2018 Grand Prize Winner – Eric Ethridge (PRNewsfoto/Unsigned Only Music Competition)

The Unsigned Only Music Competition has announced its 2018 winners today. Unsigned Only is open to artists who are unsigned to a major record label and has become an important source for discovering new talent. Since its inception in 2012, four Grand Prize winners have been signed to major label record deals.

Winners were selected from over 6,000 entries submitted from 95 countries. One overall Grand Prize winner (as well as a First and Second Place winner in each category) was selected by a prestigious panel of judges comprised of celebrity artists and industry executives, including: Aimee Mann, Grouplove, O.A.R., Frank Foster, David Crowder, Aaron Shust, Jack Ingram, Lydia Loveless, and many more. For a complete list of judges, go to: http://www.unsignedonly.com/judges.

The 2018 Grand Prize has been awarded to Canadian country artist Eric Ethridge. The past few years have seen Ethridge’s career gaining momentum; he was mentioned in Rolling Stone, won the CCMA Discovery Program, charted on the Canadian Country charts, and most recently was debuted on SiriusXM’s The Highway. His much-anticipated debut EP was released in July of 2018 and peaked at #1 on the iTunes Country chart and #3 on the all-genres chart. His impressive catalogue of material, including the winning song “Girl On Fire,” proves that he is an artist who consistently stamps his songs with the same melodic and vocal prowess. A doctor-turned-country-artist, Ethridge has a strong connection with his fans and listeners, evidenced by his songs being streamed over three million times in the short time since the EP was released.

“Being named the Grand Prize winner of the 2018 Unsigned Only Music Competition has truly been an incredibly humbling and life changing experience,” said Ethridge. “This opportunity has truly given me the chance to take my career to the next level and live my passion, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful.”

2018 Unsigned Only Music Competition (PRNewsfoto/Unsigned Only Music Competition)

In addition to winning $20,000 in cash (US) and $20,000 (US) in prizes, Ethridge also receives one-on-one mentoring from a group of upper-echelon music industry executives including: Dan Chertoff (VP of A&R, RCA Records); Riggs Morales (VP of A&R and Artist Development, Atlantic Records); Nick Haussling (Sr, Director of A&R, Concord Music); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment); Zoe Young (VP of A&R, Epic Records); Doug Johnson (VP of A&R, Black River Entertainment) and Allison Jones (Sr. VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group).

“Canada has produced many great artists, and this year’s Grand Prize winner, Eric Ethridge, is its newest artist to emerge on the scene,” said UO founders, Candace Avery and Jim Morgan. “The Grand Prize winner needs to be an artist who possesses extraordinary talent and is ready to take the next step in his or her career. We are always on the lookout for that artist who not only creates music that will be in demand but who also makes music that is enduring. Ethridge embodies these traits, and he is one of the most exciting artists Unsigned Only has been privileged to discover.”

Unsigned Only is sponsored by: Berklee College of Music; Celebrity Access; D’Addario; Eventide; Eventric; Groove 3; Hybrid Studios; Lurssen Mastering; Magix; Merch Cat; Musician Wellness; Musicians Institute; PRA Systems; Pro Tour Nutrition; Radio Airplay; Shure; Symphonic Distribution; The Music Business Registry; and Vocal Eze.

Unsigned Only is now accepting entries. For info, go to: https://www.unsignedonly.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ —  Unsigned Only Music Competition