Nashville Gears Up for the 25th Annual NSAI Song Contest
Nashville, the heart of country music, is buzzing with excitement as the 25th annual Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Song Contest kicks off on October 1st. This year, the contest is marking its silver anniversary with an incredible prize pool exceeding $30,000. Contestants will also have the unique opportunity to gain insights from industry giants like Shane McAnally, a triple-Grammy winner, and Jessie Jo Dillon, the 2024 ACM Songwriter of the Year.
How the Contest Works
The contest operates through a straightforward four-part judging process. Initially, each entry will be assessed by an industry professional using a detailed 10-point questionnaire. Depending on how well they score, up to 22 entries will advance to the subsequent rounds of judging.
The final judging round will culminate in a live-taped event where the Lyric Category Grand Prize winner will be named, along with revealing the top 10 finalists for the Song Category. It’s an exhilarating process that will conclude by February 2025.
Prizes Galore!
So, what awesome prizes can contestants look forward to? Let’s start with the Song Category Grand Prize Winner, who will take home $5,000, a one-on-one mentor session with Shane McAnally, and a one-year single-song publishing contract with Dream 3 Publishing. As if that isn’t enough, the winner will also snag:
- A stunning Taylor Guitars 50th Anniversary guitar
- $1,500 worth of items at Guitar Center, courtesy of the Guitar Center Music Foundation
- A meeting with a CMT Music & Talent representative
- Tickets to the 2025 CMT Music Awards
- A performance opportunity at The Bluebird Cafe and the 2025 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival
- Additional industry meetings and much more!
But that’s not all! The Lyric Category Grand Prize Winner will receive $2,500, a mentor session with Jessie Jo Dillon, and another Taylor Guitars 50th Anniversary guitar. Other perks include:
- A meeting with Dream 3 Publishing
- Tickets to the 2025 CMT Music Awards
- A roundtrip flight on Southwest Airlines
- A two-night stay in Nashville
- A year-long SoundCloud Next Pro subscription
- A custom engraved capo from G7th
- A $250 gift card, plus two tickets to a show at The Bluebird Cafe
- Some fantastic gear from Guitar Center and Musicnotes!
Entry Details
To celebrate this milestone, NSAI has made entering the contest accessible, as all submissions are only $25. After the promotional period, the fee will increase to $35 for NSAI members and $45 for the general public.
Songwriters from every genre are encouraged to submit their songs and lyrics online at www.nsaisongcontest.com or via mail. The submission window runs from October 1st at 12 p.m. to November 1st at 5 p.m CT. For entries sent by mail, writers should include the submission form, entry fee (no cash accepted), a printed lyric sheet, and one audio CD unless it’s a Lyric Category entry.
What’s even better is that there’s no limit to the number of songs or lyrics that can be submitted, so let your creativity run wild!
Final Thoughts
This year’s NSAI Song Contest is promising to be a fantastic celebration of creativity, talent, and the magic of songwriting. So, if you’ve got a song in your heart or lyrics in your mind, don’t miss out on this golden opportunity!
