The USA Songwriting Competition has been honoring leading songwriters and recording artists since 1995, and this year is no different. The 17th annual contest is offering a grand prize package that includes $50,000 in cash and merchandise, plus additional prizes for more than 30 other songwriters.We wanted to give you an idea of just what it's like to win the contest, so we got in touch with previous winners Ed Romanoff, Yagel Sulchiner and Simon Spire to get the skinny.
"The most important thing I received from the contest was the recognition that the prize itself represented," Spire told us, "that my song had been understood and judged worthy by a panel of music luminaries."
And with thousands of submissions pouring in every year, in a multitude of different genres, the competition is always fierce.
"When so many great writers are out there competing and sharing their songs, to win a category is really meaningful," Romanoff added. "Writing is a pretty solitary experience, even if you co-write, and to hear back with some outside recognition from seasoned judges is very, very encouraging."
Yagel and cowriter Orly were able to capitalize on the attention their award brought, and were booked for a songwriting showcase at SXSW the following year. Looking back, there was one major thing they would have done differently.
"We would probably submit more songs into different categories," Sulchiner told us. "We had only submitted our one winning song 'Boy On A Hill', and got very lucky it was chosen to represent the Folk category."
Spire recalled receiving a prize package that included software and equipment from PreSonus, Audio-Technica, Sony, D'Addario and more, and that the congratulatory email came as the perfect lift during a stressful period.
"As most musicians know, it's not always easy to get one's music heard and it takes time and perseverance to get the music to its audience, so the win was a great affirmation," he said.
The 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition is open for submissions through May 31st.
