The 2025 International Songwriting Competition Has Announced the Winners
The results are in! The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has officially announced the winners of its 2025 competition, recognizing outstanding songwriting talent from around the globe.
As a proud Prize Partner, Play MPE is thrilled to celebrate this year’s winners and award both the overall Grand Prize Winner, as well as the winner and runners-up of our co-branded special promotion: Promote Your Music Like the Pros.
ISC remains one of the most respected and influential songwriting competitions in the world, with winners selected by an esteemed panel of artists and music industry professionals. This year’s judges included Tom Waits, Jason Mraz, Elle King, KSHMR, and Nancy Wilson (Heart), alongside executives from Arista, Glassnote, Columbia, Paramount, Ministry of Sound, and many more.
Want to see the full list of winners? Click here to view the complete ISC 2025 Winners and Special Promotion winners.
Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner Samuel Opoku (Sam Opoku)
The Grand Prize Winner of ISC 2025 is Samuel Opoku (Sam Opoku) for his powerful song, “Old.”
A moving reflection on the passage of time and the experience of growing older, “Old” stood out for its vulnerability, emotional depth, and compelling songwriting.
Play MPE is honoured to award Sam Opoku with a comprehensive music promotion and radio tracking package to help support his continued growth and reach new audiences.
The Grand Prize package includes a full music promotion campaign for up to a full-length album release, featuring:
- One International Bundle (by format)
- Global Music Supervisors
- Global Music Bloggers (by genre)
- A 3-month MTR radio tracking plan
You can view the full list of ISC prizes here.
Promote & Track Your Music Like the Pros — Winners
In addition to the Grand Prize, Play MPE is proud to support the winners of our special co-branded promotion, Promote & Track Your Music Like the Pros, designed to help emerging artists elevate their music promotion strategy.
Overall Winner
“Learning To Love Me”
by Flavia Watson (FLAVIA), Rachel Ann Blum, and Elliot Joseph Polokoff
Dublin, Ireland
Runners-Up
“Worth It In The End”
by Oscar Dawson and Vinnie Brigante (Vinnie Brigante)
Toorak, VIC, Australia
“Bad Company”
by Anthony Borrelli
Needham, MA, USA
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners for their exceptional songwriting and artistry. We’re proud to support emerging voices and help artists connect their music with industry professionals.
This Could Be YOU!
Artists and songwriters… this could be YOU next year!
Stay tuned for details on ISC 2026, including submission deadlines and how to enter your music for a chance to be recognized on a global stage.
Ready to start promoting your music now? Learn how Play MPE can help you promote and track your releases like the pros.