Nashville songwriter Sav Buist won the Overall Grand Prize as well as the first prize of the Folk category of the 27th Annual USA Songwriting Competition with her song “The Line.” Sav is part of a Folk group The Accidentals.
“I am truly honored that The Line won the USA Songwriting Grand Prize. Ironically, I wrote The Line at a low point, when I was having a hard time finding the words. It’s a culmination of all the unwanted voices in my head. Winning this contest is validation that good things can come from hard things and that tomorrow can be better than today. So thankful that this song resonated with the judges of the USA Songwriter Competition this year. I hope it resonates similarly with anyone who needs a nudge to keep moving,“ said Sav Buist.
Sav has been described by NPR as “one of the most compelling songwriters of our day.” Sav Buist is not just one third of the indie folk rock trio, The Accidentals - she’s a singer-songwriter, recording engineer, and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Nashville TN by way of Traverse City MI. She’s one the 2021 Kerrville New Folk Winners, 2022 Songwriter Serenade winner, and her song, Wildfire co-written with her bandmate, Katie Larson and Kim Richey, was the #1 song of the year at Folk Radio in 2021. Along with playing violin, mandolin, guitar, bass, banjo, Sav describes herself as a self-employed - professional problem solver, hot sauce fanatic, lock picker, tetris trailer packer, bookworm, archer, key lime pie baker, and cat parent in her spare time.
The Overall Second Prize went to Kevin Stroud & Marc Alan Barnette of Wichita Falls, TX with their song "Dance in Heaven."
The Overall Third Prize went to Matty Gottesman; Los Angeles, CA with his song "Sleepless Summer."
