval, QC, Canada3RD PLACESam Roberts (Sam Roberts Band)Montreal, QC, CanadaTEEN1ST PLACEKayla KorpicsGibsonton, FL, USA2ND PLACEAvonleaSanta Rosa, CA, USA3RD PLACEOlivia SwintonScarsdale, NY, USAUNPUBLISHED1ST PLACEMatt GreshamPerth, WA, Australia2ND PLACEThom ChaconDurango, CO, USA3RD PLACEHolly Harding, Jungle Boi, MallieLondon, EnglandUNSIGNED ONLY1ST PLACEMike Chetcuti (Lava Dolls)Hamilton, ON, Canada2ND PLACERaquel Cole, Jack Williams, Jon Coleman (Raquel Cole)Vernon, BC, Canada3RD PLACECouncilBaldwinsville, NY, USAWORLD1ST PLACEDaby ToureParis, France2ND PLACEDino MirandaMaputo, Tchumene, Mozambique3RD PLACEShahed Mohseni Zonoozi, Salar Hamzei Tehran, Iran
