Waits, Davies, Robert Smith, Black Francis Judge Songs

As do Loretta Lynn, T-Pain, Run-D.M.C.'s Darryl McDaniels, Jerry Lee Lewis
Waits, Davies, Robert Smith, Black Francis Judge Songs

It's not quite the star-maker "American Idol" is (then again...), but the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has been offering fledgling songwriters a chance to win cash, prizes, and the love of celebrity judges for years.

For 2008, those judges include Tom Waits, Robert Smith, Black Francis (aka Frank Black), Ray Davies (The Kinks), Loretta Lynn, T-Pain, Neil Finn (Crowded House), Chaka Khan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (Run-D.M.C.), Chris Hillman (The Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers), Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Buckcherry, Youssou N'Dour, Tiësto, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and plenty of music industry bigwigs. You may recognize quite a few of these folks from previous ISC panels.

ISC 2008 entries must be submitted via mail or online by October 15 to be considered. The official entry form is available here.

The overall Grand Prize winner of this year's ISC will receive $25,000 in cash and $20,000 in prizes, but the entire competition will have a total of 62 winners sharing more than $150,000 in cash and prizes.

Posted by Dave Maher on Tue, Jul 1, 2008 at 3:00pm