Join us every Monday from
 9-11pm EST for weekly songwriting chats with
special guests
Hope to see you there!

Songwriting Contests
Here's a list of some of the major songwriting contests available to songwriters.  Songwriting contests can provide you with the ability to affirm your talent, raise your songwriting profile in the music community and maybe even win some valuable prizes.  Typically, an entry fee is charged per song.  Be a little wary - some songwriting contests are not as legitimate as other songwriting contests.  Try to do a little homework on your end before entering your song.

The Billboard Songwriting Contest -   Winning songs will be presented to top industry professionals! ALL SONGS RECEIVE A JUDGING REPORT  (their judging report will tell you how your song performed with tips on structure and content). At least two evaluations will be given and averaged into one report for each song judged. In addition to personal judging scores, a list of suggestions will be offered on song structure and composition.   ENTRY DEADLINE: NOVEMBER

CMT/CMT.com NSAI Song Contest - If you write the winning song, you'll receive an invitation to perform on CMT's Most Wanted Live stage during Fan Fair, a trip to Nashville including airfare and accommodations, guaranteed appointments with publishers and record labels, a mentoring session with an award-winning professional songwriter. Plus, you'll get your song pitched for one year, a Taylor Guitar model 214, an AKG C-3000B studio microphone, and so much more. ENTRY DEADLINE: NOVEMBER. To enter, or to learn more, visit www.nashvillesongwriters.com or call 1-800-321-6008 to request an entry form.

Great American Song Contest - The 6th annual Great American Song Contest is now open and accepting submissions from songwriters everywhere. This high recommended event offers awards & prizes to 45 winners in 9 categories. The contest features top music-industry judges, including publishers, producers, recording artists and hit songwriters. All entrants receive written evaluations from the contest judges. The event is sponsored by Songwriters Resource Network, a trusted news and education resource for songwriters everywhere. For details, please visit the Great American Song website at GreatAmericanSong.com or email info@GreatAmericanSong.com for a printed brochure.

Open Season Songwriting Contest - Purpose: To encourage the writers of musical theater to write and submit their work. Award: Winning musical will be featured as summer musical and produced on campus 2001. Deadline: April 1, 2001 Submissions may be traditional, experimental, alternative, etc.; full length or short; large cast or small; original or adaptations of non copyrighted material. Submit complete works with piano/vocal score; include SASE and $25 entry fee (check or MO to NWACC--Open Season. In the event that no play is chosen for production, entry fee will be returned to composer/playwright.) Contact Person: Miles Fish, mfish@specent.com NorthWest Arkansas Community College One College Drive Bentonville, AR 72712

SIBL Songwriting Competition - The SIBL Project is a new non-profit organization galvanizing  songwriters for adult literacy projects.  They're launching a songwriting contest that allows songwriters to enter their song  inspired by literature (SIBL) for inclusion on a compilation CD.  Ten finalists will win a spot on the CD and prize packages from our sponsors, and the grand prize winner will receive a cash prize of $2500.

The Kerrville Newfolk 
Songwriting Contest - During the Kerrville Folk Festival in May, thirty-two writer- performers are invited to share their original songs. Then, a week later, six AWARD WINNERS return to perform 20 minutes of their original songs and receive their $150 Awards from the ASCAP Fund and the Townsend Miller Endowment Fund, plus $100 each from the Mary Jane Tellez Memorial Fund. All of these concerts are staged at the Outdoor Theater at Quiet Valley Ranch on Highway 16 South of Kerrville.

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest -  Beyond the substantial cash prizes, some winners will receive EMI Music Publishing Contracts and Yamaha Project Studio Equipment. One entry will be named "Song of the Year" and that winner will receive an additional $20,000 in cash courtesy of Maxell. Overall, 120 winners will split over $200,000 in cash and prizes. For a complete breakdown click on Awards & Prizes. The new application has been completed and can be obtained by clicking here. Please email us at info@jlsc.com if you have any questions regarding how to successfully enter the Contest. ENTRY DEADLINE: AUGUST.

The Unisong International Songwriting Contest - Offering a Grand Prize that is not awarded by any other songwriting competition. The Grand Prize Winner will participate in the latest Music Bridges songwriting collaboration event to take place in Australia. At the Unisong website you can read the journal kept by Ruth Merry, 1998 Unisong Grand Prize Winner, while she participated in the "Music Bridges...Over Troubled Waters" project in Havana, Cuba. Other prizes include $2000 USD to each of the 11 category winners, a track on Film Music magazine's Film & Television Music Compilation CD program ($1550 value), Pignose Legendary Amplifiers, songwriter magazine subscriptions, TAXI memberships and much more!  ENTRY DEADLINE: OCTOBER.

The Mid-Atlantic Song Contest - Winners in the contest's dozen categories appear on the contest CD, perform at the awards ceremony, and receive prizes from our sponsors -- BMI, TAXI, Omega Recording Studios, Songcasting, and Writer's Digest Books. ENTRY DEADLINE: FEBRUARY.

The USA Songwriting Competition - is the world's leading international songwriting contest, offering fifteen song categories.  Winners will be selected by a Blue Ribbon judging committee consisting of music industry judges such as record labels ,publishers, producers and performing rights organizations. The site features monthly songwriter and artists spotlight as well as a Songwriter/Indie Artist resource and links page.  

Back to songwriting links