Gold Medal - Best in Show Winner Brandon Beckwith
Brandon Beckwith is the founder of the International Artist Project, an organization that brings a community of musicians from around the world to collaborate and create music together. International Artist Project, “The World Album” is their biggest release yet, consisting of 200 songs featuring at least one artist born or raised in every country in the world. We had the honor of reviewing the project and were very impressed by the magnitude of this work. The album includes 93 languages and 121 music genres that uniquely showcase music from around the world.
Beckwith was kind enough to provide Global Music Awards with an interview and shared a message to preface our conversation:
Before we begin, I want to share the most beautiful part of this entire journey. This has been watching over 200 artists born in every country on Earth become a real, living community. Since the project launched, artists visit each other while traveling, perform together, release music together, and genuinely support one another. This album proved how powerful music is globally, not just as an art form, but as a way humans connect.
How did you first begin your journey in music, and what early experiences shaped your direction?
I started playing piano as a child. At 18, I launched a label and moved into full scale production and songwriting with artists in California. But it wasn’t until I was 34 and began traveling the world that the idea for International Artists Project and The World Album truly formed.
When did the concept for this album first emerge, and how did it develop into the final project?
It started in Amsterdam. The idea was simple but massive. Find artists born in every country on Earth and create one album. The moment it hit, it felt like passion meeting purpose. It felt like a responsibility and an honor to create something that had never existed before.
What was your approach to selecting and collaborating with the artists featured on the album?
I never chose artists based on popularity, followers, or streaming numbers. I focused on artistic integrity and whether they understood the vision. That said, the project still includes some of the most respected artists in their home countries, including global legends and artists with billions of streams. Ages range from 13 to 71. The diversity was intentional and essential.
With the album spanning 121 genres, how did you balance providing creative direction with allowing each artist their own artistic freedom?
Every first conversation ended the same way. I asked one question and made one statement. The question was, what is your dream in life. The statement was, you will be most successful in this project by being yourself, because only you can be you. Artists often asked if they needed to sing in English. I encouraged the opposite. Create in your native language. Represent where you’re from. That’s where originality lives.
What was the most important aspect to you when putting this album together?
Everything mattered equally. The artist search, the contracts, the music, the album order, finding a distributor capable of releasing 200 songs, the artwork, the marketing, the finances, the award submissions, and maintaining real relationships with over 200 artists at once. Every piece had to be right.
I’m sure there were many difficulties throughout the making of this album. What were some of the most challenging moments you encountered during the process?
The artist search. I traveled to over 30 countries while building a global A&R team. We completed the search in 14 months. Artists from places like Vatican City, North Korea, and remote regions were the most difficult to find, but quitting was never an option. From idea to completion, it took 722 days.
What did you hope listeners would take away from this album when it was completed?
First, the music itself. Pressing play is a journey across the planet through sound. Beyond that, I wanted to show that one person from every part of the world can come together for a single shared purpose and create something meaningful for humanity.
Has completing this project changed the way you approach future work, either creatively or professionally?
Absolutely. Any project I take on now must be fueled by both passion and purpose. That combination is what carries work the farthest.
What continues to motivate you to create and bring large-scale musical projects to life?
Watching the world grow closer through the project. Seeing artists meet in person, collaborate across continents, and bring their families and communities into it. Musically, blending languages and genres across cultures continues to inspire me.
Looking ahead, what projects or creative directions are you currently exploring or have planned for the future?
We’re currently producing the most globally collaborative album ever created. Every song will feature two or more artists born in different countries. It’s a postlude to The World Album and is slated for release in August 2026. This is a way to bring the artists closer together beyond The World Album. We’re also working toward International Artists Festival, the first festival to feature artists born in every country on Earth. That’s the new ultimate dream. Imagine all of these artists meeting & performing together, in person at the same time. That is the next level of international we're going to achieve, and we want the entire world to experience it with us.
Lean more about Brandon Beckwith and The International Artists Project: LINK