“You look happier; what happened?”
For David Kushner, it could be because his 2023 viral hit “Daylight” won over the judges in the International Songwriting Competition.
The L.A.-based 23-year-old singer-songwriter was awarded the Grand Prize in the 2023 contest for “Daylight,” co-written with Hayden Robert Hubers, Jeremy Fedryk, Joshua Bruce Williams, Edison Boon Eason, and Drake Jon Livingston Jr.
For the winning combination, they receive $25,000 in cash and additional merchandise and services.
“The first time I heard the Grand Prize-winning song ‘Daylight,’ I knew that it was extraordinary,” said ISC Founder Candace Avery. “It is a song that showcases a profound understanding of the art of songwriting, not just as a composition but also as an anthem that beautifully reflects the complexities of the human spirit. It is truly a tour de force of songwriting and as such has earned its rightful place as a beacon of musical excellence in the International Songwriting Competition.”
The 2023 panel of celebrity judges included Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Linkin Park, Tom Waits, Shooter Jennings, Reba McEntire, Steven Curtis Chapman, Arlo Parks, and Rosanne Cash.
Kushner is in great company: Past ISC winners include Vance Joy, Bastille, Tones and I, Coco Jones, Gotye, Illenium, Fantastic Negrito, Faouzia, Lindsey Stirling, Rachel Bloom, The Teskey Brothers, Ondara, Passenger, The Band Perry, Dean Lewis, Gregory Porter, Amy Shark and many more.
“Daylight” peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year, and impressively, created a TikTok movement. Kushner posted demo snippets on the app and created a trend titled “You look happier; what happened,” inviting fans to post photos of themselves smiling and looking content. The brilliant idea worked and helped generate more than 1 billion streams for the song.
For a complete list of ISC 2023 winners, visit songwritingcompetition.com/winners.
Entries are now open for ISC 2024; for more information and to enter, go to songwritingcompetition.com/submit.
(Pauseandplay.com is a media partner of the ISC.)
@davidkushneri can’t describe the feeling, thank u 🙂