Songwriters interested in performing during Avalonfest 2011 in West Virginia in mid-August are invited to enter the festival’s annual songwriting competition. June 11 is the deadline for submission of two original songs that have not previously been entered in the competition. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]
The 40th annual JUNO Awards were presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), March 26 and 27 in Toronto. Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Neil Young was the big winner, while Nova Scotia-based Old Man Luedecke and Quebec-based group Le Vent du Nord captured awards for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year Solo and Group, respectively. {To read the article in its entirety, click on the headline.]
April 15 is the entry deadline for both the Philadelphia Songwriters Project’s 2011 Songwriting Contest and the 19th Annual Rose Garden Coffeehouse Performing Songwriter Competition. [To read the article, click on the headline.]
SolarFest, which bills itself as New England’s renewable energy festival, is seeking songwriters to perform in its 11th annual Singer-Songwriter Showcase this July. Ten singer-songwriters, who write and perform original music and are not currently signed to a major recording label, will be selected to perform two songs each and compete to be among the three winners of cash prizes and studio time. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]
The Washington Area Music Association presented its 25th Annual Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies) on Sunday, February 20. The nonprofit organization of music industry professionals committed to raising the profile of the U.S. Capital region’s diverse music community created the awards to recognize significant career achievements by area musicians. [To see a list of award winners in select categories and hall of fame inductees, click on the headline.]
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ray LaMontagne, Pete Seeger and Bela Fleck were among the winners in more than 100 categories, most of whom were announced during ceremonies prior to the live broadcast from the Staples Center. [To see a listing of winners in select categories, click on the headline.]
Dailey & Vincent were the top winners in the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) 37th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards, taking home seven trophies, while Rhonda Vincent retained her title as Entertainer of the Year. Winners in 23 categories were announced during an awards show on February 6, 2011 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. [To read the entire article and see the complete list of winners, click on the headline.]
Entries are now being sought in the 2011 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest that is associated with the annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 20-22, at the Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas, just a few minutes north of Dallas. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
David Francey is the overall grand prize winner in the seventh annual International Acoustic Music Awards competition. One of Canada’s most revered singer-songwriters, Francey also captured first place in the competition’s Folk category for “The Waking Hour.” [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Chuck E. Costa, a talented singer-songwriter from Madison, CT, has been named as Connecticut’s State Troubadour for 2011-2012. He succeeds Lara Herscovitch, the state troubadour for 2009-2010. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale, who also serves as volunteer chairperson for MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, will engage in a live chat on Facebook on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. EST. Fans and aspiring songwriters can join the chat and pose questions to Lauderdale about the contest and songwriting in general by visiting the official page of the contest at the social media site. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Submissions are now being sought for the 19th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest, one of America’s most popular Americana music festivals. Open to aspiring songwriters who derive no more than 50% of their income from songwriting or music publishing, the contest deadline is February 18, 2011. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
