Olivea Watson Is Chosen The 2007 Winner Of The Gibson Guitar New Musician Award

LOS ANGELES, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Ramblin' Rose Records) - Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Olivea Watson (www.olivea.com), who released her independent debut album Way Down Deep in September, has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Gibson Guitar New Musician Award for 2007.

Watson will be receiving the honor on Saturday, October 6, at the Award Ceremony of this year's HATCHfest, which runs from October 2 to 7 in Bozeman, Montana. The award will be presented as part of the music celebration that evening at the Emerson Ballroom. The night before, on October 5, Olivea and her band The Unsung Heroes will be performing a free concert at 8 p.m. at the Emerson Theater; their opening act will be last year's New Musician winner Marshall McLean.

One of the songs they will be performing is Way Down Deep's first single 'Let Go,' which recently hit Radio & Records' Hot 100 Airplay Chart. She will also receive an exclusive Gibson Acoustic guitar valued at over $5,000.

Each October, the famed guitar manufacturer and the producers of HATCHfest give an award to deserving up and coming young musicians. Now in its fourth year, HATCHfest signifies the spirit of the true musician and, like Gibson Guitars, recognizes the individual achievements of those performers who continue to give music a voice throughout the world.

Previous winners include Chris Webster (2005) and presenters have included Jackson Browne. Last year's HATCHfest attendance was 11,800, and noteworthy attendees over the years include The Samples, Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction, Jackson Browne, Peter Fonda, Michael Keaton, Bill Pullman, Jeff Bridges, Brian Geraghty, William Fichtner, The LifeSavas, J.D. Souther and Tony Furtado.

HATCHfest is like no other musical event, mentoring young minds and hatching creative talent within innovation and the arts. Showcases include young talent from around the world in film, music, writing, design, technology, and architecture. HATCH is a year-round program, designed to develop and foster the growth of creative minds through mentorship. Since inception in 2004, Hatch has successfully developed an environment, from HATCHfest to Hatch Labs, that strikes the enthusiasm and stimulation of young artist's creativity throughout the world, by connecting new filmmakers, musicians, photographers, designers, architects, writers and fine artists with the movers and shakers in the entertainment industry.