Anthony Drewe, Stephen Rahman-Hughes, winner Emma Vieceli and George Stiles. Picture: Ian Bowkett
Emma Vieceli’s ‘It Starts Small’ from the musical Unfolding has been crowned the Stiles + Drewe and Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) 2024 Best New Song Prize winner.
Awarded on an annual basis to a member of MMD, the UK’s largest membership organisation dedicated to developing new musical theatre writing, the winner of this year’s award was revealed at the end of a star-studded concert performance at The Other Palace in London.
Chosen by the judging panel – Anthony Drewe, Arthur Darvill, Chris Bush, George Stiles and Joanne Benjamin – Vieceli took home £1,000 towards the development of her work. The runner-up prize pot of £250 for Voice, Vision and Potential went to Amir Shoenfeld and Caitlyn Burt for ‘Drek!’ from Otto’s Weidt’s Brush and Broom Workshop for the Blind with an additional £250 prize going to Cheeyang Ng and Eric Sorrels for ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’ from Queering the Canon.
Commenting on this year’s contest, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe said: “This was a vintage year for the Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize, with a hotly contested field of 12 songs from new musicals. Our fellow judges engaged in vigorous and passionate debate during the judging process, while the audience were treated to some more songs from recent successful British musicals.
“They eventually settled on ‘It Starts Small’ by Emma Vieceli, which we all felt delivered a difficult and unexpected story in a beautiful and very moving way. The second prize was awarded for Vision, Voice and Potential to Caitlin Burt and Amir Shoenfeld’s wonderful song ‘Drek!’, which beguiled audience and judges alike.
“Competition this year was so fierce that we felt we needed to add a runner-up prize, awarded to Cheeyang Ng and Eric Sorrel’s ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’, which brought a haunting contemporary musical language to another powerful idea that surprised and delighted the judges and the packed house at The Other Palace. New musical theatre writing was on fire in London on Monday night!”
Natalia Scorer, executive director of Mercury Musical Developments, added: “Huge congratulations to this year’s winner Emma Vieceli and to all the writers in this year’s Song Prize final. We were delighted to publicly showcase the craft and talent of Mercury Musical Developments members. These were 12 wonderful and varied songs, brought to life by an exceptional cast and band, and we’d like to thank everyone who took part.”
Established and overseen by acclaimed writing duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Identical, Honk!, Mary Poppins), the Song Prize showcased 12 new songs from the musicals of tomorrow in the celebration concert hosted by Olivier Award-winner Jenna Russell.
This year’s line-up of star performers included Allyson Ava Brown (Hamilton, Les Misérables), Cassius Hackforth (Something Rotten, From Here To Eternity), Charlie McCullagh (42 Balloons, Jesus Christ Superstar), Dan Partridge (Kinky Boots, Grease), Desmonda Cathabel (Aladdin, Miss Saigon), Jodie Jacobs (Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder, Hello, Dolly!), Lauryn Redding (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Bloody Elle: A Gig Musical), Liv Andrusier (Fiddler on the Roof, RIDE), Natalie Paris (Pretty Woman, Six), Obioma Ugoala (Frozen, Hamilton), Samuel Barnett (Rock Follies, Ben and Imo) and Tim Howar (Rock of Ages, The Phantom of the Opera).
The concert also celebrated recent new British musical successes, featuring songs from hit shows Becoming Nancy, Cable Street, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) and 42 Balloons.
Chosen from 202 submissions, the 2024 nominees also included:
‘The Temptation of Me’ from Proud by Mark Anderson and Lee Freeman
‘I’m Going To Stay With You’ from The Tale of the Gifted Prince by Lezlie Wade and Dan Green
‘Ideal Robot Assistant’ from A.I. Will Solve All Your Problems by Leo Mercer
‘Viareggio’ from Lifeboats by Gus Gowland
‘Die Like Trees’ from Girl Goes to the Underworld by Sam Norman and Bela Kawalec
‘Hero’ from Man Vs Snake the Epic Musical by Stuart Matthew Price and Daniel Fletcher
‘Spread a Little Joy Around The Place’ from Retail Therapy by Hilmi Jaidin
‘Locked Away’ from The Queen is Mad by Amy Clare Tasker and Tom McGrath
‘Invisible’ from Hatched! by Lydia Shaw and Edward Court
Angela Thomas
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.