"I am able to hear melody when I read Richard's lyrics. A sense of the rhythm and overall balance in the placement of the words is what first drew me to work with Richard's lyrics. And this quality has continued to impress me through the years.”
—Gerry Mallagan, Composer
You gotta keep believin’
That there’s a path just for you
You gotta keep pushin’
Pushin’ through
You gotta keep pushin’
Pushin’ through
Pushin’ through
—Pushin’ Through
Most successful lyricists and composers win industry awards. It’s part of how they market their talent inside the business and to the general public. But Richard’s success in the United Kingdom Songwriting Contest (UKSC) has been particularly impressive. In 2015, two of his songs reached the finalist category, while another 11 scored as semi-finalists as did 17 of his lyrics. He enjoyed even more success in 2016. Four of his songs were finalists and 14 of his lyrics and 16 of his songs reaching the semi-finals. Even more remarkable—one of these four, “Love’s Like That,” was a finalist in three separate categories: love songs, country and adult contemporary. Richard’s success continued in 2017, 2018, and 2019, The results for the 2019 UKSC were just announced in January of 2020 and Richard again scored at the highest levels both in lyrics and songs. All of these results are listed below.
His success is especially noteworthy because the UKSC is one of the most reputable competitions in the industry. The judges include top British producers, musical directors and arrangers such a Stuart Epps, Shelly Peiken and Richard Niles as well as major performers and composers like Luci Diamond and Mark Eldridge Platinum. Natalie Chua is also one of the BKSC judges. Winning the BKSC herself in 2004, Natalie was signed by Simon Cowell for his band Angelis. Cowell’s judgment of her talent was proven correct when the band's debut album won a Platinum Award for selling over 500,000 copies. As you can see, placing in such a competition is a notable achievement but Richard’s frequent and consistently high marks in so many categories is truly amazing.
SEMI-FINALIST AWARDS FOR LYRICS Your Eyes of Loving Laughter Fewest Scars
Air on a G String
Moving Target
How Shall I Hold You
I Can’t Feel You Anymore Just Behind Those Eyes
The Deepest Kiss Love’s Like That
Desire (Golden Glow)
Beauteous
Abandoned Lover’s Vows
Not This Time
Do You Still Think I’m Pretty
The Enchantress
And That’s All
Living Together but Falling Apart
