Daniel Nahmod Wins Peacedriven Songwriting Award

PRESS RELEASE

20 February 2009

Nahmod wins Peacedriven Songwriting Award

NEW YORK – Out of more than 400 entries into the 3rd Peacedriven Songwriting Award contest, a song by Los Angeles-based musician Daniel Nahmod garnered the most buzz among the panel of judges, comprised of social activists and musicians. The songwriting award, sponsored by the Peacedriven Campaign and Sonicbids.com, is awarded annually.

Nahmod, a full-time musician, said he wrote “Last Song” two years ago after taking a break from touring on the road. “I took a three month sabbatical and went to Utah’s red rock country, hiking and writing songs,” Nahmod said. The Chicago native said the chorus to “Last Song” came to him near the end of his retreat while walking around an ancient riverbed. “I was annoyed to see trash scattered around such a beautiful place and started picking it up,” he said. Nahmod said he realized that change can happen in tiny increments, and even unrecognized service like picking up trash is meaningful.

Anthony Stokes, director of the Peacedriven Camapign, said the songwriting award honors composers like Daniel Nahmod who can tap into music’s power to inspire social change. “Daniel Nahmod is a gifted songwriter and ‘Last Song’ embodies what the Peacedriven Campaign is all about — inspiring people to do something good, even the smallest things,” Stokes said. “Like Daniel says in his song, ‘If a child stands a little bit taller because of something that I said’ then that is a life well-lived.”

As the winner of the Peacedriven Songwriting Award, Nahmod receives a $200 cash prize. His winning song can be heard on our campaign’s website (www.peacedriven.com). “Last Song” is also one of 11 tracks available on Daniel’s CD entitled “Water” (www.danielnahmod.com).

The Peacedriven Campaign received entries from around the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Israel, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, via the online music network Sonicbids.com. Judges selected one winner based on originality, melody and lyrics.

The mission of Peacedriven, a nonprofit and nonpartisan campaign, is to motivate social activists as well as empower a new generation to act. The project has received funding from YouthVenture and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.

Contact Anthony Stokes at info@peacedriven.com

For PDF of this press release, download here.