NSAI Unveils Details For 26th Annual NSAI Song Contest

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NSAI will open its 26th annual Song Contest on Sept. 1 at 12 p.m. CST.

This year’s contest will award 13 songwriters who either win or are deemed runners-up in the contest. Grand Prize Winners will receive one of two cash prizes ($5,000 and $2,500), a complete Home Studio Recording Package from Custom House at Guitar Center, $1,500 towards a Guitar Center purchase courtesy of the Guitar Center Music Foundation, a Taylor Guitars Gold Label 517e guitar, a mentor session with either Ashley McBryde or Rivers Rutherford, a one-year single-song publishing contract with BMG, a pair of tickets to ninth annual Nashville Songwriter Awards in 2026, a personalized Music Row Experience, an experience at The Bluebird Cafe and more.

Runners-up will be awarded prizes from Musicnotes and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, custom capos from G7th The Capo Company, and a chance to participate in a Group Mentor Session with Josh Osborne.

All individual contest participants will receive one credit for an NSAI Song Evaluation for any song of their choosing after the contest has been completed, as well as the scorecard for every submission entered with insight from the judges.

The judging will be completed within four phases, kicking off with an analysis of each individual entry by an industry professional. The highest scoring songs and lyrics from each judge will move forward to the next rounds. A total of 13 entries will place in the contest over the other three phases of judging, which will culminate with a live-taped final judging where the Lyric Category Grand Prize Winner and runners-up will be revealed. The Song Category Top 10 finalists will be also be judged for the final time before determining the Song Category Grand Prize Winner. Judging will take place no later than February 2026. 10 additional entries will be recognized as Honorable Mentions in the contest.

All entries can be submitted online here. The fees to enter are $35 per song or lyric entry for current NSAI members and $45 per song or lyric entry for the general public. There is no limit to the number of songs or lyrics that songwriters can submit, and the submission portal closes at 5 p.m. CST on Oct. 31.

Madison Hahnen
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