Songwriting competitions provide networking opportunities and inspiration for your work. Here's a list of great competitions to further your songwriting career.
THE AMERICAN SONGWRITER LYRIC CONTEST
For 35 years, the American Songwriter Lyric Contest has helped thousands of songwriters expose their talents to a wider audience.
Prizes: The winner of each of six bi-monthly contests receives a Paul Reed Smith acoustic guitar and a Sennheiser microphone. The top four winning lyrics and 10 honorable mentions for each contest are printed in the corresponding issue ofAmerican Songwriterand on the website. One overall, Grand Prize winner per year receives airfare to Nashville to record a professional demo and a "Dream Co-Write" with an established artist/writer. Past co-writes have included Rodney Crowell, Ashley Monroe, Chris Stapleton, Bobby Braddock, Lee Brice and Mary Gauthier.
How to Enter: Go towww.americansongwriter.com
GREAT AMERICAN SONG CONTEST
Created by songwriters, this innovative contest offers a positive alternative to the hype and high cost of the "big-cash-prize" competitions.The Great American Song Contest features opportunities to:
1) Have your songs heard by qualified professionals
2) Win prestigious awards and useful prizes
3) Advance your songwriting, promote your songs & open doors in the music business.
4) Low-cost & affordable entry fees.
Great American Song Contest judges listen thoroughly and respectfully to each and every song. Then they provide a detailed evaluation. Each participating songwriter receives the judges' written evaluations upon completion of the contest.
For more information, visit www.GreatAmericanSong.com
INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Internationally renowned for its high-caliber judges, ISC offers entrants a unique opportunity to have their songs heard by some of the most influential decision-makers in the industry.
Prizes: Entrants compete for over $150,000 in cash and prizes, including an overall grand prize package of $25,000 cash and $20,000 in merchandise. ISC winners benefit from extensive press and publicity, gaining exposure and recognition from an international music market of industry professionals and fans.
Past and present ISC judges:Tom Waits; Brian Wilson; Loretta Lynn; B.B. King; Nelly Furtado; Sean "P. Diddy" Combs; Ornette Coleman; Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20); Pat Metheny; Sean Paul; Roseanne Cash; Robert Smith (The Cure); Michael W. Smith; Joe Satriani; Sonny Rollins; Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse); Clint Black; Ray Davies (The Kinks); MercyMe; Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Charlie Walk (President, Epic Records); Arif Mardin (VP/GM, Manhattan Records); Keith Wozencroft (President/A&R, EMI Records); and many more.
For more information, visit www.songwritingcompetition.com
THE JOHN LENNON SONGWRITING CONTEST
The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is an international competition open to both amateur and professional songwriters. Songs may be entered in any of the following twelve categories: rock, country, jazz, pop, world, R&B, hip-hop, gospel/inspirational, Latin, electronic, folk and children's. Instrumental compositions are encouraged.
With over $300,000 worth of cash awards and prizes, one entry will be named "Song of the Year" and that winner will receive $20,000 cash as well as an enormous prize package. Entry fees from the contest help support the non-profit 501(c)(3) John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, which provides students of all ages free hands on opportunities to create.
For more information, visit www.jlsc.com
MID-ATLANTIC SONG CONTEST
The Songwriters’ Association of Washington (SAW), founded in 1979 as a nonprofit organization, holds the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest to help songwriters receive recognition and assistance in their musical endeavors. The proceeds from the contest enable SAW to provide programs throughout the year that educate and develop the talents of those interested in the art and business of songwriting.
For more contest info, visit www.saw.org/masc
LEAF SINGER-SONGWRITER COMPETITION, PRESENTED BY NEWSONG MUSIC
The annual LEAF Singer-Songwriter Showcase and Competition is a collaborative effort between NewSong Music and LEAF Community Arts. It aims to identify and recognize exceptional performers and songwriters from across the country. Eight finalists will be invited to perform, network, and compete at the annual LEAF Festival.
The winner of the LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition will receive a featured, paid performance at the fall LEAF Festival. The LEAF winner will also automatically advance as a finalist in the annual, international NewSong Music Competition.
Past winners include Sadie Gustafson-Zook, Noan Partly, Parker Ainsworth, and Carly Taich.
To learn more and enter the contest, visit www.newsong-music.com/contest
NSAI SONGWRITING CONTEST
CMT Presents the NSAI Song Contest. This nationwide platform is for aspiring songwriters in all genres to submit their best tunes with one Grand Prize Winner and one CMT Listeners’ Choice Winner. Prizes include mentoring sessions with famous songwriters, tickets to the CMT Music Awards, meetings with major music publishers, a one-year membership to NSAI and more.
For more information and updates, visit www.nashvillesongwriters.com and www.twitter.com/nsaiofficial.
SONGDOOR INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
SongDoor's primary goals are to:
1) Provide a channel for new original music to be heard
2) Provide useful tools to improve writers' skills.
All songs are fully screened by industry professionals with real connections to music publishing, producers, artists and labels, and are judged by industry pros who have worked with Neil Young, Justin Timberlake, Tony Bennett, Britney Spears, Kenny Rogers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Fray, Train and dozens of other notable artists.
Each year, entrants are given a free unlimited-access trial to SongU.com plus a free songwriting software program (compatible with either Mac or Windows).
Prizes: The total awards purse is valued at more than $40,000 and includes a full-band session demo (recorded and produced at Sixteen Ton Studio), a single-song publishing contract, exclusive pitching and networking opportunities, a comprehensive assortment of top-shelf songwriting software and more. The competition is open to amateurs and professionals worldwide.
Entry: Visit www.songdoor.com for full details. Entry fee is$10. You must be at least 16 years old to enter.
THE USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION
USA Songwriting Competition, the world's leading international songwriting event honors songwriters, composers, bands, recording artists everywhere. Winners will be selected by a Blue Ribbon committee of music industry judges including record label publishers, producers from SONY Music, Warner/Reprise Records, etc. This is a chance to be discovered by the biggest names in the music business. And get a shot at the big time for unsung songwriters and original solo artists and indie bands everywhere around the world. A contest that might just open the right doors, make the right connections and get your songs heard. Also, winning songs will be receive radio airplay (the first for any songwriting competition!)
For more information, visit www.songwriting.net
GUITAR CENTER SINGER-SONGWRITER CONTEST
ASCAP is pleased to be working with Guitar Center on their artist discovery program, the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter contest, which aims to find the nation's best singer-songwriter talent.
Prizes: One unsigned singer-songwriter will win $25,000 cash, record a four-song EP with a noted producer, get a mentoring session with a professional singer-songwriter, perform at the ASCAP Sundance Music Caféand receive a ton of new gear and software.
How It Works: Competing artists will be ranked based on their online fan growth during the first round. Ten singer-songwriters will then be hand-selected from the list of top-ranked artists to travel to Los Angeles where they will perform live during event's finale.
Entry: Submissions open in the fall of each year. Sign up atsongwriter.amplifiertv.com/home.
THE CHRIS AUSTIN SONGWRITING CONTEST
The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest, offers songwriters the opportunity to have their original songs heard by a panel of professional songwriters and others from the Nashville music industry. The finals are held at the Austin Stage during MerleFest each year. In addition, the first place winner receives a performance slot on the Cabin Stage during MerleFest and other prizes. Grammy®-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale is the volunteer chair of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Recent winners have included Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, Michael Reno Harrell, Adrienne Young and Martha Scanlan.
Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest go to the Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship at Wilkes Community College.
Chris Austin was a singer/songwriter from Boone, North Carolina, who was tragically killed in a private plane crash in the mountains near San Diego, California, with six other members of Reba McEntire’s band as well as her tour manager. This contest was created in his memory.
For more information, visit www.merlefest.org/CASC
