Last September, OffBeat.com reported on the inaugural George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA)’s inaugural songwriting competition, for which PJ Morton, Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty, Tarriona “Tank” Ball and more served as judges. Now, the winners of the competition — which was produced in partnership with the Trombone Shorty Foundation — have been named.
College scholarships amounting to $55,000 were given away to 18 Louisiana high-school students, who were tasked with showing the connection between music and visual art through an original work of art or a song. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the March awards ceremony was canceled, but with scholarships and other prizes earned, there remains much to celebrate. The three songwriting winners of the competition scored an opportunity to record their winning songs under the guidance of Grammy-winning producers and engineers in a professional recording studio. Plus, there will be an opportunity to perform during the 2021 Shorty Fest presented by the Trombone Shorty Foundation. The winners of the visual arts competition will have their works included in museums and other cultural venues across the State of Louisiana, though details are still pending.
The winners of the 2020 George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts songwriting competition are:
1st Place – $5,000
Emma LeCompte (Senior, Vandebilt Catholic High School – Houma, LA)
College attending: Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA
2nd Place – $3,000
Ethan Hunt (Senior, Vermillion Catholic High School – Abbeville, LA)
College attending: University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA
3rd Place – $2,000
Grace Russell (Senior, Mandeville High School – Mandeville, LA)
College attending: Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN
For more information, including a list of visual arts winners, click here.
