As previously announced, three Celebrity Judges have signed on to choose the finalists for the inaugural Songwriters Hall of Fame Song Competition. The lineup includes esteemed SHOF inductees Mac Davis ("A Little Less Conversation," "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me," "In the Ghetto"), Charles Fox ("Killing Me Softly With His Song," "Ready To Take A Chance Again," "Happy Days") and Lamont Dozier ("Baby Love," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," "Heat Wave").
The Competition, "by songwriters, for songwriters," was conceived by the accomplished songwriters and leadership of the SHOF and music publishing executives at UMPG as a way to provide aspiring songwriters with an opportunity to share their music, develop their songwriting skills and take the first steps toward a successful career in the music industry.
The overall Grand Prize winner will be given the opportunity to enter into an exclusive Universal Music Publishing Group contract, will receive an Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE guitar, two tickets to the 2015 Songwriters Hall of Fame Annual Induction and Awards Gala, and recognition from the stage.
Four second place winners will receive a one-hour creative and career mentoring session with a legendary songwriter who has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, two spectator tickets to the 2015 Annual Induction and Awards Gala and an Epiphone guitar. Song Competition Mentors will include SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb ("Wichita Lineman," "MacArthur Park," "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"), and such legendary songwriters as Desmond Child ("Livin' on a Prayer," "Livin' La Vida Loca," "'Angel"), Don Schlitz ("The Gambler," "Forever And Ever, Amen," "On The Other Hand")and Paul Williams ("Evergreen," "The Rainbow Connection," "We've Only Just Begun").
All prize winners will be featured in an article in the 2015 Gala Dinner Journal, circulated to the music industry's creative and business elite, and have their music and bio profiled on a page of the songhall.org website, visited by thousands of industry professionals each month.
Entries will be screened by a listening committee who will select the semi-finalists. Songwriters will be evaluated by a Blue Ribbon Panel of industry professionals including well-known songwriters, producers and publishers. Finalists will then be chosen by the three legendary Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees who have been announced here. All songs will be judged based on melody, composition, originality and lyrics.
So write a hit and submit by the new deadline of October 31!
All dues-current SHOF members receive a discount on song submissions, so if you have not previously received the discount code, email us at [email protected].
Submissions and other information are available on the Sonicbids website: www.sonicbids.com/songhall
And while you're at it, check out the latest blog post from Sonicbids featuring some great quotes: What 7 Hit Songwriters and Industry Leaders Think of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Song Competition
