Entries are now being accepted for the 2021 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters that will take place online on May 22 and 23. The first 800 entries postmarked or submitted online by March 7 will be judged, and 24 finalists will be announced in April.
Six songwriters will be named as 2021 New Folk Award Winners on May 29. Each will receive a $650 cash prize, Kerrville Folk Festival swag, and an invitation to perform a 20-minute set during a Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation festival event to be held sometime in the fall. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted cancellation of last May’s in-person festival at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country and prevents one from taking place again this spring.
Songwriters may submit two original songs (written after Jan. 1, 2019) online in .mp3 or .mp4 format by following the link on the Kerrville Folk Festival website’s New Folk page (www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org/newfolk), filling in the requested information, and uploading two separate song files. The entry fee is $25 through Jan. 31, and rises after then. Along with the entry forms, official guidelines and rules can be found on the website. Those chosen as finalists will later submit videos featuring their performances of the two original songs that they initially entered. Entries will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft.
Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles. It is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. Besides receiving cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.
Named as winners in the 2020 competition were Andy Baker (Gobles, MI), John John Brown (Pawling, NY), Abigail Lapell (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Louise Mosrie Coombe (Williamsburg, MA), Michael Prysock (Dallas, TX), and Shanna in a Dress (Boulder, CO). They performed short sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners concert as part of the second weekend of the 2020 October Virtual Celebration on Oct. 17.
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