Photo: Neil Ferry
This year’s Casio Sessions event saw two incredibly talented singer-songwriters named as the winners following an evening of performances at Ninety One Living Room in London, UK. The event, now in its second year, was held in a partnership between Casio Music UK and Breed Media.
The competition saw an overwhelming number of entrants, with 15 finalists making it through to showcase their own material at the live event. The team of judges on the night — Neil Evans, Head of EMI; Dan Henry, Field Sales Manager; and Emsy Petersen, EMI Marketing Specialist, all of Casio Music UK; and Lisa Edwards, Head of Production at Breed Media were so blown away by the talent on display that they once again decided that the award had to be split between two entrants.
Crispin Burton and Dilettante were both crowned winners of this year's competition.Photo: Neil FerryThe two artists named as winners were Crispin Burton and Dilettante (aka Francesca Pidgeon), who will each receive the top prize for two very different, yet equally impressive performances. Crispin wowed the audience with his captivating and personal song ‘If You Hear My Voice’ with his rich, warm voice and technical piano ability impressing the audience and judges alike, while Dilettante’s soulful ballad, ‘I’m In Love With Falling In Love’’, was reminiscent of Kate Bush, with a swing that got the audience’s hips moving as her performance showcased her impressive vocal range.
As well as taking home an award winning Casio PX-S7000 digital piano, both winners will also receive a mastering session at a recording studio, with their music being pressed to 250 7-inch vinyl records with artwork, a prize provided by competition partner Breed Media, a physical music manufacturing and vinyl pressing platform which specialises in supporting emerging artists. All 15 finalists will receive content captured from the Casio Sessions grand final including professional photography and videography of their performances.
“It's such an honour to win. I’ve never properly won a competition, so it’s nice to prove to myself that I’m going in the right direction. There was so much incredible talent, I was shocked! And I think I've found about 14 other new artists I'm now a fan of. Thanks so much to Casio and Breed for this amazing opportunity.” - Crispin Burton
“It’s very unexpected but incredibly exciting! Thanks so much to Casio and Breed — I can’t wait to get hold of the vinyl and have the PX-S7000 in the studio as it’s so nice to play. A big shout out to all the other finalists for their performances too!” - Dilettante
Casio Music UK say that they are committed to championing grassroots musical talent and are delighted to elevate the careers of inspiring musicians. The two winners from last year, May Payne and Stefan Mahendra, have since released EPs and toured the UK, demonstrating the opportunities that can arise from the competition. May and Stefan both returned to the Sessions stage during this year’s final to perform two brand new songs.
Neil Evans, Head of Casio EMI, said: “A massive congratulations to Crispin and Dilettante. Their performances captivated the audience and demonstrated high levels of skill, so we just had to split the award! We are delighted to award them both a PX-S7000, the exclusive mastering session and vinyl run. Tonight we watched 15 amazing performances, showcasing the depth of talent that is out there. Casio Music is proud to give a platform to such inspiring individuals and Sessions is testament to how much talent is out there.”
Lisa Edwards, Group Head of Production at Breed Media, added: “Wow, what a fantastic evening! a huge thank you to Casio Music for letting us be part of such a special event. Choosing Crispin and Dilettante was no easy task, so I want to congratulate all the musicians who performed tonight as I was well and truly blown away by the talent on show.”
A full list of this year’s finalists can be found via the link below.
