NSAI Unveils Details For 27th Annual NSAI Song Contest

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

Entries can be submitted here for $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. The submission portal will close at 5:00 p.m. CST on Oct. 31.

This year, prizes will be distributed between 13 songwriters who place in the competition.

Winners and runners-up prizes will include items such as mentor sessions with Trisha Yearwood, Matthew West or Jenn Schott, industry opportunities and meetings, a cash prize up to $5,000, a curated Music Row Experience, a Taylor Gold Label 712e, a complete home studio recording package from Custom House at Guitar Center, the chance to attend the 10th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards in 2027 at The Ryman, an evening at the Bluebird Cafe and more.

Additional prizes for the Song Category winner include a chance to perform the winning song at both The Bluebird Cafe and Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, and an offer for a one-year single-song contract for the winning song from SMACKSongs. More information about prizes can be found here.

The judging will be completed in 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 final judging where the Lyric Category Grand Prize winner and runners-up will be announced, and the Song Category Top 10 finalists will be judged for the final time before determining the Song Category Grand Prize Winner. Judging will take place no later than February 2027. Up to 10 additional entries will be recognized as Honorable Mentions in the contest.

Lauryn Sink
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