Awards & Contests
Americanafest Draws Record Attendance

Americanafest Draws Record Attendance

This year’s Americana Music Festival and Conference (Americanafest), which took place Sept. 12-16 in Nashville, TN, was the most successful one in its 13-year history – drawing record attendance and registrations, according tot the Americana Music Association. The five-day celebration of American Roots-inspired music, featuring plenty of learning and networking opportunities, as well as a wide array of music showcases by up-and-coming and veteran artists, drew more than15,000 fans, 300 performing artists and more than 1,100 music industry professionals, according to the association. [To read the full article and learn who the recipients of this year's Americana Honors and Awards are, click on the headline.]
Entry Deadline Nears for Mid-Atlantic Song Contest

Entry Deadline Nears for Mid-Atlantic Song Contest

September 15 is the submission deadline for entries in the 29th annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest produced by the Songwriters Association of Washington. [To read about the contest, click on the headline.]
Winners Named in 2012 Unsigned Only Music Competition

Winners Named in 2012 Unsigned Only Music Competition

The inaugural class of winners in the Unsigned Only music competition has been named. Winners were selected in nine categories – including Folk/Singer-Songwriter – from among nearly 7,500 entries worldwide. [To read the article in full, click on the headline.]
Entries Sought for International Acoustic Music Awards

Entries Sought for International Acoustic Music Awards

Entries are currently being accepted for the International Acoustic Music Awards. Now in its ninth year, the competition promotes excellence in acoustic music performance and artistry. Awards will be presented in eight categories: Best Male Artist, Best Female Artist, Best Group/Duo, Folk/Americana/Roots, AAA/Alternative, Instrumental, Bluegrass/Country, and an Acoustic Open Genre category. An overall Grand Prize winner also will be named. [To read this short article, click on the headline.]
Americana Honors & Awards Nominees Named

Americana Honors & Awards Nominees Named

Nominees for the Americana Music Association’s 2012 Americana Honors & Awards were announced on May 31 during a celebratory event at The Grammy Museum’s Clive Davis Theatre in Los Angeles, California. With nods for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Duo/Group of the Year,Jason Isbell snagged the most nominations, along with his group, the 400 Unit. [To read the full article and see the list of nominees in six categories, as voted by members of the Americana Music Association, click on the headline.]

Six Winners Named in 2012 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition

Five songwriters and a songwriting duo have been named as winners in the 2012 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Edie Carey (Chicago, IL), Nicolette Good (San Antonio, TX), Whit Hill (Nashville, TN), Korby Lenker (Nashville, TN), Alicia McGovern (Salt Lake City, Utah), and The Sea The Sea (a contemporary duo featuring Connecticut Sate Troubadour Chuck E. Costa and West Virginia's Mira Stanley) were selected from among 32 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 26 and 27 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day event that continues through Sunday, June 10, at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. [To read the full article, click on...

2012 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Finalists Named

Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2012 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 26 and 27, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Finalists Named in 2012 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest

Ten finalists have been named in the 2012 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest. Each will perform two songs on the Singer Songwriter Stage during the 20th annual Wildflower! arts and music festival in Richardson, Texas, just a few minutes north of Dallas. Billed as North Texas’ largest music festival, it takes place, May 18-20. [To read the article, click on the headline.]

Bruce Cockburn and The Wailin’ Jennys Win Juno Awards

True North recording Artists Bruce Cockburn and The Wailin’ Jennys were named as winners in the 41st annual Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys). The awards were presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) in Ottawa over the weekend. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Entry Deadline Nears for 2012 Kerrville New Folk Competition

March 15 is the application deadline for the 2012 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters to be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27, during the 41st Annual Kerrville Folk Festival at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country. The first 800 entries received via the mail or online will be accepted, and 32 finalists will be named in April. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Winners Named in 8th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards

Maddy Rodriguez, an 18-year-old Canadian country-pop singer-songwriter, is the overall grand prize winner in the 8th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards competition. {To read a short article, including a list of winners and runners-up in the competition's eight categories, click on the headline.]

The Civil Wars Win Two Grammy Awards

The Civil Wars won two Grammy Awards February 12. Barton Hollow, the debut full-length album by the East Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White was named Folk Album of the Year, while its title track was recognized as the Best Country Duo/Group Performance. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]