Watch live performances by the winners of the 2018 ICMP/ATLA International Songwriting Contest

Watch live performances by Leah Bryant and Cindy Stawz, the two winners of the 2017/18 ICMP-ATLA International Song Contest.

The ICMP/ATLA International Songwriting Contest is open to first year BA (Hons) Songwriting students from both ICMP and ATLA and is a great way for emerging talent to showcase their music. It offers the opportunity for performers to play in Paris and London as well as have their music judged by tutors from both schools. 

Leah Bryant from ICMP and Cindy Stawz from ATLA were announced as winners last year and recently enjoyed the opportunity to record and film their winning songs as part of the prize.

Commenting, Sophie Daniels, Head of Songwriting at ICMP, said:

"The ATLA partnership is of great value to ICMP and the competition is a real highlight of the first year BA Songwriting calendar.

It is another avenue for students to hone and craft a new song and then perform it at a meaningful gig event. Finalists get to travel and perform in Paris and all students taking part get access to meeting collaborative partners from a different school and musical culture." 

"Each year the winner gets to make a professional standard track and music video which really showcases the best of their artist project. I know the previous winners saw this as a valuable asset for their portfolio as well as a transformative experience for them as writer/performers."

John Meldrum from ATLA said: 

"This year's winners are two talented ladies with two very different songs that both won over the hearts and minds of the jury. Leah Bryant's touching song 'Never Blue Enough' is a wonderful example of how a lyric goes through the process of re-writes until it is a finely hewn piece of work. She told me that she spent six months honing and refining the message of this song, and that's what makes it so effective." 

John said:

"Cindy Stawz's winning song 'We'll Meet Again' is in the Gospel groove, and yet is open to all to interpret as they feel. Her inspirational singing has been backed by a brilliant band of ATLA and ICMP students that were coached up in one day by Laurent Colombani, Pedagogical director of ATLA.

The fantastic new Studio A at  ICMP's facility manned by Sean Copson made all the difference in this professional production. Congratulations to Cindy and her team!" 

Watch a behind the scenes video for this year's competition... 

The ICMP/ATLA International Song Contest is open to first year BA(Hons) Songwriting students from ICMP and all the students from ATLA. Songs can be sung in any language and in any style.