Selaine Awarded Songwriter of The Year By CM United
CM United proudly announces Selaine as the Songwriter of the Year in its 23rd Annual Christian Songwriting Contest. Selaine, whose song 'Temperaments' secured first place in the first quarter, stood out among a talented group of songwriters to receive the competition’s top honor.
This long-running annual competition, hosted by CM United through ChristianSongwriting.com, continues to spotlight and support emerging talent within the Christian music community. Each year, the contest brings together a diverse pool of songwriters, resulting in a rich blend of artistic and spiritual expression across a variety of Christian music styles.
23rd Annual Contest Winners:
1st Place Winners:
1st Qtr: Selaine – Temperaments
2nd Qtr: Alisa Claus – He Speaks To Me
3rd Qtr: Devin Jacob – Crimson River
4th Qtr: Brian Tucker and Cody Stowe – Searching
2nd Place Winners:
1st Qtr: Sonya Raica – Joy
2nd Qtr: Cindy Clark – Consecrated
3rd Qtr: Randall Cohen – Faith Like Jesus
4th Qtr: David Mize – Worship You
3rd Place Winners:
1st Qtr: Amy Abernathy-Montgomery – Please Take Control
2nd Qtr: Randall Cohen – Faith Like Jesus
3rd Qtr: Stephanie Villarreal – Through This Storm (I’m Yours)
4th Qtr: Thomas Roscoe – Psalm 1 (Because of You)
As the 23rd Annual Songwriter of the Year, Selaine will receive a grand prize package designed to help expand the reach of her music and advance her career as a Christian artist and songwriter.
Selaine brings an international perspective to her music, with a journey spanning Malaysia, Nigeria and Canada. The Nigerian-born artist, whose given names are Osose Elaine Itua, began writing at an early age and creates music shaped by influences ranging from Christian hip-hop and folk to rock and contemporary Christian music. An engineer, worship leader and entrepreneur in addition to being a songwriter and recording artist, Selaine seeks to create thought-provoking music grounded in her Christian faith.
Over the years, CM United’s contests have served as launching pads for many successful artists and songwriters. Notable past participants include Jordan St. Cyr, who went on to sign with a major Christian label; Mark Alan Schoolmeesters, a writer whose credits include artists such as Chris Tomlin and Jesus Culture; Shay Mooney, now part of the chart-topping duo Dan + Shay; and Dustin Smith, a well-known songwriter and Integrity Music artist. Other alumni include Band Reeves, brothers Jeramy and Cody Reeves, who went on to sign with Centricity Music.
Alumni success also includes Sam Hart, who along with his wife Christin was named the 17th Annual Songwriter of the Year. After relocating to Nashville, Sam signed with Curb/Word Publishing and has worked as a producer alongside Christian artists. Cale Kight, another former contestant, has achieved multiple Billboard-charting hits and regularly collaborates with Nashville songwriters.
These ongoing stories reflect the meaningful and lasting opportunities created through CM United’s contests, platforms that not only recognize songwriting talent but also contribute to the continued development of Christian songwriters and artists.
The 24th Annual Christian Songwriting Contest continues the tradition at ChristianSongwriting.com, inviting Christian songwriters to share their music and become part of a competition that has been discovering and encouraging songwriting talent for more than two decades.
