NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Australian singer and songwriter Toni Watson, professionally known as Tones And I, has been named as the grand prize winner for the 2019 International Songwriting Competition.
Tones And I took top honors with her hit Dance Monkey, earning $25,000 in cash (USD) and almost $45,000 in additional prizes.
Tones And I, who hails from Australia’s Mornington Peninsula but moved to Byron Bay in 2017 to busk on the streets, where she lived out of her van for the year, had big year in 2019.
Dance Monkey, which she says took her about 30 minutes to write, has gone on to become an international hit, landing at #1 on the Spotify Global Charts with more than 1 billion streams worldwide. She’s since been signed to Warner Chappell and in November, made her US television debut with a performance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
“This song has taken the world by storm, and it is undeniable that it has propelled Tones And I to massive superstardom,” said ISC Founder and Director, Candace Avery. “Prior to ‘Dance Monkey,’ Tones And I was an indie artist struggling to get her voice heard. This is such a great example of how just the right song can change an artist’s life and should inspire up-and-coming songwriters to keep on following their dream.”
Established in 2002, ISC is the world’s largest international songwriting competition, receiving over 18,000 entries from 140 countries in 2019. More than $150,000 in cash and merchandise is awarded to 71 winners in 23 categories covering all genres of music.
The list of ISC winners for 2019
The Teskey Brothers “So Caught Up” (Adult Album Alternative)
Tim Moxam “Honesty” (Music Video)
Lenii “Yellow” (Adult Contemporary)
Altered Five Blues Band “Great Minds Drink Alike (Blues)
Tony Acandi “Deadly Dances Of Galaxies” (Instrumental)
Jon Samson (CoCreative Music) “Predicament” (Children)
Helen Fulthorpe “Saved By The Bell” (Performance)
Tkay Maidza “Shook” (R&B/HipHop)
Sammy J “Pink Clouds” Comedy/Novelty
Nikki Era “Monsters” (Unpublished)
Roxy Coss “Mr. President” (Jazz)
The Sisterhood Band “Get Up And Go” (Country)
Ariza & Elline “Words” (Pop/Top 40)
Hannah Bethel “The House Is On Fire” (Americana)
Wild Rivers “I Do” (Folk/SingerSongwriter)
Sophie Pecora “7th Grade” (Teen)
The Sations “Floodgates” (Christian)
Randi Garnick “The Debt” (Lyrics Only)
Kai Straw “Everything’s Sweet” (Unsigned Only)
Lu Ruenes “En Secreto” (Latin Music)
JES “We Belong To The Night” (Electronic Dance Music)
Menna Hussein “Ghajareya” (World Music)
Flint Moore “Yellowman Blueheart” (Rock)
Harry Cleverdon “Hit Me While I’m Down” (Teen)
