This year’s Kerrville New Folk Finalists are AJAYE (Nashville, TN), Caitlin Cannon (Nashville, TN), Cheyloe (Birmingham, AL), Robert Deitch (Polk City, IA), Bill DiLuigi (Nashville, TN), Sarah Golden (Houston, TX), Melody Guy (Nashville, TN), Helena Hallberg (Zurich, Switzerland & Nashville, TN), Sammie Hershock (Marshall, MI), Taylor Lansdale (Lexington, KY), Charlotte Morris (Philadelphia, PA) Hudson Mueller (Houston, TX), Matthew Payne (Dripping Springs, TX), Rebekkah Powell (Boulder, CO), Michelle Raybourn (Nashville, TN), Natalie Royal (Nashville, TN), Monty Russell (Ruston, LA), Stephanie Sammons (Dallas, TX), Liam Slater (Nashville, TN), Casli Stephan (Tulsa, OK), Allison Strong (Union City, NJ), Cat Terrones (San Pedro, CA), Robert Thomas (Monncton, NB, Canada), and Logan Vath (Norfolk, VA). They will showcase their talents and songwriting skills at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT. The New Folk Concerts will also be livestreamed on the Kerrville Folk Festival’s website,https:// kerrvillefolkfestival.org.

After performing the two songs that they submitted during the New Folk Concerts, six songwriters will be selected as 2026 New Folk Winners by a panel of judges. As in the first round, the finalists’ songs will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft. Each of the six performing songwriters chosen as 2026 New Folk Award Winners, to be announced during the evening concert on May 24, will be invited to perform a 20-minute set as part of a New Folk Award Winners Concert on Saturday, May 30 that will also be livestreamed.

Established in 1972 at the urging of the late Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary fame, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. In addition to receiving $750 cash awards and two wristbands each for Kerrville’s 2026 fall “Welcome Home” Fest, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor. Kerrville New Folk winners also are invited to participate in a New Folk Winners House Concert Tour in Texas.

Extending for 18 days, the Kerrville Folk Festival is set for May 21 to June 7 and will feature more than 100 artists and acts. Besides concerts each evening, it features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, campfire jam sessions, concerts and activities for children, as well as songwriting and instrumental workshops, a canoe trip on the Guadelupe River, and wine tasting excursions for additional fees.

Finalists Named in Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest

Ten finalists also have been named in the Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest and have been invited to showcase their talents during the 2026 Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival that takes place May 15-17 at the Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas — located just a few minutes north of Dallas. The finalists are Bud Bierhaus (Katy, TX), Paul Demer (Dallas, TX), Jerome Goosman (Nashville, TN), Jeff Hewitt (Garland, TX), Michelle Raybourn (Nashville, TN), Ben Reneer (Phoenix, AZ), Stephanie Sammons (Dallas, TX), Branlin Shockey (Rockwall, TX), Alicia Stockman (Heber City, UT), and Reed Waddle (Phoenix, AZ). As noted earlier, Raybourn and Sammons are also Kerrville New Folk Finalists.

Using a blind-screening process, a panel of judges chose the finalists who will perform two songs each on the Singer-Songwriter Stage inside the Eisemann Center during the annual event that is billed as North Texas’ largest music festival. The 10 finalists will compete for cash prizes and be judged based equally on the quality and presentation of their songs – with originality, lyricism, melody, harmonic structure, and overall songwriting craft among the criteria. Each of the finalists will also be afforded an opportunity to perform a set of songs on another stage as well during the festival. Visit https://www.wildflowerfestival.com for more information.

Bud Bierhaus (Katy, Texas), Charlie Chamberlain (Nashville, TN), Karen Dahlstrom (Brooklyn, NY), Gabe Israel (New York, NY), Claire Kelly (Nashville. TN), Sidney Kenley (Austin, TX), China Kent (Lakewood, CO), Lia Menaker (Philadelphia, PA), Giulia Millanta (Austin, TX), Sarah Morris (Shoreview, MN), Amanda Murari (Ypsilanti, MI), Natalie Price ((Madison, TN), Teni Rane (Chattanooga, TN), Stephanie Sammons (Dallas, TX), and Alicia Stockman (Heber City, UT) were selected as semifinalists by a panel of judges comprised of Susan Gibson, Josh Grider, Kim Richey, and Walt Wilkins.

There were no fees to enter the annual competition that was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an appreciative audience of Americana, folk and roots music lovers. Songwriters had to submit four songs in mp3 format that were written and/or copyrighted within the last three years. They were evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport will also be taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals.

Each of the 15 semifinalists will perform two songs before the judges and an audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following an hour-long lunch break, seven selected finalists will perform one different original song between 3 and 4 p.m. Prize money will be awarded to all participants immediately after the finals, while an awards ceremony is slated for 4:30 p.m. Ken Gaines, an award-winning singer-songwriter and former longtime host of a songwriters’ series at Houston’s famed Anderson Fair, will be the event’s emcee. Public tickets for the concert may be purchased online at songwriterserenade.com, where more information also may be found.

In addition to prize money, the first-place winner in the Songwriter Serenade will open a concert featuring the judges that evening at the TR Ranch in Halletsville, TX. Tickets for the concert, slated for 7-9 p.m., also may be purchased online.

Free room and board at the ranch is being provided to all of the semifinalists over the weekend. They will enjoy a Friday night barbecue and participate in a songwriting workshop with the judges on Sunday.

This year’s Kerrville New Folk Finalists are AJAYE (Nashville, TN), Malena Cadiz (Los Angeles, CA), Katie Dahl (Baileys Harbor, WI), Sophia DeLeo (New York, NY), Jeremy Facknitz (Colorado Springs, CA), Jessica Willis Fisher (Nashville, TN), Abbie Gardner (Nashville, TN), Martin Gilmore (Denver, CO), Sara Beth Go (Nashville, TN), Helena Hallberg (Zurich, Switzerland/Nashville, TN), Brian Johannesen (Iowa City, IA), Cindy Kalmenson (Ojai, CA), Holly Lovell (Denver, CO), Hudson Mueller ((Houston, TX), Abigayle Oakley (Nashville, TN), Racyne Parker (Everett, WA), Morgan Lee Power (Waco, TX), Reckless Saints (Fort Myers, FL), Madeleine Roger (Winnipeg, MB Canada), Stephanie Sammor (Farmers Branch, TX), Tai Shan (Madison, TN), Isabel Shaye (Arlington, VA), Mike Vitale (Los Angeles, CA), and Christopher Worth (Portland, OR). They will showcase their talents and songwriting skills at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT. The New Folk Concerts may also be livestreamed on the Kerrville Folk Festival’s website [kerrvillefolkfestival.org] and Facebook page, as well as on the Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation’s YouTube channel.

After performing the two songs that they submitted during the New Folk Concerts, six songwriters will be selected as 2025 New Folk Winners by a panel of judges that includes Adeem the Artist, RJ Cowdery, Matt Nakoa, Raina Rose, and J Wagner. As in the first round, the finalists’ songs will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft. Each of the six performing songwriters chosen as 2025 New Folk Award Winners, to be announced during the evening concert on May 25, will be invited to perform a 20-minute set as part of a New Folk Award Winners Concert on Saturday, May 31 that also will be livestreamed.

Established in 1972 at the urging of the late Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary fame, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. In addition to receiving $750 cash awards and two wristbands each for Kerrville’s 2025 fall “Welcome Home” Fest, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor. Kerrville New Folk winners also are invited to participate in a New Folk Concert Series tour in the spring prior to the festival.

Extending for 18 days, the Kerrville Folk Festival is set for May 22-June 8 and will feature more than 100 artists and acts. Besides concerts each evening, it features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, campfire jam sessions, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, guided nature walks, yoga, beer and wine seminars, a Young Artists’ Performance Incubator, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops.

Finalists Named in Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest

Ten finalists also have been named this month in the Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest and have been invited to showcase their talents during the 2025 Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival that takes place May 16-18 at the Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas — located just a few minutes north of Dallas. The finalists slated perform on Saturday, May 17, beginning at 12:30 p.m. CT, include Chris Baron (Portland, Oregon), Bud Bierhaus (Katy, TX), Daniel Boling (Albuquerque, NM), Mary Broussard (Scott, LA), Linda Dunnavant (Nashville, TN), Jesse Garcia (Glorietta, NM), Christine Hand (Dallas, TX), Michelle Rayburn (Nashville, TN), Erin Ash Sullivan (Harvard, MA), and Lindsay White (San Diego, CA).

Using a blind-screening process, a panel of judges chose the finalists who will perform two songs each on the Singer-Songwriter Stage inside the Eisemann Center during the annual event that is billed as North Texas’ largest music festival. The 10 finalists will compete for cash prizes and be judged based equally on the quality and presentation of their songs – with originality, lyrics, melody, and harmonic structure among the criteria.
Each of the finalists also will be afforded an opportunity to perform a set of songs on another stage as well during the festival. Visit wwildflowerfestival.com for more information.

Season Ammons (La Grange, TX), Gloria Anderson (Luling, TX), Bud Bierhaus (Katy, TX), Shawna Caspi (Toronto, ON), Jason Erie (Nashville, TN), Nathan Evans Fox (Nashville, TN), Mick Fury (Nashville, TN), Dylan Tanner Hink (Bandera, TX), Spencer LaJoye (Hastings, MI), Mamie Lew (Chapmansboro, TN), Juliet Lloyd (Gaithersburg, MD), Olivia Lloyd (Shepherdstown, WV), Jack McKeon (Nashville, TN), Lauren Patton (Austin, TX), and William Wallace (Austin, TX) were selected as semifinalists by a panel of judges comprised of Susan Gibson, Josh Grider, Phoebe Hunt, and Walt Wilkins.

There were no fees to enter the annual competition that was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an appreciative audience of Americana, folk and roots music lovers. Songwriters had to submit four songs in mp3 format that were written and/or copyrighted within the last three years. They were evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport will also be taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals.

Each of the 15 semifinalists will perform two songs before the judges and an audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following an hour-long lunch break, seven selected finalists will perform one different original song between 3 and 4 p.m. Prize money will be awarded to all participants immediately after the finals, while an awards ceremony is slated for 4:30 p.m. Ken Gaines, an award-winning singer-songwriter and former longtime host of a songwriters’ series at Houston’s famed Anderson Fair, will be the event’s emcee. Public tickets for the concert will be available for purchase soon online at songwriterserenade.com, where more information also may be found.

In addition to prize money, the first-place winner in the Songwriter Serenade will open a concert featuring the judges that evening at the TR Ranch in Halletsville, TX. Tickets for the concert, slated for 7-9 p.m., also may be purchased online.

All of the semifinalists also will participate in a songwriting workshop with the judges on Sunday, May 12.