The Road to Nashville: Liverpool International Song Contest (TRTN) is proud to announce the final songs out of more than 22,000 submissions received globally from 31 countries. With 21,411 songwriters participating, The Road to Nashville will make its way to the legendary EXIT/IN on John Lennon’s birthday, Sunday, October 9, for the finale performance live before a panel of celebrated and successful music industry representatives. The concert will be hosted by the BBC’s Claire Simmo and live streamed by Music Crowns reaching an audience of over four million.
Founded by The Unity of Faiths Foundation (TUFF), The Road to Nashville connects creatives worldwide with counseling services as mental health continues to dominate global headlines as the new pandemic. To combat mental health struggles within the music community, TUFF is providing access to complimentary mental health services for over 20,000 songwriters participating in the contest. To date, over 3,600 participants have opted in for services with mental health professionals.
Judging Panel for The Road to Nashville – Liverpool International Song Contest
Gary Morris
Grammy, ACM and CMA award winning singer/songwriter and Broadway star, Gary Morris, will serve as a judge. His recording career garnered five #1 and 16 Top 10 singles, including Why Lady Why, The Love She Found in Me, and Baby Bye Bye. Morris’ original rendition of the classic Wind Beneath My Wings won both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music “Song of the Year” awards. Morris was also named Billboard’s “Male Artist of the Year” early in his career.
At the height of his Nashville recording career, the Texas-bred tenor was tapped to play the lead role of Jean Valjean in Broadway’s epic hit “Les Misérables,” to critical acclaim. This role led to a Drama Desk Award nomination. His famous rendition of Bring Him Home on the platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning international cast album resulted in a Command Performance by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Additional Broadway roles include Rodolfo in the production of Puccini’s opera “La Bohéme,” opposite the incomparable Linda Ronstadt. He has also played for six U.S. Presidents.
Jeff Cohen
Jeff Cohen is a six-time BMI Award-winning and Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer and publisher based in Nashville, whose songs have appeared on over 20 million albums sold, over 100 placements in TV/Film and over 10 million video games. Jeff’s songs have been recorded by critically acclaimed artists including The Band Perry (Postcard from Paris), Evan and Jaron (Crazy For This Girl), Big and Rich (Holy Water). His work has also been featured in movies and TV shows such as Paw Patrol, The Simpson’s, Saturday Night Live, Princess Diaries and many more.
Pamela Lewis
After years of dedicated service in the music industry, Pamela Lewis opened her own PR firm in 1985, PLA Media, a Nashville-based, award-winning and full-service entertainment public relations and marketing company. Lewis’ long list of previous management clients includes Garth Brooks, who she worked with until 1994, and Trisha Yearwood, landing her a record deal at MCA Records, guiding her to win CMA’s Top Female Vocalist of the Year. Yearwood is the first female country musician to sell one million records among other accolades. Lewis has been honored with Performance Magazine’s “Country Music Managers of the Year” two consecutive years ’92 and ’93, Pollstar Award “Personal Manager of the Year ’92, Country Music Association’s “Artist Manager of the Year”, SRO Award ’01 (The first female executive to win this award), Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 listing in ’95 & ’96, Who’s Who in Executives, International Society of Poets Distinguished Member, Franklin Police Department Order of Excellence ’15 & Tennessee Association of Museums Award in recognition of superlative achievement for publications PR kit.
She has been recognized for her business success/entrepreneurship, community outreach, philanthropy and preservation efforts by the Metro Nashville Historic Commission, Heritage Foundation, African American Heritage Foundation, Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee Preservation Trust. In 2022, Lewis was named a fellow by the UK Royal Society of the Arts during Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
Regie Hamm
Born the son of a traveling minister, Regie was a musician in a family band supporting his father’s ministry. He struck out in the late 1980’s to be a songwriter, achieving early success in the Christian music industry with several songs that reached the top of the CCM charts. Soon he was writing and producing for other genres and meeting similar success while winning several awards. Known as one of the “good guys” in Nashville music circles, he continues to write and produce today.
His career highlights include: Five-time SESAC “Writer of the Year”, American Idol songwriter contest winner (2008), Billboard Top 20 AC Hit as Artist/Songwriter/Producer with “Babies” from American Dreams (Universal South), wrote 2008 American Idol finale song / first single “The Time of Our Lives” for David Cook, setting records for sales with 136,000 in the first week 4 days; #3 on Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard Top Digital Songs and multiple Dove and Grammy nominations for both writing and producing.
Below are the finalists who will be making their way to the EXIT/IN from around the globe. To stream the finale songs, visit https://roadtonashville.us/finalists-3.
Sean Kennedy // Glasgow, Scotland
Edi Callier // Los Angeles, USA
Skinny Living // Ireland
Ammon & Liahona Olayan // Hawaii, USA
Charles Cleyn // Canada
Alex Boye’ // London, UK
Neeve Zahra // Manchester, UK
Grace & Hannah // Newcastle, UK
Jennifer Sanon // Miami, USA
Liz Beatty & Nate Strasser // Brentwood, USA
Abi Muir // Australia
About The Road to Nashville – Liverpool International Song Contest
The Road to Nashville 2022 was birthed from the 2020/21 Liverpool International Song Contest, aimed at tackling mental illness discrimination and stigma specifically tailored towards those in the creative sector. Created by TUFF (The Unity of Faiths Foundation) and backed by both the Nashville Metro City Council and the Liverpool City Council, the 2022 Road to Nashville Contest started with the global #KIND20 campaign. During the pandemic, TUFF’s global #KIND20 campaign demonstrated a way to promote social integration and reached a staggering 6.7 million people worldwide. From here, the Road to Nashville – Liverpool International Song Contest expanded to address TUFF’s wider goals of empowering young people and promoting acceptance, equality and respect for other cultures.
Participants in the 2020/21 competition were invited to attend 23 workshops across the Liverpool City region delivered by TUFFs Music division and led by TUFFs co-founders Anna Prior & Dr. Shamender Talwar FRSA (renowned social psychologist) and Liverpool-based producer Daniel Xander BSc MA (TUFFs Head of Music). These workshops provided education in music and production as well as one-to-one counseling with professional mental health practitioners. In addition to the thousands who attended the in-person workshops, TUFF also provided an online version for those unable to attend due to COVID-19, medical and/or mental health reasons. The 2022 Road to Nashville contest provides the same support for musicians and songwriters who sign up for free mental health services and is providing free-of-charge mental health and/or professional life coaching services for over 3,600 global participants to date. Each musician requesting counseling receives a minimum of three complimentary sessions valued at $250 a session.
About TUFF – the co-organizer
The Unity of Faiths Foundation (TUFF) is a British secular charitable organization working on four continents. TUFF bridges community sectors, organizations and government by rebuilding social integration and global community cohesion. TUFF empowers youth through participation in sports, music and science, as well as teaching education in human values such as individual liberty, gender equality and respect for other cultures. TUFF was established in 2011 and had the support and acknowledgments of many dignitaries including H.H Pope Francis, H.M the Queen, and President Barack Obama to name a few. The ultimate goal is to share kindness and facilitate the integration and empowerment of those people who do not have a voice, due to the numerous challenges and obstacles they face in their daily lives.
To learn more or donate to TUFF, visit: www.tuff.earth.
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