One Edinburgh teenager is looking forward to Thursday night when she may win big in the Unsigned Music Awards.
Molly McDermott, otherwise known as MOMAC, has been shortlisted for a Youth Music Award from an original entry of 4,000. The awards will be judged by the Music Editor of MTC, Adam Read and Abbie McCarthy who is a presenter on KISS FM.
The 17 year-old hails from Portobello but now lives and studies in Brighton where she attends BIMM music college. She is following in illustrious footsteps as KT Tunstall is a former student.
David Whitmey, writer, producer and founder of Music Base in Leith, said: “Molly is such a talent – a genuine writing “machine” with literally hundreds of outstanding songs coming each year.
“It’s difficult to keep up with her! It’s mind blowing that someone who’s only 17 could have that kind of maturity and be so driven and focused on exactly who she wants to be as an artist. It’s no surprise there’s so much attention around her at the moment.”
MOMAC, who recently won in the under 18s category of the UK Songwriting Competition said: “The last 12months have been a whirlwind for me, winning the songwriting competition, recording my EP with the incredibly talented David Whitmey and moving to Brighton to study at BIMM.
“Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I was told I had been nominated for the Youth Music Award at the UMA in London, which I’m really excited about and fingers crossed with all the hard work I’ve put in recently, it will have paid off.”
Simon O’Kelly, CEO of the Unsigned Music Awards, said: The musical landscape is changing. Today the term ‘unsigned’ does not carry the same stigma as it once did. A young music fan’s perception of what ‘unsigned’ artists create differs greatly to generations before. Even artists themselves like Macklemore and Stormzy are turning their backs on traditional and 360 recording contracts to remain totally independent and retain creative rights to their music.
“The model has shifted away from the need of a typical record deal and this needs to be acknowledged.”
Winners of each category will be rewarded with the chance to work with some of the industry’s most reputable publishers, booking agents, sync agencies, managers, studios and much more with UMA facilitating opportunities.
Playing live on the night of the Awards is a line-up of some of the best emerging artists in the UK including: Elle Exxe, AKS, Skies, Chasing Cadence, Hunter & The Bear, Broken Witt Rebels, Alex Francis and Darby Ward.
Visit www.theumas.com for more details and follow: @The UMAs
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
