Grand Prize Winners:
1st Prize – Chris Langathianos & Joe Wilkins, “Your Town” Singer/Songwriter
2nd Prize – Lainey Dionne, “Skin” Pop/Rock
3rd Prize – Charles Dismas Burgess/Patrick Cleary, “Tell Me Anything” Country
Judge’s Choice Winner (Jon Evans) – Jacob Greenberg, “Back Home” Folk/Americana
Judge’s Choice Winner (Sarah Swain) – Merrick Brannigan, “Bittersweet” 16 & Under
Judge’s Choice Winner (Jess Phaneuf) – Jess Clemons, “Three Sheets” Singer/Songwriter
Director’s Choice Winner (Monica Rizzio) – Lainey Dionne, “Reverie” Folk/Americana
Winner of Master Writer (year’s license) – Gabriella Simpkins, “The Open Letter” Folk/Americana
Winner of Audio Mastering with Jay Sheehan – Shannon Davis, “When We Were Kids” Folk/Americana
Thank you to everyone who submitted songs to the
23rd New England Songwriting Competition.
We had over 350 submissions. It shows that there are a lot of talented songwriters out there!
24th Annual Songwriting Competition Submissions open on 1/1/2021
The songwriting entries are reviewed and judged by the songwriting merits alone. Production quality is not taken into consideration. We are looking for great songwriters, not great producers. A simple home or live recording of a song has the same chance of winning the songwriting contest as a professional recording has of winning. Many of the past winners have placed with simple vocal/guitar or vocal/piano recordings. Vocal ability is ‘not’ taken into consideration. Only the “songwriting” elements of the songs are considered when determining the winners.
PLEASE NOTE – contest submissions DO NOT become the
property of the competition. The author retains all
ownership.
HOW WE AWARD THE PRIZES.
PRIZES
Once all of the material is judged, there will be one winning song representing each of the categories. During the second round of judging, those top songs then compete against each other to determine the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and director’s choice place winners. It will be these winners who will be awarded the cash and prizes.
First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $100
With more cash prizes and gift certificates….
A few more of our prizes….
WMVY Judges Choice (Jess Phaneuf) – opportunity to interview with Alison Hammond on mvyradio “Local MusiCafe” .
Judge’s Choice (Jon Evans) – A day of recording at The Studio at Brick Hill with grammy nominated producer Jon Evans
Judge’s Choice (Sarah Swain) – opportunity to perform at Cape Cod Women’s Music Festival 0n May 9,2020 (*female songwriters only)
Director’s Choice (Monica Rizzio) – opportunity to perform at a Vinegrass sponsored event in 2020.
New prize for 2020 – One year license of MasterWriter.
There’s a reason why hit songwriters Gwen Stefani, Rob Thomas, Trent Reznor, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and many more, all use MasterWriter. It is simply the most powerful suite of songwriting tools ever assembled in one program.
MasterWriter gives you Rhymes, Close Rhymes, Phrases, Word Families, Synonyms, Pop Culture, Definitions, a searchable Bible and Figures of Speech (Metaphors, Similes, Onomatopoeia, Idioms, Oxymorons, Allusions, Alliterations and Intensifiers). Also included is an audio recorder and everything you need to organize your songs painlessly.
While a computer program cannot compete with the mind and heart of a songwriter, the mind cannot compete with the word choices and rhymes that MasterWriter will give you in an instant. When the two work together, great things happen…
New prize for 2020 – Mastering of a song by Jay Sheehan (http://www.garrett-audio.com/)
Audio Mastering of up to 4 songs new songs for streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, etc as well as a Master CD for duplication. ** Includes any final touches to your mixed song as well as metadata entry for song identification. Obtaining ISRC codes for streaming service tracking are the responsibility of the winner, however, Beachpoint Mastering will enter them into each song you provide (BpM is happy to assist winner with acquiring the ISRC codes). Must be claimed by June 2021 …
MEET OUR JUDGES AND DIRECTOR!
MONICA RIZZIO (Director) With a perspective equally influenced by her Texas roots and her Cape Cod home, Americana singer-songwriter Monica Rizzio has emerged as one of the finest talents in the East Coast music scene. Monica released her debut album, aptly named Washashore Cowgirl, in 2016; Sunshine is Free, released in 2019, is her expansion — after time spent on the road, she realized it was time for her to start collaborating again and recorded the album in Nashville with producer Michael Rinne and a stacked lineup of guest musicians. Throughout the eleven tracks on Sunshine Is Free, Monica appreciates the little things in life and looks for silver linings where necessary.
Rizzio is a founder and co-owner of the roots-based music school, West Bend Music, providing all-ages private instruction. www.monicarizzio.com
JON EVANS (Judge) has been part of the bay area music scene since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 1991. Just coming off the Sarah McLachalan -Shine On Tour 2014, he has also recorded and toured with such notable performers as Tori Amos, Cher, Linda Perry, Third Eye Blind, Elton John, Vanessa Carleton, Paula Cole, and Alex Digrassi, he has established himself as a flexible and accomplished engineer/producer/arranger.
In winter 2000, Jon decided to build what is now San Pablo Recorders. From the ground up, it is an intimate space designed to make artist, local and national, feel focused. In 2012 he relocated his studio to Orleans, MA and continues to make records for a wide range of artists as well as compose music for national commercials, major video games and NPR. www.jonevansmusic.com
JESS PHANEUF (Judge)
Jess is currently the Music Director at MVYRADIO on Martha’s Vineyard. She has been a public radio DJ in Massachusetts for 10 years, since she graduated from Emerson College in Boston. She hosts the new music show, Uncharted Waters on MVY. You may also occasionally hear her on The Public’s Radio out of Providence, as a fill-in morning show host. Jess has also worked at venues including Club Passim in Cambridge and the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River. Outside of work, she loves to sing and dance in community theatre productions.
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VINEGRASS ORGANIZATION (vinegrass.org) is a non-profit music company founded by Monica Rizzio and her husband Pete Fasano. It produces concerts, camps, and workshops, in order to raise money for our charitable mission. The mission is to provide scholarships to students pursuing Roots & Rhythm instruments in an accredited 4year music program. In addition to the scholarships, they will subsidize camps and instruments to younger students in need, and give an annual grant to an artist or band in the Rhythm & Roots genre.
CAPE COD WOMENS MUSIC FESTIVAL (capecodwomensmusicfestival.com) Proceeds from the Cape Cod Women’s Music Festival benefit the Cape Wellness Collaborative: A non-profit that connects people facing cancer with integrative therapies such as massage, nutritional counseling, reiki and energy work, acupuncture, yoga and chiropractic.
WMVY RADIO (www.mvyradio.com) The mvyradio mission is to present new and well loved music in a distinctive sound, inspired by a love for Martha’s Vineyard and a worldwide community of uncommon enthusiasm for music artistry, intelligence, and independence. Drawn from rock, alternative, singer/songwriter, blues, and roots – their music is connected by substance and quality, accessibility and craftsmanship.
To hear what a “winning song” sounds like – watch our Songwriting Awards Concert in it’s entirety below:
If you have any questions, please contact Sue Martin at songwriters@eventidearts.org
Eventide Arts is a 501(c)3 independent organization that presents plays, concerts, lectures, and mixed media events to promote the understanding of social diversity, music, dance, and the art of playwriting and songwriting.
