Avid and Abbey Road Studios Announce Winners of Global Music Talent Competition

Coinciding with the announcement of Pro Tools 11, Avid® (NASDAQ: AVID), the makers of the industry-leading music and audio production system Pro Tools®, and the legendary Abbey Road Studios today announced the winners of the Avid and Abbey Road Studios Song Contest powered by Talenthouse. An esteemed panel of music industry leaders, including Greg Wells, Tricky Stewart, and John Feldmann selected Scratch on a Blackboard, Millia Oz, and Emerger as the Judge’s choice winners in the competition. Of the nearly 5,000 songs submitted by independent musicians and producers across the globe, Brothers Nalbandyan was selected as the contest’s Fan’s choice award winner.

Multiple Grammy-winning producer, mixer, and songwriter Greg Wells is known for his work with Adele and Katy Perry; Grammy-winning producer Tricky Stewart’s credits include Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna; and producer and A&R representative John Feldmann’s resume includes being the singer and guitarist of Goldfinger, and producer for Good Charlotte.

Each Judge’s choice artist will have their original song mixed and mastered by Abbey Road’s Online Mixing & Mastering Services and will also receive a complete Pro Tools | HD Native recording system from Avid. The Fan’s choice award winner will receive an Mbox® audio interface with Pro Tools 10 software.

Judges Choice Winners

• Millia Oz — London-based, Portuguese singer-songwriter Millia Oz, teamed up with fellow musician Filipe Estácio, to bring to life “Run Fire Burn,” a song she had written whilst in transit home in 2011. Oz’s song was the pick of Stewart, who called the track both familiar and original. “I found the lyrics [to the song] to be the most developed and the most interesting conceptually. The core progressions are catchy and melodic, and pay off at the end.”
• Scratch on a Blackboard — The electronica-meets-folk track, “Run,” from independent Italian quartet Scratch on a Blackboard, caught the ears of Wells, who said that he likes what he hears. “It’s musical, stylish and knows what it is.”
• Emerger — Melodic rock duo, Emerger, from Cape Town, South Africa, incorporates classical influence with memorable melodies, to create a self-described “musically dynamic and refined sound.” Their song, “Break & Fall,” which details the universal theme of the ups and downs of a romantic relationship, was the choice of Feldmann, who said the pair’s melodies are unique and different. “They have a great cinematic landscape to their music,” he said. “They have a good image and are a good example of what modern music can be. The producer did a great job on the track. The singer has a great voice and seems like she would be a good front woman."

Fan’s Choice Winner

• Brothers Nalbandyan — “Triangle,” by Brothers Nalbandyan, is the Fan’s choice with a total 4,138 votes. The duo, who hail from Yerevan, Armenia, describes their sound as “nu funk, acid jazz and neo soul.”

“One of Avid’s primary missions is to enhance the creative process of the music industry by delivering the most advanced and innovative technology,” said W. Sean Ford, vice president, Worldwide Marketing at Avid. “Our partnership with Abbey Road Studios has enabled us to pair some of the industry’s top producers with some of the best aspiring artists. Congratulations to all of the winners.”

About Avid

Avid creates the digital audio and video technology used to make the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world – from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, music recordings, and television shows, to live concert tours and news broadcasts. Some of Avid’s most influential and pioneering solutions include Media Composer®, Pro Tools®, Interplay®, ISIS®, VENUE, Sibelius® and System 5. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, connect with Avid on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, SoundCloud; or subscribe to Avid Buzz.

© 2013 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Avid, the Avid logo, Interplay, ISIS, Mbox, Media Composer, Pro Tools and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Abbey Road Studios

London’s Abbey Road Studios is the most famous recording complex in the world and an iconic symbol of British music. Opened in 1931, the studios have been at the heart of the industry for over 80 years and home to countless landmark recordings and pioneering advances in recording technology. Many of the world’s most famous artists have recorded some of their greatest work at Abbey Road Studios including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Hollies, Oasis, Elbow, Lady Gaga and Adele.

As one of the world’s premiere locations for movie scoring since the 1980s, films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Braveheart, the Lord of The Rings Trilogy and The King’s Speech have been recorded there. The list continues with many other major titles including Shrek, Harry Potter, Skyfall and The Hobbit.

Recently a number of blockbuster videogames such as Halo & Call of Duty have also recorded their soundtracks at Abbey Road.

For more information on Abbey Road Studios, please visit www.abbeyroad.com.

About Talenthouse

Talenthouse is powering this Creative Invite and they're thrilled to be working with Avid, sharing this life-changing opportunity with their own community and out to the wider network of emerging musicians. Talenthouse is the artistic home for creative collaboration. This influential online community is a place where artists and creatives can express their passions, collaborate on unique projects with leading artists and brands, share their work and grow their influence.