Submit now for the Cobalt Prize Contemporary Blues Composition Award
Blues musician Paul Reddick founded the Cobalt Prize.The Toronto Blues Society and Juno Award-winning blues artist Paul Reddick have announced details and submission deadlines for the sixth annual Cobalt Prize Contemporary Blues Composition Award. The intention behind the Cobalt Prize is to promote blues music through the exploration of its form.
The winning composition will be judged on its ability to creatively utilize blues traditions within the broad contemporary musical landscape. Particular attention will be paid to aspects of instrumentation, melodic invention, song structure, lyrics, and production possibilities. The successful song will explore and refresh blues as an art form. Priority will be given to songs that have been crafted specifically for the Cobalt Prize However, previously released material may be submitted. Please read the About page to understand the priorities of the Cobalt Prize.
The Cobalt Prize Contemporary Blues Composition Award was created and originally funded by Toronto-based Paul Reddick, whose goal was to change the way audiences perceive and appreciate blues music. The Cobalt Prize receives hundreds of submissions from artists coast-to-coast, proving that deviating from standard blues riffs and clichés is a welcome activity in the growing Canadian blues music scene.
“I’m looking forward to this year, the sixth year of the Cobalt Prize for Contemporary Blues Composition. I encourage artists to continue writing innovative blues-based music to help move the art form forward to keep the blues not just alive but relevant and inspiring,” Paul said.
Applications will be accepted until Thursday, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. ET. A cash prize of $1,000 will be presented to the winner at the upcoming Maple Blues Awards, being held at Koerner Hall in Toronto on Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. The second and third place winners will each receive $250.
Previous winners of the Cobalt Prize Contemporary Blues Composition Award are Digging Roots (2015), Conor Gains (2016), Ann Vriend (2017 and 2019), and Joe Nolan (2018).
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How to submit:
All submissions must include:
- One attached MP3 file of the track to be considered (Note: Only one track per composer will be considered)
- Track information (including track title, lyrics sheet, and composer’s name)
- Contact information (including first and last name, e-mail address, current city and province of residence)
- A $10 administration fee payable via PayPal (link will be provided after submission)
Please send your complete application to cobaltprize@gmail.com for consideration.
