Jeff Ellis of Huntington, West Virginia; Jacob & Lily of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Kangero of Brooklyn, New York; Kelleigh McKenzie of Rosendale, New York;  and Rose Polenzani of Somerville, Massachusetts were named as winners of the 2008 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, presented by Folk Alliance.  The contest’s international finals took place on Saturday, October 11, at the Cultural Center in Charleston, West Virginia — home to the internationally broadcast Mountain Stage radio and TV show that has showcased more than 2,000 artists since its inception in 1983. 

The five 2008 co-winners will be featured in a showcase during the 2009 Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tennessee next February, while Jacob & Lily also performed live on Mountain Stage on October 12.  In addition, McKenzie and Polenzani tied as Best Song winners for “Gin” and “You Were Drunk and I was There,” respectively.