"This is a great place for talent to be found"...Monte Lipman, President & CEO of Universal Records
"It seems to be a competition that draws a solid talent base"...Kirk Boyer, A&R, Lyric Street Records
"A healthy and important competition, good outlet for creative people"...Andy Karp, Executive Vice-President/Head of A&R, Atlantic Records
"It is great to see that songwriters are being acknowledged"...Brian Jackson, EMI Music Publishing
"It has been my privilege to be a part of your songwriting competition." ...Kirk Boyer, A&R Director,Lyric Street Records
"Very high caliber of submissions. USA Songwriting Competition is always staying ahead of the curve"...Rob Reinhart, DJ of the "Acoustic Cafe", a syndicated radio program that appears in 65 different radio stations in US and Canada.
"We are beaming with pride. It's a rare treat to be recognized by peers in this industry"..Alexander Cardinale & Morgan Taylor Reid, First Prize Winner (Pop) & Overall 2nd Prize of the 16th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2011).
"Happily stunned! We have written songs for over two decades, this is our personal victory"...Alannah Myles & Nancy Simmons, Winner of the 15th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2010).
"Wow, I'm humbled that I was even in the same category with these distinguished songwriters, Congratulations to the top three winners"...Sherri Gough, First Prize Winner (Lyrics), 15th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.
"I'm excited to see an original style of music to be accepted and loved. Popera is a style of its own"..Sarah Lonsert, Winner of the 14th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2009).
"To win the grand prize for something that was a test of our songwriting skills is tremendous and inspiring!"...Jordan Zevon, Jordan Summers & Morty Coyle, Winners of the 13th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2008).
"To have been writing pop songs since I was 12 years old and then to actually win the Grand Prize of the USA Songwriting Competition has probably been the most validating feeling I've ever experienced working in the music business. It was almost as if every door that had been slammed in my face, every negative criticism I had to take and every rejection I had to face had suddenly vanished from my memory. And aside from all the great prizes that were delivered to my door on a given day, the icing on the cake has been the feeling that the people behind the USA Songwriting Competition are really rooting for you and wanting to help you take full advantage of all the possible opportunities there are to get your music out there. That kind of support from your fellow music industry professionals is vital in this cut throat business!"...Ari Gold, Winner of the 12th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2007). After his win in the USA Songwriting Competition, Ari's winning song went on to hit #10 on the Billboard Charts, #1 on Sirius OutQ, #1 on Logo TV, etc.
"Thank you so much for all of your help. Excellent custmer service!! You have been fantastic!!!" ...Christina E. Joseph, Hollywood, CA
"It's a wonderful feeling to be recognized internationally through such a prestigious competition among other great songwriters. We look forward to even greater exposure now & thank the USA Songwriting Competition"...Mark E. Robertson Jr, Michael McDonald & Leon Jones (Ahmir), winner of 1st Prize (R&B category) of the 2007 USA Songwriting Competition
"I feel honored to win such a prestigious competition. It feels great to be acknowledged for something I am passionate about. Winning this category of the competition has inspired me to further pursue music as a career"....Monticue Connally, 1st Prize (Hip-Hop/Rap) winner in the 2006 USA Songwriting Competition.
"I'm usually a critic of music contests and much rather prefer longtime meaningful record contracts. However the USA Songwriting Competition is the one contest I think every artist should pay serious attention to"...Airomee Wind
"It is an honor to have won. Gets me in a lot of doors. You are angels! Thank you so much, this is changing the course of things in my life, and it's wonderful that you provide such a contest for hard working songwriters!!".....Steffani Bennett, 1998 USA Songwriting Competition Overall Grand Prize Winner. She also appeared on TV program "60 Minutes".
"It is rare for a songwriter to feel a true sense of accomplishment. We are always working towards the next idea, the next inspiration... and in a business where the performing artist holds the spotlight, our names are often relegated to the small print on the CD liner notes. It feels great to have my work recognized in a competition that focuses on celebrating the craft of songwriting" ....Victoria Banks, 1st Prize (Country) and Overall 2nd Prize winner in the 2006 USA Songwriting Competition.
"Winning this award feels like a giant vote of confidence. To earn the respect of esteemed industry professionals like those on the judging panel reinforces our sense of pride in what we accomplished so far and fuels our drive to keep developing our craft" ....Peter Maiatis, 1st Prize (Rock) winner in the 2006 USA Songwriting Competition.
"I'm honoured to have won. This win has encouraged Laurence Juber (Lead guitarist of "Wings" and 2 time Grammy winner) to invite me to perform with him" ....Barry Chung , from Hong Kong, 1st Prize (Instrumental) winner in the 2006 USA Songwriting Competition.
"I am thrilled. I have a great deal of respect for the USA Songwriting Competition and consider it a great honor to win"....Kenneth Littleton Jones, 1st prize winner (Comedy) 2006 USA Songwriting Competition
"We are ecstatic to win the competition for ourselves as a group as it emphasizes once again the credibility of our work as Sister Seven and as individual songwriters in our solo efforts apart from each other. It's amazing that just after three weeks after our first time to play together again in 3 1/2 years that we are sharing this together as great songwriters" ...Patrice Pike, Wayne Sutton, Sean Phillips and Darrell Phillips. They are all from the Rock/Alternative group "Sister Seven" from Austin, TX, they won Overall Grand Prize in the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition.
"I feel absolutely fantastic! I am both delighted and honored to win the first prize in the R&B category and to have as many as 4 songs placed in the finals in such a prestigious contest as the USA Songwriting Competition - the biggest and best in the world; the one that counts! This means more to me than any of my other achievements to date and , after 11 years of hard work, I finally feel that I've been truly recognized for my efforts. There is no better competition than this to offer both amateur and professional songwriters alike a real chance of success - this could be my springboard to stardom! I urge songwriters all around the world to just give it a go - it is worth it! A massive thank you to all at the USA Songwriting Competition and your distinguished sponsors"....Charlotte Kelly,London, UK, first prize winner (R&B) of 2004 USA Songwriting Competition
"My co-writers submitted songs we had written together, and they began to win awards. So I started chipping in, and sending my share of submissions, but only after I had done some research. There are a lot of contests out there that really are a rip off, meaning that all they want to do is to make money. But there are a few contests that will help to further a career, such as the USA Songwriting Competition. They help songwriters get recognized by their peers, boosting the confidence of the songwriters who win and letting them know they are seemingly on the right track. They are great to put in a resumé. And any time a songwriter's name is in an industry magazine or press release because of something he or she accomplished, it's a good thing!"......Lorraine Ferro, two-time winner of USA Songwriting Competition (2004 USA Songwriting Competition 1st Prize co-writer winner and 2000 USA Songwriting Competition Honorable Award Winner), as quoted in a book "I Don't Need a Record Deal", written by Daylle Deanne Schwartz, distributed by Billboard Publications.
"I feel like a million bucks! Feels great to be recognized as a writer, especially for a song that I'm very proud of"....Gabriel Mann, 2003 USA Songwriting Competition Overall Grand Prize Winner.
"I am totally honored. To see whose company I was in was a humbling experience. There are pro songwriters as well as songwriters I have heard of through the indie scene"....Moe Loughran, 2003 USA Songwriting Competition 1st Prize Winner (Pop).
"I really can't thank you enough for everything. Your competition has done great things for me and my band. We really appreciate it"....Sarah Lewis, 2002 USA Songwriting Competition Overall Grand Prize Winner.
"We love your website,newsletter and all that you do for songwriters!! Thank you very much!"....Dawn Hardwick, Los Angeles,CA
"I'm overwhelmed by the amount of prizes that I've won, I'm excited and honored to be selected out of so many songs. I'm also xcited about the possibilities and doors this may open for me in the future of my musical career."....Jonathan Kingham, 2000 USA Songwriting Competition Overall Grand Prize Winner.
"I'd like to voice my personal lauds to the USA Songwriting Competition folks for offering a panoply of great opportunities to never-say-die up-and-comers such as myself, including performance opportunities at virtually all the Music Conferences i.e. SXSW, 2NMC, Folk Alliance et al, as well as monthly showcases held at great venues around the country in LA, NYC, and Atlanta - to name only a few. This is above and beyond the purview of an ordinary songwriting contest. My thanks to Eddie Phoon et al for being true supporters of independent music and damn good listeners as well."....Joel Cage, Meredith, NH (1999 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize - Folk Category, also on numerous awards and honors at various music festivals).
"It's a wonderful feeling of validation to win and to be chosen out of so many entries, especially with a song that is so close to my heart. Big thanks".......Barbara Kessler, 2001 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize (Folk).
"We are greatly honored to be the first prize winners in two categories with our song "Some Flowers", which out of all of our compositions, is our heartfelt favorite. Please extend our deepest gratitude to your panel of judges".......Andy Sarnoff & Pat Maiorino, 2001 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize (Country & Gospel). First time that the same song won two categories.
"I am very pleased to receive such recognition. I believe any chance we have to encourage others in the creative arts should be pounced upon! It is vitally important that people have an opportunity to express themselves creatively. I wrote Sienna when I was just fourteen years old because someone encouraged me to be creative. Thanks for the opportunity"......Andy Sorenson, Australia. 2001 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize (Instrumental).
"Wow! Persistence pays off"....Billy Byron, 2001 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize (Children).
Thank you for doing a great job and continuing to offer opportunities and potentials for Songwriters. Hope springs eternal!"......Michele Weiss, Sherman Oaks, CA
"Although my works didn't make it, I must express my congratulations to all those that did. I am happy for them and also wish to say well done and thank you, for all the time and patience you all had as a team"......Maria, UK
"An amazing feeling of satisfaction being honored with two awards. The recognition given to me by the panel of such distinction from the music industry makes me feel very proud and happy"....Dyana Dafova (Sofia, BULGARIA), 2000 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize (World Category) and Overall Third Prize Winner.
"I cannot believe I won! This is great news!"....Alex O'Brien, 2000 USA Songwriting Competition First Prize (Lyrics Category), Alex became the first non-musician to ever win first prize in the history of the competition.
"Since winning the award many good things have happened to Silje -- and are still happening. She's been signed to Universal Music and released an album this past March in Norway. So far it's been in the pop charts after entering at no. 7 -- and this is a JAZZ album! It's sold over 10,000 copies in that country alone, and now will be released in Scandinavia, Europe, Asia and US Her work is also being solicited by many other singers"....Tom Garretson, Artist Manager of Sijle Nergard (Norway), winner of the 1999 Honorable Mention Award
"As a result of Aaron Tap winning the Rock/Alternative. category we have heard from over 40 different A&R reps (mostly major record labels) and almost all the major publishers!" ....Cindy Levine Management, Representative of the Aaron Tap, 1998 1st prize winner of Rock/Alternative category
"This is just amazing. It still hasn't sunk in my mind yet, that I won! Thank you!"....Trina Belamide, Philippines, 1999 Overall 2nd Prize Winner (Trina Belamide and Vehne Saturno became the first from Asia to ever win awards in the USA Songwriting Competition).
"My country (Fiji) is just a small group of islands in the Pacific with a population of only 3/4 million. Our songs are hardly exposed to an international level, being awarded overall 2nd prize is a lifetime achievement for me in my entire musical career".... Saimone Vuatalevu, Fiji, 1998 Overall 2nd Prize Winner.
"I've heard nothing but good things about your event"...Jim Attebery, CEO of Durango Songwriter's Expo
"USA Songwriting Competition has worked hard at helping independent musicians get exposure through numerous opportunities and I would love to get involved. Thanks Again"...... Melissa Gibson, Nashville, TN, USA
"I've done my homework about songwriting contests in general. For certain, yours is one of the very best and definitely worthwhile I'm sure"....Tom Guertin, Canada
"Your company offers a fantastic service for songwriters"....Steve Howard, England, UK
"I like your website--it's informative and easy to navigate"....Sherry Lea Jones, USA
"Thanks for a great site and contest"....Joe Johnson, Hanover, IN, USA
"I am familiar with the great job you guys do for the songwriter"....Patricia A. Smith, USA
"I think it's a wonderful idea to promote the contest and the artists that enter
it"....Kurt Von Meyer, singer/songwriter, Minneapolis,MN, USA
"What you are doing for singer/songwriters (people like me) is so inspiring, thank you!" ....Lisa Szczesny, New Market, TN, USA
"Thanks for your help. You are a model, and a great example of Customer Service for your company"...Henry Flowers, USA