Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2010 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among 800 submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted during the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 29 and 30, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Scheduled to perform (in order of performance) at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country on May 29, from noon to 3 p.m. are Cassie Peterson (Nashville, TN), Daniel Makins (San Angelo, TX), Terry Holder (Olympia, WA), John Batdorf (West Hills, CA), Chris O’Brien (Somerville, MA), Annie & Rod Capps (Chelsea, MI), Leanne Atherton (Austin, TX), Liz Longley (Downingtown, PA), Alex Woodward (San Diego, CA), Kate Klim (Boston, MA), Neal Katz (Tyler, TX), Blair Bodine (Ambler, PA), and Wyatt Easterling (Nashville, TN).

New Folk Finalists slated to perform on May 30 include Chet O’Keefe (Nashville, TN), Jen Cass (Bay City, MI), Dan Colehour (Nashville, TN), Angela Easterling (Taylors, SC), Bobbie Lancaster (Bloomington, IN), Gretchen Witt (Brooklyn, NY), Michael Troy (Fall River, MA), Brad Boyer (Friendswood, Texas), Joe Scutelle (Nashville, TN), Jennifer Morrison ( Sarasota, FL), Jon Brooks (King City, ON, Canada), Mai Bloomfield (Venice, CA), Sam Doores (New Orleans, LA), Kim Richardson (Mountain Home, AR), Andy Gullahorn (Nashville, TN) and Lucas Ohio Pattie (Pleasanton, CA).

After performing, six songwriters will be selected as 2010 New Folk Winners by judges Tom Prasada-Rao, Ronny Cox and Susan Gibson. The six will receive cash honorariums and other prizes, as well as the opportunity to return the following weekend during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners concert at the festival on Sunday, June 6.

Among the former New Folk finalists and winners in this year’s Kerrville Folk Festival lineup are BettySoo, porterdavis, K.C. Clifford, Eric Schwartz, Danny Schmidt, Anthony da Costa, Jack Harris, Abi Tapia, Tom Prasada-Rao, Ernest Troost, Louise Mosrie, Rebecca Loebe, Raina Rose, Robby Hecht and Jimmy LaFave.

Now in its 39th year and geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and their fans, the Kerrville Folk Festival is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. In addition to concerts each evening, Kerrville features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, campfire jam sessions, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a three-day songwriters school and instrumental workshops. Also slated is the fifth Music to Life songwriting contest, a biannual event sponsored by Noel “Paul” Stookey’s Public Domain Foundation that features songwriters performing songs dedicated to social or political issues of concern

The Kerrville Folk Festival runs for 18 straight days – Thursday, May 27 – Sunday, June 13. For a complete festival schedule and additional information, visit www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com.