RightOutTV Music & Video Awards 2014 • Kevin Wood

The winners of the 2014 RightOut TV 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. RightOut TV 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. Today I am thrilled to feature Kevin Wood.

I am a bit saddened to say this is the last post of winners from the 2014 RightOut TV Music & Video Awards. At the same time, I am excited, for I feel as though I have met several new artists I will be listening to for years to come. I can speak from experience because the winner of the Fan Favorite is someone I discovered when I was a judge for the 2013 Awards. He scored the award for 'Best Video So Far' in 2013 for 'Make It In LA', so I wasn't the only judge he made a mark with. Kevin Wood so impressed me, I needed to go out and find more of his music. Apparently, he resonated with many others, earning the Fan Favorite award for 2014.

That leaves the only remaining category, one I kept until the end much like the Grammy Awards do. 'Song of the Year' is an award that sounds impressive, mostly because it is impressive. There was no shortage of fantastic submissions, leading to six outstanding nominees. The list included several winner featured earlier in this series, like former 'The Voice' contestant Sarah Golden and "The One I Love", Martine Locke with "All My Days", Corday with her uplifting "Riding a Rainbow", Jane of Arc with "Run Flying", and Megan Lane, who took an earlier award with "Someday We Will Leave This Town". But the award went to Kevin Wood, his second for this year, this for the song "One Time Around". The Long Beach, California-based singer/songwriter featured the song on his album 'Out Among the Wolves' earlier this year, and I loved it right away. Without further ado, this is the song named 'Song of the Year', "One Time Around" by Kevin Wood.

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As you could hear, the song is just so positive, so inspiring, I cannot resist it. You can find "One Time Around" on Kevin's album released earlier this year. You can purchase 'Out Among the Wolves' from iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. To learn more about Kevin Wood, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank RightOut TV for asking me to be a judge once again. I am honored to take part of the competition, and thrilled to discover artists who are new to me year after year. The talent in the LGBT community seems to have no limits, something the RightOut TV website proves all year round.

Marlee and Tully developed RightOut TV 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 RightOut TV, visit the RightOut TV 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.