Ten finalists have been named in the 2019 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest that is held in conjunction with the 27th annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 17-19, at Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas, just a few minutes north of Dallas. Each will perform two songs on the Singer Songwriter Stage on Saturday, May 18.

The ten finalists selected by a panel of judges, based on both their songwriting craft and the presentation of their songs, are (in alphabetical order) James Baker (Amarillo, TX), Lyndy Butler (Hurricane, UT), Jessica Carson (Longmont, CO), Chris Chism (Dallas, TX), Ashton Edminster (Midlothian, TX), Spencer Hamilton (Carrollton, TX), Savannah King (Newfane, NY), Amanda Latz (Boerne, TX), Scott Martin (Austin, TX), and Alicia Stockman (Heber City, UT).

They will compete for cash prizes and be judged based equally on the quality and presentation of their songs. The first-place winner will receive $1,000 plus two full consecutive days of recording at Audio Dallas Recording Studio and a travel allowance, while both the second-place and Michael Troy People’s Choice Award winners 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.

Other artists slated to perform on the Singer Songwriter Stage during the festival include Crystal Bowersox, Jason Castro, Teghan Devon, Kyle Donovan, Cari Ray & The Shaky Legs, Carolyn Wonderland & Shelley King, and The Wooks.

Wildflower! FestivalIn addition to its Singer Songwriter Stage, Wildflower! will feature several other stages with an eclectic array of musical artists, as well as a battle of the bands, a budding talent vocal competition, and a Performance Row featuring acrobats, dancers, magicians, street performers, and more. Tom Kimmel will present a songwriter workshop on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that is limited to 30 registrants. An acclaimed singer-songwriter, Kimmel has released eight albums and has also had his songs recorded by such notable artists as Johnny Cash, Shawn Colvin, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt, and Randy Travis.

Three-day festival passes may be purchased online for $65, while single-day adult tickets are available for $30 (Friday and Saturday) and $15 (Sunday) online and at the gate. For more information, including performance schedules and a ticket link, visit www.wildflowerfestival.com.