2023 Al Johnson Contest FinalistsThe Top 10 Finalists have been named in the 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest that is held in conjunction with the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 19-21 at Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas – just a few minutes north of Dallas.

Here (in alphabetical order by last name) are the finalists who were announced on April 21: Ryan Biter (Flagstaff, AZ), Lauren Frihauf (Denver, CO), JD Graham (Mesa, AZ), Abigayle Kompst (Nashville, TN), Korby Lenker (Nashville, TN), Will Livingston (Flower Mound, TX), Juliet Lloyd (Washington, DC), Sean Magwire (Oxford, MA), Aryn Michelle (Irving, TX), and Grace Morrison (Rochester, MA).

The contest, which drew some 300 entries from across the U.S., was open to singer-songwriters who perform in a wide array of genres – including Americana, bluegrass, blues, Celtic, country, folk, and rock, among others. Submitted songs were to have been representative of the artist’s live performance and include only one instrument, the songwriter’s vocals and no back-up harmonies, must have been written after December 2020, and were not to exceed five minutes in length.

Using a blind-screening process, a panel of judges chose the finalists who will perform two songs each on the Singer-Songwriter Stage inside the Eisemann Center during the annual event that is billed as North Texas’ largest music festival. On Saturday, May 20, the ten finalists will compete for cash prizes and be judged based equally on the quality and presentation of their songs – with originality, lyrics, melody, and harmonic structure among the criteria. The first-place (grand prize) winner will receive $1,000 plus two full days of recording at Audio Dallas Recording Studio, while the runner-up and the Michael Troy People’s Choice Award winner 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, May 21.

For more information on the contest and the festival, visit wildflowerfestival.com.