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.

2013 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards • Best Folk Song & Best Country/Jazz/Blues or Adult Contemporary Song

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."

I continue my celebration of the winners with the award for Best Folk Song, "Unstoppable Force" by Kat Devlin. The single, a beautiful and classic Folk tale, is lovely and lilting, just a joy to listen to. Kat's voice has hints of the great Judy Collins, and flourishes of the beautiful Sarah McLachlan, yet her sound is still very much her own. I lope you love listening to "Unstoppable Force".

To learn more about Kat Devlin, visit her official website, 'follow' her on Twitter, and 'like' her on Facebook. You can purchase "Unstoppable Force" from Bandcamp.

If the winner of the next category looks a bit familiar, you might remember her from Season 2 of 'The Voice', a member of Team Cee Lo who losts in the Battle Rounds to eventual runner-up Juliet Simms. Sarah is still making music, and great music at that. This year, she took home the trophy for Best Country/Jazz/Blues or Adult Contemporary Song for "Who Gives A Damn". This amazing song about self respect and self-love is just the song we need to hear in a time when bullying seems to be in the headlines every day.

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To learn more about Sarah Golden, visit her official website, 'follow' her on Twitter, and 'like' her on Facebook. You can check out more of her music on her ReverbNation page. 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.