Katie Dahl (Baileys Harbor, WI), Martin Gilmore (Denver, CO), Sara Beth Go (Nashville, TN), Cindy Kalmenson (Ojai, CA), Abigayle Oakley (Nashville, TN), and Madeleine Roger (Winnipeg, MB, Canada) will each perform 20-minute sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners concert at the festival on Saturday afternoon, May 31. The concert will 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.

This year’s Kerrville New Folk competition drew a record-breaking 1341 entries. The six performing songwriters named as 2025 New Folk Winners were selected by judges Adeem the Artist, Rj Cowdery, Matt Nakoa, Raina Rose, and J Wagner. Their songs were evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft. In addition to receiving $750 cash awards and two wristbands each for Kerrville’s 2025 “Welcome Home” Fest in the fall, the winners are also invited to participate in a New Folk Concert Series tour in the spring prior to next year’s festival. Being named as a Kerrville New Folk Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor in singer-songwriter circles.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, 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.

Now in its 55th year, the Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 8, and features more than 100 artists and acts. Besides concerts each evening, it features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, late-night and afternoon song circles and jam sessions at various campsites, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River, 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.

A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2025/04/19/finalists-named-in-2025-kerrville-new-folk-competition/

Here are links to view the New Folk Concerts that took place on May 24 and 25:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a99XF8DZrRQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-zPMCRHcps

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.

Six songwriters will be named as 2025 New Folk Award Winners after performing, along with the 18 other finalists, at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds. A Kerrville New Folk Award Winners concert is slated for Saturday, May 31, with each of the winners playing a 20-minute set. The New Folk Concerts will be livestreamed on kerrvillefolkfestival.org, as well as on the festival’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Songwriters may submit a .mp3 audio recording of two original songs in any genre via the Kerrville Folk Festival website’s New Folk Competition section (kerrvillefolkfestival.org/newfolk), where official competition rules, guidelines and entry forms can also be found. Entries will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of songcraft. The entry fee is $55.

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 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.

The 2024 Kerrville New Folk winners were Robin Bienemann (Chicago, IL), Lila Blue (NYC, NY), Lucy Clearwater (Lafayette, CA), Sean Keel (Austin, TX), Rachel Summer (Boston, MA), and Lily Talmers (Birmingham, MI).

Robin Bienemann (Chicago, IL), Lila Blue (New York, NY), Lucy Clearwater (Lafayette, CA), Sean Keel (Austin, TX), Rachel Sumner (Boston, MA), and Lily Talmers (Birmingham, MI) were chosen as winners in the prestigious competition by a panel of judges from among 24 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 25 and 26 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day event at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio. Each performed a 20-minute set during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners Concert at the festival on June 1; received cash honorariums, festival swag and a mentoring session with a professional songwriter; as well as an invite to participate in the Kerrville New Folk on the Road.

The tour kicks off on Friday, Nov. 8 at ACL Live at 3Ten in Austin, which bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World. Several house concerts follow: an already sold-out one for Sycamore Creek House Concerts in Dripping Springs (Nov. 9), New Braunfels House Concerts in New Braunfels (Nov. 10), and Milagro Springs House Concerts in Wimberley (Nov. 11). On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the performing songwriters will grace the stage at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston (a concert that will also be livestreamed). After a brief hiatus, the tour continues on Friday, Nov. 15 with a free 6 p.m. show at Kerrville’s Pint & Plow Brewing. This will be followed by performances on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 16 in Fischer as part of a weekend-long Cabin 10 Presents: Live at the Donkey Shack. The tour wraps up at Bowman Backyard House Concerts in the late afternoon on Sunday, Nov. 17. For more information and links to purchase tickets for these shows, visit https://www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org/2024-new-folk-winners-tour.

This year’s Kerrville New Folk competition drew a record-breaking 1341 entries. Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles. The Kerrville Folk Festival is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

Folk+ opens on Wednesday, June 5, with welcoming remarks and a networking session at 11 a.m. CT, and closes on Thursday evening, June 6, with a Virtual Performance Lane hosted by Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM).

During the conference, music industry professionals will share information and insights in both live and previously recorded panel discussions and workshops on “Creative Songwriting Magic: Using Tarot as a Writing Tool,” “Diversifying Our Stages,” “Foundations Supporting Artists,” “Holistic Festival Booking,” “Submitting Official Showcase Applications,” and “Unlocking Social Media Success.” Noel Paul Stookey (singer-songwriter of Peter, Paul & Mary fame and co-founder of the nonprofit organization Music to Life) keynotes the conference on Thursday afternoon, while a series of 30-minute Q & As with artists will feature Flamy Grant, Jaimee Harris and Javier Jara. Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) hosts a Campfire Song Circle on Wednesday.

Each day opens with an hour-long networking session — affording conference attendees an opportunity to connect with artists and others in the folk music community from around the world. Each of the participating FAI North American regional affiliates will host breakout sessions, while affinity group sessions for those who identify as LBGTQ21A+ and folks with disabilities and chronic illness are also on the agenda

Registration for the online conference that takes place via an online platform known as Chorus is free or pay what you can (with all donations going directly to support FAI’s regions). More information and a conference schedule is available @ folk.org. To register, visit https://www.folk.org/folkplus/2024#register. Note: Most of the conference content will be recorded and available for viewing by registrants after the conference as well.

Folk Alliance International is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles. It is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

Now in its 54th year, the Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 9. Besides concerts each evening, Kerrville features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, late-night and afternoon song circles and jam sessions at various campsites, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River, 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.

A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2024/04/17/finalists-named-in-2024-kerrville-new-folk-competition/.

Slated to perform on Saturday, May 25 are Jeremy Parsons, Gloria Anderson, Rachel Sumner, Admiral Radio, Kenny Foster, Lila Blue, Lily Talmers, Summerlyn Powers, Mike Vitale, Halley Neal, Alex Wong, and Lucy Clearwater. Performing on Sunday afternoon, May 26 will be Elise Leavy, John Dennis, Genevieve Racette, Robin Bienemann, Stephanie Simmons, Sean Keel, Jack McKeon, Katie Dahl, Elliah Heifetz, Sara Beth Go, Blossom Drearie by Brandon Whyde, and Tai Shan.

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, from 1:00-4:30 p.m. CT. The New Folk Concerts will also be livestreamed on the Kerrville Folk Festival’s website [kerrvillefolkfestival.org/2024-newfolk-competition] 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 2024 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 2024 New Folk Award Winners, to be announced during the evening concert on May 26, will receive a cash prize, a mentoring session with a professional songwriter, some Kerrville Folk Festival swag, two complimentary full festival access passes to the KFF Foundation’s fall festival event, and will be invited to perform a 20-minute set on stage on Sunday, June 1. They also may be afforded the opportunity to take part in a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk House Concert Tour in Texas, as well as to play the 2025 spring or fall festival.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, 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 cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

Extending for 18 days, the Kerrville Folk Festival is set for May 23-June 9. 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.

Six songwriters will be named as 2024 New Folk Award Winners after performing, along with the 18 other finalists, at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds. A Kerrville New Folk Award Winners concert is slated for Sunday, June 1, with each of the winners playing a 20-minute set.

Songwriters may submit a .mp3 audio recording of two original songs in any genre via the Kerrville Folk Festival website’s New Folk page (kerrvillefolkfestival.org/newfolk). The entry fee is $47. Along with the entry forms, official rules and guidelines can be found on the website.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, 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 cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

Six 2023 Winners Take Part in New Folk Concert Series Tour, April 27-May 5, 2024

Kerrville New Folk winners also are invited to participate in a New Folk Concert Series tour in the spring prior to the festival. 2023 winners Katie Boeck, Flamy Grant, Byron James, Barbara Jarrell, and Olivia Ellen Lloyd will play eight Texas venues and concert series from April 27-May 5. These include Sycamore Creek Concerts in Dripping Springs (4/27), New Braunfels House Concerts in New Braunfels (4/28), Milagro Springs House Concerts in Wimberley (4/29), McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston (4/30), Sagebrush in Austin ((5/01), Pint & Plow in Kerrville (5/03), Fischer Hall New Folk/Old Folk in Fischer (5/04), and Bowman Backyard Concerts in San Antonio (5/05)

Initial Lineup for Kerrville Folk Festival Announced

The initial lineup for this year’s Kerrville Folk Festival — which extends from May 23-June 9 — also has been announced, with a full schedule slated for release in late March. Among the artists slated to showcase their talents — in addition to the 2023 New Folk winners named above — are (in alphabetical order) Adeem The Artist, Mary Bragg, Hayes Carll, Nic Clark, Scott Cook, Iris DeMent, Alejandro Escovedo, John Flynn, Sue Foley, Ruthie Foster, John Fullbright, Vance Gilbert, Drew Holcomb, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Hanne Kah, Donovan Keith, Amythyst Kiah, Spencer LaJoye, Zoe Lewis, Sav Madigan, Deidre McCalla, Miles & Mafale, SaulPaul, Darrell Scott, Aaron Smith, SONiA disappear fear, Jack Summers, Owen Temple, Topo Chico Cowboys, Tuba Skinny, and Susan Werner.

Six Songwriters Win Prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition

Six singer-songwriters have been selected as winners in the 2023 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. They were chosen by a panel of judges from among 24 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 27 and 28 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day event at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country.

Katie Boeck (Nashville, Tennessee), Flamy Grant (San Diego, California), Byron James (Lawrence, Kansas), Barbara Jarrell (Shreveport, Louisiana), Olivia Ellen Lloyd (Shepherdstown, West Virginia), and Jack Summers (Kansas City, Missouri) will each perform 20-minute sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners concert at the festival on Saturday afternoon, June 3 at 1:30 p.m. CT that will also be live-streamed on the Kerrville Folk Festival’s website (link) and on the Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation’s YouTube channel. The six will also receive cash honorariums and other prizes. Some 950 songwriters had initially submitted entries.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles. Now in its 51st year, it is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

The Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 11. Besides concerts each evening, Kerrville features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, late-night and afternoon song circles and jam sessions at various campsites, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops. For more information, visit kerrvillefolkfestival.org. A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article.

Korby Lenker Wins 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest

Korby Lenker, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, is the winner in the 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest that was held in conjunction with the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 19-21 at Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas – just a few minutes north of Dallas.

Writes Lenker: “Contests are not even close to as fun as actual shows but they are a kind of interesting gauntlet, akin to running through a tunnel of strangers with a guitar while being poked with a series of sharp sticks.” When it was finally time to play his first song – a serious one entitled “Every Time I Hear Your Favorite Song” that he wrote after his little sister Kenna passed away suddenly – Lenker looked at his hands “and to my great pleasure they weren’t shaking, not even a little bit. I sat down at the piano they had prepped for me and even though it was way too high and I felt like a Tyrannosaurus Rex when I raised my hands to play the first chord sounded right enough… When the song was done there was a smattering of applause much like you might hear folks do at some other kid’s recital. Not an inch past polite.” In contrast, some audience members sang along to the chorus during his second song, “Ain’t Nobody Gonna Steal My Joy,” a “happy as hell” number that he co-wrote with Robby Hecht, and on which Lenker accompanied himself on guitar.

The Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest, which drew some 300 entries from across the U.S., was open to singer-songwriters who perform in a wide array of genres — including Americana, bluegrass, blues, Celtic, country, folk, and rock, among others. Submitted songs were to have been representative of the artist’s live performance and include only one instrument, the songwriter’s vocals and no back-up harmonies, and were not to exceed five minutes in length.

Lenker who originally hails from southern Idaho and also is an author and filmmaker, was among ten finalists who competed for cash prizes and were judged based equally on the quality and presentation of their songs — with originality, lyrics, melody, and harmonic structure among the criteria. As the first-place (grand prize) winner, he received $1,000 plus two full days of recording at Audio Dallas Recording Studio, while runners-up Lauren Frihauf (Denver, CO) and Abigayle Kompst (Nashville, TN), along with Michael Troy People’s Choice Award winner JD Graham (Mesa, AZ), each received $500. The winners also were featured in a spotlight round on Sunday afternoon, May 21.

Caitlin Cannon Wins 2023 Songwriter Serenade

Cannon released her first album, The TrashCannon Album, in 2020 and followed that up with an album by Side Pony, her duo with Alice Wallace, entitled Lucky Break. On March 31, her latest single, “Amarillo and Little Rock,” premiered on streaming platforms. She plans to release another solo album early next year.

Taking second through eighth place, respectively, in this year’s Songwriter Serenade were Jenner Fox (Bainbridge Island, WA), Sarah Morris (Shoreview, MN), Nick Spear (Whitefish, MT), Chris Moyse (Nashville, TN), Ajaye Bureyko (Nashville, TN), Wyatt Espalin (Hawassee, GA), and Anthony Garcia (Holland, TX).

Prize monies were awarded to all of the finalists, while Cannon was also afforded the opportunity to perform as the opening act during the judges’ show (featuring Susan Gibson, Josh Grider, Phoebe Hunt, and Walt Wilkins) at the TR Ranch in Halletsville in the evening following the songwriter competition. The finalists and seven other semifinalists were chosen from among nearly 130 entrants. 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.

Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest Finals Take Place During Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival

The 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest is held in conjunction with the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 19-21 at Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas – just a few minutes north of Dallas. Singer-songwriters who perform in a wide array of genres – including Americana, bluegrass, blues, Celtic, country, folk, and rock, among others – are invited to submit recorded songs (two per entry) in mp3 or mp4 format via email. The application deadline is March 3, and only the first 200 applications will be accepted. There is a $20 entry fee.

Using a blind-screening process, a panel of judges will choose ten finalists to perform two songs each on the Singer-Songwriter Stage during the annual event that is billed as North Texas’ largest music festival. The ten finalists, who will be notified in April, 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. The first-place (grand prize) winner will receive will receive $1,000 plus two full days of recording at Audio Dallas Recording Studio, while the runner-up and the Michael Troy People’s Choice Award winner will each receive $500. All performing finalists will receive festival passes for themselves and a guest, lodging, green room access for food and beverages, and the opportunity to perform solo sets on the festival’s Courtyard Stage. The winners will also be featured in a spotlight round on Sunday afternoon.

[Matthew Thomas of Noblesville, TN was the grand prize winner in 2022, while Harper O’Neill of Nashville, TN was the runner-up and Eric Ramsey of Scottsdale, AZ was the People’s Choice Award recipient.]

Recordings submitted must be representative of the artist’s live performance and include only one instrument, the songwriter’s vocal and no backup harmonies. Produced recordings and instrumental songs will not be accepted. Although co-written songs are acceptable, only one of the songwriters may submit an application and perform the song on the recording. Submitted songs must have been written after December 2020 and not exceed five minutes in length. For more information and detailed contest rules, visit the Songwriter Contest section on wildflowerfestival.com.

January 16-March 16 is Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition Entry Period

Entries are now being accepted for the 2023 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. The first 800 entries postmarked or submitted online by March 16 will be judged, and 24 finalists will be named on or around April 18 and invited to perform the two songs that they entered on Saturday or Sunday, May 27 or 28 during the annual Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio.

Six performing songwriters will be chosen as 2023 New Folk Award Winners. Each winner will receive a $750 cash prize, a mentoring session with a professional songwriter, some Kerrville Folk Festival swag, two complimentary full festival access passes to the KFF Foundation’s fall festival event, and will be invited to perform a 20-minute set on stage the following Saturday, June 3, and to take part in a 2023 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk House Concert Tour in Texas, as well as to play the 2024 spring or fall festival.

Official competition guidelines, along with entry information and forms, are posted on kerrvillefolkfestival.org. Entries, which must be submitted in mp3 format (along with an entry form and $45 fee), will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, 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.

The 18-day-long event is set for May 25-June 11 on the Quiet Valley Ranch. Besides cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a Kerrville New Folk winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor. Last year’s winners were Calista Garcia (Arlington, VA), Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Nashville, TN), Javier Jara (Austin, TX), Kyle Rasche (Alto, MI), Jean Rohe (Brooklyn, NY), and R.O. Shapiro (San Diego, CA).

2023 Songwriter Serenade Competition Will Accept Entries Through March 26

Applications are being accepted through March 26 in the 16th annual Songwriter Serenade Competition. From among all entries received, 15 songwriters will be invited to showcase their original songs and compete for prize money at the St. John’s Outdoor Performance Hall in Schulenberg, Texas on Saturday, May 13.

There are no fees to enter the completion in which songwriters are evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing, and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport also will be taken into consideration during the semifinals and finals in May. Tickets to the event will be available to the public.

Online entry forms, along with complete contest rules and additional information, may be found at songwriterserenade.com. Songwriters are expected to fill out the form and attach four songs in mp3 format, along with titles and lyrics. A link to a live performance — preferably of one or more of the songs – also should be included. All submitted songs must have been written and/or copyrighted within the last three years and each must not exceed five minutes in length. Those songwriters selected as semifinalists will be notified by April 1. To participate, they must commit to being present for the entire weekend’s events — including a Friday evening barbecue, the competition on Saturday (from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and an evening concert by the three judges (Susan Gibson, Josh Grider, Phoebe Hunt, and Walt Wilkins) and the competition winner, and a songwriting workshop on Sunday with the judges. All of the semifinalists will be provided with room and board.

Songwriter Serenade 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 audience of music lovers. As reported on AcousticMusicScene.com last May 10, Sav Buist, a Nashville, TN-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (who is also part of The Accidentals) took top honors during the Songwriter Serenade last year.
https://acousticmusicscene.com/2022/05/10/sav-buist-wins-2022-songwriter-serenade/