**PLEASE NOTE: Submissions for the 13th Annual NSAI Song Contest will close at 11:59pm CST on November 7th which is 12:59am EST on November 8th. This opportunity will close for submissions at that time and no further submissions will be accepted.**
The NSAI Song Contest, presented by CMT, is in its 13th year and boasts exciting prizes designed to help amateur songwriters on their road to becoming professionals. The contest is open to all genres of music and all songs entered re>...
**PLEASE NOTE: Submissions for the 13th Annual NSAI Song Contest will close at 11:59pm CST on November 7th which is 12:59am EST on November 8th. This opportunity will close for submissions at that time and no further submissions will be accepted.**
The NSAI Song Contest, presented by CMT, is in its 13th year and boasts exciting prizes designed to help amateur songwriters on their road to becoming professionals. The contest is open to all genres of music and all songs entered receive a judging report. Music industry executives, professional songwriters and NSAI board members judge songs based on lyrics, melody and composition.
The 13th NSAI Song Contest will declare one (1) Grand Prize Winner, one (1) CMT Listeners' Choice Winner, one (1) Lyric-only Winner, and ten (10) runners-up. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a mentoring session with legendary artist songwriter Lionel Richie, a 3-day trip to Nashville (hotel and air included), a professional demo of the winning single recorded in The Parlor Studio, as well as performances, networking opportunities, tickets, free gear, and more!
The CMT Listeners' Choice Award will run from February 1 - February 28, 2013. The Top 10 finalists (excluding the grand prize winner) will be posted at www.nsai.cmt.com where fans can listen to the finalists' demos and vote for their favorite song. The song with the most audience votes will be the CMT Listeners' Choice Award winner.
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. was born in Tuskeegee, Alabama, where he was exposed to country, gospel, R&B and classical music in equal parts, creating a musical foundation so strong that it has been able to withstand the industry’s boundaries and barriers throughout his storied career.
Buoyed by his family’s support, he dared to buck the academic traditions surrounding him as a college student to help form the Commodores. They achieved the seemingly impossible when they landed a major label deal and garnered hits including “Sail On,” “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady” and “Still.” He eventually left the Commodores and Alabama, embarking on a whirlwind solo career that earned sales of more than 100 million albums, 22 Top 10 hits, 5 Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe and a host of other awards from virtually every other major entertainment organization. Today, Richie’s flawless and seemingly effortless voice packs the emotional wallop of a visit by a beloved friend. “Tuskegee” is a long-overdue musical homecoming and a testament to his lasting legacy and timelessness of his songs.
The Grand Prize winner of NSAI Song Contest will receive:
- Sixty minute mentoring session with legendary songwriter and artist Lionel Richie
- Your song pitched to music industry executives through our Winners Compilation CD for one year.
- NSAI Songwriter Networking Program, which includes one-on-one mentoring session opportunities with award-winning professional songwriters; expert advice on how songwriters can generate income and appointments with major music publishers, record label A&R reps and more.
- Three-day trip to Nashville, TN including accommodations by Renissance Hotel Nashville – depending on availability (limited to US travel within the 50 continental states and only in cities serviced by American Airlines). If the winner’s legal residence is within 250 miles of Nashville, TN, only hotel accommodations will be awarded.
- One hour mentoring session and career consultation with Kim Copeland Productions.
- Professional single-song demo of winning song recorded and produced at The Parlor Studio on Music Row with professional singers, musicians and producers.
- Invitation to perform winning song on stage before a live audience during 2013 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival.
- Opportunity to perform at The Bluebird Café.
- Two tickets to the 2013 CMT Music Awards or something equivalent*
- Private tour of CMT studios in Nashville, TN*.
- CMT Prize Pack.
- Gibson guitar.
- SHURE microphone.
- PitchTubes video session, provided by The Parlor Studio.
- Olympus audio recording device.
- NSAI event gift certificate.
- NSAI membership (one year).
- American Songwriter magazine subscription (one year).
- Sprint smartphone or other device of your choice with 10% off your monthly service.
- Sonicbids six-month subscription.
- Certificate of Achievement.
CMT Listeners' Choice Award Winner will receive:
- Mentoring session with a major music publisher.
- Your song pitched to music industry executives through our Winners Compilation CD for one year.
- Three-day trip to Nashville, TN, including accommodations by the Renaissance Hotel Nashville – depending on availability (limited to US travel within the 50 continental states and only in cities serviced by American Airlines). If the winner’s legal residence is within 250 miles of Nashville, TN, only hotel accommodations will be awarded.
- Professional single-song demo of winning song recorded and produced at The Parlor Studio on Music Row with professional singers, musicians and producers.
- Sixty minute consultation with Evan Farmer and an autographed copy of his book, “Breaking In: The Formula for Success in Entertainment” as well as attending a taping of CMT’s Top 20 Countdown.*
- Two tickets to the 2013 CMT Music Awards or something equivalent*.
- Private tour of CMT studios in Nashville, TN*.
- CMT Prize Pack.
- SHURE microphone.
- NSAI event gift certificate.
- NSAI membership (one year).
- American Songwriter magazine subscription (one- year).
- Sprint smartphone or other device of your choice with 10% off your monthly service.
- Sonicbids six-month subscription.
- Certificate of Achievement.
Lyric-Only Winner:
- Mentoring session with Tom Douglas (“I Run to You,” “Hello World” recorded by Lady Antebellum; “The House That Built Me” recorded by Miranda Lambert; “Grown Men Don’t Cry” recorded by Tim McGraw.) See Rules and Regulations # 11
- NSAI event gift certificate.
- NSAI membership (one year).
- Sprint smartphone or other device of your choice with 10% off your monthly service.
- American Songwriter discount (one year).
- Interview with American Songwriter and article posted on website.
10 Runners-Up receive:
- Meeting with a major music publisher.
- Your song pitched to music industry execs through our Winners Compilation CD for one year.
- NSAI event gift certificate.
- NSAI membership (one year).
- American Songwriter magazine discount.
- Sonicbids six-month subscription.
- Certificate of Achievement.
Honorable Mentions receive Certificate of Achievement.
All Entrants receive a personalized judging report.
The NSAI Song Contest is presented by CMT. Prize sponsors include American Airlines, American Songwriter, ASCAP, Best Built Songs, Black River Entertainment, BMI, Cotton Valley Records, Gibson Guitar, Kim Copeland Productions, ole Music Publishing, Olympus, Platinum Pen Publishing, Renaissance Hotel Nashville, Roots Three Music, SESAC, SHURE Microphones, Sonicbids, Sprint, The Bluebird Café, The Parlor Studio, We Make Tapes and Discs.
Questions or just want to stay connected?
Visit nashvillesongwriters.com or call 800-321-6008
nsai.cmt.com, facebook.com/nsaiofficial and twitter.com/nsaiofficial.
*Airfare, transportation, hotel not inc