Eight songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2018 NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition and will showcase their talents on Saturday evening, December 15, at Isis Music Hall in Asheville, North Carolina.

The finalists, listed alphabetically, are Suzie Brown (Nashville, TN), Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers (Nashville, TN), Liz Frame and the Kickers (Boston, MA), Alice Howe (Chestnut Hill, MA), Kaiti Jones (Cambridge, MA), Carly Taich (Asheville, NC -2018 Leaf Festival contest winner), Tobias the Owl (Seattle, WA), and Alex Wong (Nashville, TN).

Now in its 17th year, the competition showcases emerging performing songwriters. NewSong Music is an independent music organization that aims to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across various genres of music and skill levels, while identifying truly exceptional artists and introducing their music to a broader international audience.

This year’s grand-prize-winner will receive an all-expense paid six-song EP, mixed and recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios, and released on the NewSong Recordings label. S/he will also receive a performance showcase during the 2019 ASCAP Music Cafe at the Sundance Film Festival (Jan 24-Feb 3, 2019) in Park City, Utah. All finalists will receive a Shure microphone and will be strongly considered for future ‘NewSong Presents’ paid performances across the United States.