Submissions are now being sought for the 19th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest, one of America’s most popular Americana music festivals. Open to aspiring songwriters who derive no more than 50% of their income from songwriting or music publishing, the contest deadline is February 18, 2011. Entries may be submitted via mail to P.O. Box 121855, Nashville, TN 37212, Sonicbids or American Songspace.

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale chairs a volunteer panel of Nashville songwriters, publishers and other music industry professionals, who will judge entries based on originality, lyrics, melody and overall commercial potential.

Winners will be recognized in four categories: country, bluegrass, gospel/inspirational and general. Twelve finalists – three from each category – will be named in early April and will compete on the Austin Stage at Merlefest 2011, April 28-May 1, 2011 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Admission and four nights lodging at the festival will be provided, as well as a mentoring session with Lauderdale. The first place winners will receive performance slots on the Cabin Stage during MerleFest.

Previous winners of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest include Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, Michael Reno Harrell, Adrienne Young, Martha Scanlan, David Via, Sam Quinn, and Johnny Williams. The contest was established to honor the memory of Chris Austin, a songwriter and former sideman for Ricky Skaggs, whose life was tragically cut short when the private plane carrying him and six other members of Reba McEntire’s band, as well as her tour manager, crashed in the mountains near San Diego, California in 1991.

Contest rules, entry forms and additional information about the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest are available online at www.chrisaustinsongwritingcontest.org.