What a wonderful day it was in Atlanta this year. Beautiful weather with not a rain cloud in sight and a gorgeous theater full of exceptional talent from around the globe at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to our esteemed judges, whose dedication and expertise were crucial in determining the winners. Their commitment to maintaining fairness and transparency ensured that the most deserving candidates emerged victorious.
But it’s not just the winners who deserve applause. Every participant who took part in the ISSA Awards deserves recognition for their courage and passion. They have all contributed to making this event an unforgettable celebration of human talent and potential.
The atmosphere during the show was electric, with participants from all walks of life showcasing their skills, talents, and passion. Each competitor brought their A-game, leaving spectators in awe and admiration. We witnessed moments of sheer brilliance, creativity, and a display of sheer determination that captivated everyone present.
Thank you for allowing us to help you in your magical, musical journey.
YOUR ISSA TEAM
2023 ISSA AWARDS USA WINNERS
Exceptional Songwriter & Song Specific Accolade Awards
Arnold Connelly – Best Song Intro – “The Rooster Strut”
Bo Hoss – Songwriting Maverick
Bobby Johnson – Best Hook – “He Gave His All”
Brauninger McDaniel – Genre-Bending Award
Brian Hedges – Musical Influence Award
Cosimo Lizzi – Best Song Dynamics – “Perdere L’Amore”
Dennis Ledbetter – Best Lyrics – “The Pen Don’t Lie”
Imran Ahmed – International Breakthrough Award
Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke – Best Use Of Harmony – “Nashville Rain”
Joey Sontz – Best Bridge – “I Melt”
John Dove – Exceptional Supporter Award
Maria Deirisarri – Trailblazing Performer
Mike Sands – Best Song Concept – “Heather’s Birds”
Parker Pressley – Best Melodic Progression – “Little Hank”
Richie Mullins – Best Song Structure – “Joan”
Ricky Davis – Best Song Breakdown – “38 Seconds Of Fame”
Rollin Jewett – Best Song Arrangement – “Meteor”
USA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Charu Suri
Silver – Jennifer Alvarado
Bronze – Samantha Grimes
USA FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Sarah Ashley
Silver – Alena Rae
Bronze – Brooke Butler
USA MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Jimmy Allgood
Silver – Sticktight Akins
Bronze – Hunter Flanagan
USA FEMALE RISING STAR
Emily Adams
USA MALE RISING STAR
Garret Wheeler
USA BAND OF THE YEAR
Gold – Burdens Within
Silver – The Cliff Wheeler Band
Bronze – Ludlow Creek
ISSA STORYTELLER AWARD
Todd Apfel
USA FEMALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Lisa Mitts – “Where Did It Go?”
Silver – Niecie – “Queen Of The Hill”
Bronze – Demi Michelle – “It Is What It Is”
USA MALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Roger Fournier – “The Roger Fournier Project – Nash 6”
Silver – Matt Maloof – “How’m I Doin”
Bronze – Bill Garlen – “Why Me Blues”
USA MALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Gino Joubert – “Time For A Change”
Silver – Jon Kinsey – “Let Him Talk”
Bronze – Jimmy Allgood – “Moving On”
USA FEMALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Hadley Taylor – “Trust Issues”
Silver – Dawn Rix – “Worlds Collide”
Bronze – Miranda Raine – “Game Of Love”
USA BAND SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Say Never – “Do It Again”
Silver – Andrew Dean & The Farm Machine – “Texas & Tennessee”
Bronze – 308 Ghost Train – “Paper Ships”
USA FEMALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – La La Musiq
Silver – Brenda Best
Bronze – Bernice Marsala
USA MALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Derrick Brandon
Silver – GM Blacktop
Bronze – John Vargas
USA VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Gold – The Just Imagines
Silver – The Band Wanted
Bronze – The Cranberry Merchants
USA FEMALE MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Gold – Sonia Kazarova – “Desperado Debutante”
Silver – CHARM – “Love Only feat. Mr. Clif”
Bronze – Randie ONeil – “Queen Of The Barstool Two-Step”
USA MALE MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Gold – Mark Ware – “Going To Take A Miracle”
Silver – John Blangero – “Sun King Rising”
Bronze – Rocky Michaels – “Best Part Of Living”
USA FEMALE EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Brandi Huang
Silver – Chelsea Rae
Bronze – Deby Kelley
USA MALE EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Corey James Grubb
Silver – Aaron Carter
Bronze – Josh Bearden
USA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
Gold – Music Mafia Radio – Cozmic Debris
Silver – Frog Eyes Radio – Gary Moulliet
Bronze – Blackdog Indie Country Radio – Phil Kranz
SOUND ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Tom Harding
USA PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Angela Marie Eidenmiller
USA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR
Linda Marks
2023 ISSA AWARDS INTERNATIONAL FINALISTS
INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Destiny Band Oz – AU
Silver – Ashley LeBlanc – CA
Bronze – Bob Donaldson – CA
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Nienke Havinga – NL
Silver – Madison Mueller – CA
Bronze – Cheryl Nye – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Dimitris Nezis – GR
Silver – Paul Jupe – UK
Bronze – Brent McAthey – CA
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE RISING STAR
Rachel Dara – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE RISING STAR
Konstantinos Oikonomopolous – GR
INTERNATIONAL BAND OF THE YEAR
Gold – Anslom Band – PG
Silver – The Mighty One – CA
Bronze – Yesterday’s Fate – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Tim Steinruck – CA – “Torch Of Rock And Roll”
Silver – Devan Ekambaram – IN – “Brindavan”
Bronze – Aira Winterland – BR – “Conceptions”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Joy Adams – NZ – “Just One Little Thing”
Silver – Delia Cano – MX – “Ese Amor”
Bronze – Rachel Walker Mason – UK – “Colour Me Violet”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Laura Musgrave – UK – “Early Days”
Silver – Roberta Scime – IT – “For The Second Time”
Bronze – Ewelina Borkowska – UK – “I’m Not Jealous”
INTERNATIONAL MALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Stevie McVeigh – UK – “Stop Slow Down”
Silver – Martin Mahoney – UK – “Inside Out”
Bronze – Chase Stevens – CA – “Gypsy Wind”
INTERNATIONAL BAND SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Paolo Nunin Band – IT – “Jump The Fence”
Silver – Tennessee Twin – UK – “Rear View Mirror”
Bronze – The Wolfe Milestone Band – CA – “Back To The Country”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Ruth Manning – CA
Silver – Lisa Richard – CA
Bronze – Judy Brazil – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Tim Steinruck – CA
Silver – Wolfe Milestone – CA
Bronze – Dimitris Nezis – GR
INTERNATIONAL VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Gold – Christopher Brown & Neil Faulkner – UK
Silver – John & Nienke Havinga – NL
Bronze – S. P. Balasubrahmanyam & S.J. Jananiy – IN
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Gold – Ashley LeBlanc – CA – “Rhinestone Cowgirl”
Silver – Rachel Dara – CA – “Eighteen”
Bronze – Mikalyn Hay – CA – “Phases”
INTERNATIONAL MALE MUSIC VIDEO
Gold – Jesse Patrick – CA – “Good Vibes” ft. Justin Maki
Silver – Shawn Adams – CA – “Take Your Halo Off”
Bronze – The Whythouse – CA – “Urban Country”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE EMERGING ARTIST
Gold – Sandee Facy – AU
Silver – Nina Flaaseth – NO
Bronze – Caroline Parke – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE EMERGING ARTIST
Gold – Emo LeBlanc – CA
Silver – AMARU – NL
Bronze – Bruce Coughlan – CA
INTERNATIONAL RADIO STATION – DJ OF THE YEAR
Gold – WebImagine – Muriel Bessmann – FR
Silver – The Highway 40 Show – Raymond Burgess – UK
Bronze – Monies New Music – Cynthia & Monie – UK
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Mark Rosner – CA
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR
Shaista Imran – PK
Zainab Khan – PK