Singer-songwriter Alison Benson has won the Judges’ Award at the ninth Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge.
The news was announced at the end of the Showcase Final which took place at Leaf on Bold Street on the evening of 18th January 2020. Alison also picked up the Audience Favourite award as voted by the audience on the night. This is only the second time in nine years the same person has won both awards.
Alison is no stranger to Liverpool Acoustic’s songwriting challenges having won the Audience Favourite award at the 2018 Showcase Final, and 2018’s inaugural 24 Hour Songwriting Challenge.
The winning song, called ‘Song of the Liver Bird’, was inspired by the male and female Liver Birds at the top of the Pier Head’s Royal Liver Building, positioned back-to-back, destined never to see each other.
Forever together, always apart
A cruel design
in the name of art
Eleven talented local songwriters won a place at the Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge 2019 Showcase Final where they performed their songs with an image of the work of art that inspired them projected onto the screen behing them for the audience to see.
The top three places in each category are:-
JUDGES’ AWARD 2019
- First place: Alison Benson – Song of the Liver Bird
- Second place: Dave Criddle – To The Moon
- Third place: Lizzie Callow – Wait Another Day
AUDIENCE FAVOURITE AWARD 2019
- First place: Alison Benson – Song of the Liver Bird
- Second place: Caitlin Louise – She Hides
- Third place: Kevin Eustace – Cheat Code
As the winning songwriter Alison Benson receives the following prizes
- Song professionally recorded by Jon Lawton at Crosstown Studios
- Songwriting or singing lesson from Kaya Herstad Carney at Parr Street Music School
- Cello lesson or cello arrangement for song recording from Luke Moore
- Booking at Threshold Festival 2020
All profits from the Showcase Final are divided between Marie Curie Cancer Care’s Woolton Centre and Garston Animal Rescue in memory of Liverpool Acoustic team member Sharon Jones.