John Butler (Fort Myers, FL), Robin Greenstein (New York, NY) and Martin Swinger (Augusta, ME) were named as winners of the 2015 South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition.

The three winners were selected after each of them — along with nine other finalists — performed two songs on the opening day of the festival, Jan. 17, at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale. Butler, Greenstein and Swinger received the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize and an invitation to perform at next year’s festival. In addition, they were afforded the opportunity to perform on the festival’s Gator Stage on the 18th.

The South Florida Folk Festival’s annual singer-songwriter competition is co-presented by the nonprofit Broward Folk Club (organizers of the combination music fest, family reunion, community gathering and weekend musical retreat) and Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple has been known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists. They formerly ran a concert series in Maryland, established a scholarship fund for artists, and served on the boards of several music festivals.