Twenty-four songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2024 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among a record-breaking 1341 entries, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 25 and 26, as part of the first weekend of the 52nd annual Kerrville Folk Festival.
Slated to perform on Saturday, May 25 are Jeremy Parsons, Gloria Anderson, Rachel Sumner, Admiral Radio, Kenny Foster, Lila Blue, Lily Talmers, Summerlyn Powers, Mike Vitale, Halley Neal, Alex Wong, and Lucy Clearwater. Performing on Sunday afternoon, May 26 will be Elise Leavy, John Dennis, Genevieve Racette, Robin Bienemann, Stephanie Simmons, Sean Keel, Jack McKeon, Katie Dahl, Elliah Heifetz, Sara Beth Go, Blossom Drearie by Brandon Whyde, and Tai Shan.
They will showcase their talents and songwriting skills at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio, from 1:00-4:30 p.m. CT. The New Folk Concerts will also be livestreamed on the Kerrville Folk Festival’s website [kerrvillefolkfestival.org/2024-newfolk-competition] and Facebook page, as well as on the Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation’s YouTube channel.
After performing the two songs that they submitted during the New Folk Concerts, six songwriters will be selected as 2024 New Folk Winners by a panel of judges. As in the first round, the finalists’ songs will be evaluated based on originality, lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, and other elements of song-craft. Each of the six performing songwriters chosen as 2024 New Folk Award Winners, to be announced during the evening concert on May 26, will receive a cash prize, a mentoring session with a professional songwriter, some Kerrville Folk Festival swag, two complimentary full festival access passes to the KFF Foundation’s fall festival event, and will be invited to perform a 20-minute set on stage on Sunday, June 1. They also may be afforded the opportunity to take part in a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk House Concert Tour in Texas, as well as to play the 2025 spring or fall festival.
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 and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. In addition to receiving cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.
Extending for 18 days, the Kerrville Folk Festival is set for May 23-June 9. Besides concerts each evening, it features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, campfire jam sessions, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, guided nature walks, yoga, beer and wine seminars, a Young Artists’ Performance Incubator, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops.
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