USA Songwriting Competition deadline nears for 2026 entries

Will Carpenter: Grand prize winner of the USA Songwriting Competition in 2023

Grammy-winning alumni, chart success stories and international winners underline the appeal of this long-running contest, still open for this year

Songwriters and composers hoping to make their mark have limited time left to enter the 31st Annual USA Songwriting Competition, with the deadline set for 29 May 2026. Open to entrants worldwide, the competition welcomes submissions across a wide range of genres including Pop, Rock/Alt, Folk, R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz and Instrumental, with a top prize package worth $50,000 in cash and merchandise. Winning songs will also receive radio airplay.

Previous entrants have come from countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Germany, South Africa and the USA, underlining the contest’s international reach.

Last year’s overall winner was acclaimed Tulsa singer-songwriter John Moreland, who took top honours with his song Visitor. Moreland earned his first Billboard Hot 100 appearance in 2025 thanks to his featured role on Zach Bryan’s Memphis, The Blues, and has previously opened for Jason Isbell, Dawes and Patty Griffin.

The Overall Second Prize went to Justus Montgomery, Landon Wall, Ethan Anderson and Gary Frost for Makeup, while Eli Golden and Matt Anthony claimed third place with The 1. Among the notable category winners were Fyütch & Aura V, who won Best Children’s Category before going on to win this year’s Grammy Award for Best Children’s Music Album.

The competition has a track record of helping writers progress their careers. Past winner Andrew Jannakos later signed with Sony Music Nashville/RCA Nashville, while 2013 winners American Authors went on to top the charts and achieve multi-platinum success.

The deadline to enter is 29 May 2026. For more information, head to songwriting.net/sm

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