Future Sound Awards Launches to Celebrate AI Music Creators

Key Takeaways:

• Future Sound Awards launched July 1, 2025, as the first major global competition for AI-generated music.
  

• $10,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs, with entries open through July 22.
  

• The awards are organized by Fanvue in partnership with SoundCloud and AI music platform TwoShot.
  

• Jeff Nang, music producer (Disney, Sony, Universal), joins the judging panel alongside Butterbro, Tobi Akinyemi, and Narcis Marincat.
  

• Entries must be created using the TwoShot Studio app and are judged on creativity, vocals, lyrics, production, authenticity, and audience engagement via a SoundCloud-powered chart.
  

• The competition highlights how AI tools are democratizing music creation, with 60% of musicians already using AI in production, mixing, or mastering.
  

• Judges aim to recognize originality, responsible use of AI, and bold creative vision—regardless of prior music experience.

AI Music’s Global Stage: Future Sound Awards Launch with $10K Prize

The Fanvue World AI Creator Awards (WAICAs) have officially expanded into music, launching the Future Sound Awards on July 1, 2025. This first-of-its-kind global competition recognizes the millions of creators now using AI to produce music—and offers a $10,000 prize pool to reward top talent.

Backed by high-profile partners SoundCloud and TwoShot, and led by a panel of industry judges, the awards aim to become the Grammys of AI Music.

Celebrating the Rise of AI-Generated Music

According to the 2025 IMS Business Report, more than 60 million people used AI to create music in 2024—a clear signal of the technology’s fast-growing role in the industry. In fact, 60% of musicians are already using AI tools to advance their music careers, particularly in production, mixing, and mastering. This shift is reshaping workflows, democratizing access to high-quality tools, and empowering creators at every level of experience.

That explosive growth has led to increasing calls for recognition—and the Future Sound Awards aim to answer.

Organized by the team behind last year’s Miss AI phenomenon, the Future Sound Awards embrace AI’s transformative role in music while championing responsible, creative, and inclusive use of the technology.

“This is the future of music… let’s have fun with it,” said music producer Jeff Nang, who has worked with Sony, Universal, and Disney. In a recent interview with AiNews.com, Nang discussed how tools like Controlla Voice are redefining music production:

“AI has smashed through the old creative barriers—now every music creator can express themselves without limits. I'm hyped to hear what artists come up with using these new tools.”

🎙️ Watch the full interview with Jeff Nang here.

Meet the Judges and Partners

A diverse and experienced panel will evaluate submissions across six criteria: inspiration, process, vocals, lyrics, beat, and authenticity—along with listener engagement via SoundCloud's official chart.

Judging Panel:

• Jeff Nang – Music producer (Sony, Universal, Disney)

• Butterbro – First artist with an AI song in the German music charts

• Tobi Akinyemi – Founder of TwoShot & AI music producer

• Narcis Marincat – Head of AI at Fanvue

Official partners SoundCloud and TwoShot will power chart placements and submission tools, while Audible Magic will provide rights verification and content protection.

Behind the Platforms: TwoShot and SoundCloud’s Role

TwoShot and SoundCloud are central to the Future Sound Awards—not just as partners, but as the technological and distribution backbone of the entire competition.

TwoShot: AI Music Creation Made Easy

TwoShot is an AI-powered music platform designed to unlock creativity for anyone—whether you're a seasoned producer or brand new to music-making. Users can generate beats, melodies, and full tracks simply by singing, describing a sound, or entering text prompts. The platform automatically transforms those inputs into high-quality music using traceable and ethical AI.

For the Future Sound Awards, TwoShot is the exclusive tool for creating and submitting tracks. Only tracks produced using TwoShot’s platform are eligible, ensuring a level playing field and allowing judges to evaluate how AI tools were used in the creative process. TwoShot also works with Audible Magic to verify originality and prevent copyright violations.

“A new wave of musicians has been born with the rise of AI-powered creation tools,” said Tobi Akinyemi, founder of TwoShot and a member of the judging panel. “Digital tools like Fruity Loops unlocked tens of millions of musicians; AI will unlock hundreds of millions—if not billions. We’re incredibly proud and excited to spotlight artists pushing the boundaries of music creation.”

SoundCloud: Powering the Official Chart

SoundCloud, one of the world’s leading music streaming platforms, plays a vital role by powering the official Future Sound Awards chart. Once submitted, eligible tracks are published to a dedicated SoundCloud playlist, where they can be streamed and discovered by global audiences.

These streaming numbers aren’t just for show—audience engagement on SoundCloud directly influences the judging, making the awards more transparent and community-driven.

Together, TwoShot and SoundCloud provide both the creation tools and the audience platform that make this first-of-its-kind competition possible.

How to Enter

Anyone over 18 can enter by creating a track using TwoShot Studio app and submitting it to the Future Sound Awards chart via SoundCloud. Entries close Tuesday, July 22.

Accepted Genres & Guidelines:

• All music genres and languages welcome

• Submissions must be created using the TwoShot app

• No copyrighted samples or materials allowed; submissions must be original

Learn more here: https://waica.webflow.io

Awards and Prizes

A total of $10,000 in cash prizes will be awarded:

• 🥇 First Place: $7,000

• 🥈 Second Place: $1,500

• 🥉 Third Place: $1,500

Judging Criteria

Entries to the Future Sound Awards will be evaluated using a comprehensive 60-point scoring system, designed to balance creative artistry with audience engagement.

Each submission will be judged across the following six categories, with a maximum of 10 points awarded in each:

• Inspiration – How original, compelling, or conceptually fresh is the idea behind the track?

• Process – How creatively and effectively were AI tools used during the production process?

• Vocals – Quality, expressiveness, and integration of vocals—whether human, AI-generated, or a blend.

• Lyrics – Lyrical strength, storytelling, and coherence within the context of the track.

• Beat/Production – Technical quality of the beat, rhythm, mixing, and overall sound design.

• Authenticity – How well the track reflects the artist’s voice and creative identity, even when using AI.

In addition to the creative categories, audience reception will also play a key role. Tracks submitted through TwoShot will be featured on a dedicated SoundCloud chart, and the number of listens will factor into the final score.

This balanced judging model ensures that both artistic innovation and listener impact are recognized, giving creators from all backgrounds a fair chance to shine.

Shaping the Future of AI Music

AI music platforms like TwoShot are unlocking opportunities for a new generation of musicians—many of whom are experimenting without formal training or access to traditional production tools.

“AI lets artists shape and release ideas that might otherwise never leave their notebooks,” said Butterbro, whose AI-generated track reached the German charts.

Fanvue’s Head of AI, Narcis Marincat, emphasized the broader vision:

“In partnership with SoundCloud and TwoShot, we wanted to demonstrate how creators can responsibly leverage AI to enhance the creative process in music creation.”

The Future Sound Awards mark a turning point for AI in music—one that combines recognition, responsibility, and radical creativity. Whether you're a seasoned producer or just beginning your musical journey, the stage is now open.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.