RightOutTV Music & Video Awards 2014 • Janet Whiteway & Sarah Golden

The winners of the 2014 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards were announced recently, proving what great music is being made by LGBT artists. Well, that was obvious when I saw the list of nominees, coming from all around the world. RightOutTV was founded by Marlee Walchuk and Tully Callender, devoted to the promotion of LGBT artists and their music all across the globe. The submissions are from many genre, from Rock to Country to Electronica. Once again this year, I was proud to be asked to be a judge, hearing some more great music and discovering a few new artists. But enough with all that. It is time to showcase some very deserving artists. The first of those are Janet Whiteway (above, left) and Sarah Golden, (above, right).

The first category this year I bring to you is 'Best Song So Far', set up by Marlee and Tully for artists to promote the music released prior to the four-year-old awards. This attracts from amazing submissions, and there were five outstanding nominees. The list included Matt Zarley with "Here I Am", Kevin Wood and "The Moon Says Something", Caroline Murphy's "Hurricane", and Summer Osborne with "Letting Go". This year, the award went to Janet Whiteway and her fantastic song, "Pure Sunshine". The Toronto-based singer/songwriter has a rich history of performing, both as a solo act and in a band. In 2010, Janet released the album 'Pure Sunshine', and the title cut is now being honored as 'Best Song So Far'. This is the music video for "Pure Sunshine".

You can find "Pure Sunshine" on her album of the same name. You can purchase 'Pure Sunshine' from iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. To learn more about Janet Whiteway, visit her official website. You can also 'friend' her on Facebook, and 'follow' her on Twitter.

The second honoree is an American singer/songwriter who gave an impressive audition in season 2 of The Voice, a part of Team CeeLo. The Houston-based Golden released a single last winter, "The One I Love". The song is a beautiful and honest song about love and life, and was named 'Best Folk/Roots/Country Song', with deep competition from Norine Braun's "I Found You", Andrea Nardello's "Home To Me", Run Jenny's "Get My Whiskey On", Toni Vere's "This Old Heart", and Sarah McCracken's "Horse Grapes". This is Sarah Golden with her achingly beautiful "The One I Love".

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You can purchase the single "The One I Love" from iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. To learn more about Sarah Golden, visit her official website. You can also 'like' her on Facebook, and 'follow' her on Twitter.

Marlee and Tully developed RightOutTV to help LGBT artists with promotion, as a way of giving back to the community. The couple are also a musical duo, making up Sugarbeach. They were kind enough to ask me to participate in the awards for the last few years as a judge. To learn more about RightOutTV, visit the RightOutTV website. You can also 'follow' them on Twitter, and 'like' them on Facebook.

RightOutTV Awards 2013 • Song of the Year & Best Song So Far

Left: Avi Wisnia. Right: Matt Fishel

I am pleased to showcase the recent winners of the 2013 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards, pointing a spotlight on a few of the many talented members of the LGBT community making music. This year, awards were given in 18 different categories, with 17 different acts receiving them. The awards are given by RightOutTV, a website founded by Marlee Walchuck and Tully Callender. The website promotes Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender artists, allowing a platform for their voices to be heard, and a place for those wanting to support them to visit on a regular basis. “If you watch the awards show you’ll see that we don’t just promote and award these artists because they’re gay. These are high-level, multi-talented, professionals with star quality,” says Marlee Walchuk, co-producer of the awards. “Even though most of these artists are not being heard on mainstream radio yet, they deserve every success enjoyed by their straight counterparts."

The first artist to get bragging rights this year is Avi Wisnia, no stranger to winning awards, having won Best Video (DIY) in 2011 for his charming "Rabbit Hole" music video. This year, Avi won Best Song So Far for "Something New" a track off his debut album of the same name. The song gives a literal nod to great songs from the past that have inspired Wisnia, from artists as varied as The Beatles to Sade to Chicago. The following is a video I took of Avi at a show I was pleased enough to attend. This is Avi Wisnia with a very special live performance of "Something New".

To learn more about Avi Wisnia, visit his official website. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook, and congratulate him on the win. You can purchase 'Something New' from iTunes and Amazon.

Matt Fishel is also no stranger to the judges of the RightOutTV Awards. Last year, he won Best Video So Far for his delightful "Football Song", one of my favorites. He also won Song of the Year for his honest "Behind Closed Doors", off his 'Not Thinking Straight' album. This year, he repeats the latter win, as "Radio-Friendly Pop Song" was named Song of the Year. The song takes a look at the issues an LGBT artist come across in their careers. The rousing Pop tune soars on the chorus, but never steps away from the truth some executives fail to see. This is the official music video for the 2013 Song of the Year, Matt Fishel's "Radio-Friendly Pop Song".

To learn more about Matt Fishel, visit his official website, 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. You can purchase 'Not Thinking Straight' from iTunes and Amazon. You can also order hard copies, as well as autographed hard copies of the CD from Matt's online store. For more about RightOutTV, visit their official website. There you can find music videos and interviews of LGBT artists from around the world. you can also 'like' them on Facebook, and 'follow' them on Twitter.