Future Sound Awards kicks off with $10K contest for AI-generated music

The Future Sound Awards launched Tuesday as a global competition for AI-generated music, offering $10,000 in prizes to recognize creators using artificial intelligence tools. The contest aims to become the “Grammys of the AI music space” while navigating copyright concerns by requiring all entries to use rights-cleared audio and disqualifying any music containing copyrighted material.

What you should know: The awards represent a significant step toward legitimizing AI music creation in an industry grappling with ethical and legal challenges.

• Entries will be judged on inspiration, process, vocals, lyrics, and beat, along with performance on a dedicated chart powered by SoundCloud.
• All submissions must be created through contest partner TwoShot, which provides a fully traceable, rights-cleared audio library and runs automated licensing checks.
• The competition is open to anyone over 18, with no entry fee required for tracks in any genre or language.

The big picture: AI music creation has exploded in popularity, with more than 60 million people using AI software to create music in 2024, according to the International Music Summit’s 2025 Business Report.

• The awards are sponsored by Fanvue’s World AI Creator Awards, which previously launched the first beauty pageant for AI-generated women.
• The contest arrives amid intensifying debates over AI’s impact on creativity and musician livelihoods, including recent protests by over 1,000 musicians against U.K. copyright law changes.

What the judges are looking for: Contest judges emphasize the importance of human creativity alongside AI assistance.

• “I’ll be looking for lyrical content, something that is not just from ChatGPT, something that has been edited and has a bit more human flavor to it,” said judge Jeff Nang, a London-based music producer whose compositions have been featured by Disney and JP Morgan.
• “Even though it’s an AI project, I still believe that it benefits from the human touch.”

Who’s involved: The judging panel includes both established producers and pioneering AI music creators.

• Jeff Nang co-founded Controlla Voice, which lets users create AI singers, and has built full choirs from his own voice using the technology.
• Josua Waghubinger, known as Butterbro, became the first artist to enter German single charts with a fully AI-generated song, “Verknallt in einen Talahon,” created using AI music service Udio.

Why this matters: The awards attempt to address growing tensions between AI innovation and artist rights while promoting responsible AI use in music.

• Earlier this year, musicians including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, and Riz Ahmed protested proposed copyright changes they feared would make it easier for AI companies to train on their work without permission.
• A metal band faced significant backlash for using an AI-generated album cover, with one fan calling it “a big slap in the face to any real, living artists,” ultimately forcing them to replace it.

What they’re saying: Industry figures emphasize balancing innovation with human creativity.

• “I see AI both as a tool and as a collaborator, depending on how it’s used, with the human touch remaining at the core,” Waghubinger explained.
• “It’s important to always remember to keep the fun when we try to experiment with new technology, and never forget that we as humans can decide if we want to stay at the center of it.”