JUDGES
RUTH MCCARTNEY
Ruth is a music industry veteran, communications expert and brand strategist with a strong marketing and entrepreneurial background. Ruth's brainchild is the online Customer / Fan acquisition and retention, tool iFanz® iFanz.com® whose technology has provided online data mgmt., eCRM, & email broadcasting & compliance to LeAnn Rimes, Estate of Tupac Shakur, Roseanne Barr, John Cleese, Chevrolet, Paula Abdul, Edgar Winter, etc. http://www.mccartneystudios.com
KAREN BLISS
Karen Bliss’ long career as a music journalist in Toronto includes 13 years as the Canadian correspondent for Billboard and more than a hundred articles for RollingStone.com. A freelance music journalist since her teens, her work has also appeared in Variety, Pollstar, Zoomer, Venues Now, Melody Maker, NME, Time, and dozens more. She has interviewed thousands of artists, including Kurt Cobain, Eminem, Eddie Vedder, Taylor Swift, Lauryn Hill, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, Shawn Mendes, Michael Bublé, Britney Spears, Metallica, and Gwen Stefani. Among her other ventures, she co-authored the book Music From Far and Wide: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards. Karen was also a co-producer, researcher and interviewer on the documentary Chasing Fortune, about former INXS frontman JD Fortune. The past couple of years, she worked on an investigative piece for Billboard on an alleged sexual predator in the Canadian music business. For more info: TWITTER: @karen_bliss
BRENT BACKHUS (SONG AND VIDEO JUROR)
Recording engineer for Solomon Burke, The Whispers, John Lee Hooker. Also video production clients include Sheryl Crow Live At The Capitol Theatre (Winner Best Performance Blu-Ray 2019), Jane's Addiction (Concert Video), George Harrison Foundation (film), The Pretenders With Friends (Concert Video). Companies: Group 4, Cleopatra Entertainment & Rock Fuel Media.
DAVID EATON
Record Producer/Engineer - Dynamite Hack, The Polyphonic Spree, All The Apparatus, Crackout, Slammin' Gladys, Engineer for Maureen McCormick, Jean-Luc Ponty, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, & Archivist for Warner/ Elektra/Atlantic Record distribution. Los Angeles, CA.
DIANA WILLIAMSON
Writer of 2 x #3 Billboard hot club chart songs, over 50 cuts in film/TV. Produced one of the Temptations. Los Angeles Music Awards "Female Songwriter of the Year."Writer of "101 Tips and Tricks of Successful Songwriting. DJ at Acoustic Gold Radio, 4680Q.ca, CEO Themusiclibrary.org http://www.themusiclibrary.org
