Music Artist Cade Thompson Premiers Fan's Winning Music Video
At the end of 2020, up-and-coming Christian music artist Cade Thompson devised a way for fans to interact with him and contribute their own creative touch to his song "Every Step of the Way."
"I'm all about connecting with my fans in different ways and kind of bridging the gap to make it feel like family," Cade said of the contest in a recent CBN entertainment interview.
The winner of the contest, Matthew Gates, is studying film production and content development at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
“The vision behind this video is the same strategy I try bringing to all my stories...it’s about creating a scene, or scenario, that I find interesting and would personally like to experience on some level. In the case of ‘Every Step of the Way’, I’m always recording little moments throughout my day that I find interesting or entertaining, until I eventually compile them into a lightly edited video journal. And when I finally sit down and watch these videos, months or years later, it’s a strangely therapeutic experience...because looking back, I can ‘connect the dots’ of my life and sometimes see that no matter how lost I might think I am, things usually have a way of working out for the best.”
Gates's video was selected by the all-star judges including Thompson, Jay DeMarcus of multi-platinum selling & award-winning country trio Rascal Flatts and Founder of Red Street Records, industry veteran and creative producer of Fathom’s Four Blood Moons Rick Eldridge, CEO / Producer of ReelWorks Studios and Calvin Aurand, (Director / Producer who has created content for Beyoncé, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, John Mayer, One Direction, Harry Styles).
“This was a unique opportunity to see so many young, bright, creative minds,” says DeMarcus. “This decision was not easy, but in the end, Matthew’s treatment and execution was top notch. I’m really proud of this video, and I want to thank everyone who jumped in and made submissions to our contest!”
In addition to the music video premiere, Gates received a plethora of Cade Thompson merchandise, two tickets and meet and greet passes to any Cade Thompson show during 2021, along with a $1000 Amazon Gift Card.
“I am so excited that Matthew Gates is the winner of the official music video contest for my song Every Step of the Way,” shares Thompson. “I love how Matthew took his own creative spin, and narrative to go along with this song. Every time I watch the video I see a new eye-catching element that I love, and it keeps me engaged the entire time. It is so special, at the beginning you see the struggle of someone trying to make music who eventually finds peace through God’s word. I feel this message is relatable to many people in life. We are so excited for the world to see this video. Congrats again Matthew.”