2023 RESULTS

The results of the 28th Annual USA Songwriting Competition are out. Here are the list of  winners & finalists. Congratulations to our winners and finalists! We would like thank our entrants, judges and sponsors for your support.

Also, entries are now accepted for the 29th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2024), click here to enter >>

 

Here are the winners of the 28th USA Songwriting Competition (2023):

Overall Grand Prize

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"Get Loud" by William H Carpenter & Abby Posner; Los Angeles, CA 
 
Overall 2nd Prize
"Girl From Oklahoma" by Jeff Roe, Matt Rogers & Darrin Morris; Memphis, TN
 
Overall 3rd Prize
"Revival" by Maggie McClure, Shane Henry, Stephen Gause & Nathan Angelo (The Imaginaries); Norman, OK      

 

Category Prize Winners (First Prize in each of the 15 categories)


Best LYRICS ONLY Award
"Harder Now" by Tania Doko, Mattias Lindblom & Marcus Lindberg; AUSTRALIA

Best DANCE/ELECTRONICA Award
"Spotlight" by Spencer Dalton & Mr Emotional; Nashville, TN

Best FOLK Award
"Revival" by Maggie McClure, Shane Henry, Stephen Gause & Nathan Angelo (The Imaginaries); Norman, OK     

Best ROCK/ALTERNATIVE Award 
"Get Loud" by William H Carpenter & Abby Posner; Los Angeles, CA 

Best CHILDREN Award 
"Born To Be Brave" by Brock Burford, Kairo McLean & Kirk Diamond (Sonshine and Broccoli); CANADA

Best NOVELTY/COMEDY Award 
"It's Thanksgiving" by Dan Ruprecht & Three Lefts and A Right; Los Angeles, CA

Best HIP-HOP/RAP Award 
"Celestity" by Roc Flowers & Stefano De Donato; Greensboro, NC

Best LATIN Award 
"Antonella" by Beto Hale & Juan de Dios Martin; Los Angeles, CA & SPAIN

Best R&B Award 
"The Man You See" by Kevin Kilberry & Jon Rappa; Chicago, IL 

Best INSTRUMENTAL Award 
"Nightshade" by John McMillan; CANADA

Best JAZZ Award 
"Africa" by Roman Miroshnichenko, Mike Stern & Stas Namin; RUSSIA, USA & ARMENIA

Best GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL Award 
"Change" by Tedd Swormstedt & Jeffrey East; Cincinnati, OH

Best WORLD Award 
"Eitil Away" by Anya Hinkle; Asheville, NC

Best COUNTRY Award 
"Girl From Oklahoma" by Jeff Roe, Matt Rogers & Darrin Morris; Memphis, TN

Best POP Award 
"Getaway Car" by Andrew Koss & Trey Bruce; Manchester Center, VT 

 

HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS
"Synergy" by Vahagn Stepanyan, Dave Koz, Eric Moore, Leslie Johnson, Mark Lettieri, Philip Lassiter & Kitt Wakeley; Los Angeles, CA 
"Let Me Rewind" by Helle Hansen; DENMARK 
"Casablanca" by Bessam Witwit & RIELL; Miami, FL
"Problem" by Julian Gardner & Julez feat. J.O.Y; UNITED KINGDOM
"This Is the Good News" by Grant Peeples & Danny Goddard; Tallahassee, FL 
"Rise with the Dawn" by Karen Ballew & The Deer's Cry; Nashville, TN
"Nobody Knows" by Jarrett Bailey & Hey It’s Jay; Los Angeles, CA 
"Red Lights" by Richard Tichelman, Mescon David Asher & Kenny Sharp; CANADA
"Jesse" by Heath Coleman, Ethan Wynn, Eric Michael Taylor, Caleb Mills, Andrew Parris, Will Snellgrove; Nashville, TN
"Cigarettes" by Alexa Johns & Laci Bonner; Nashville, TN
"Just You and I" by Cole Prawer & Joseph Itaya; Los Angeles, CA 
"Queen of my life" by Jannike Sandstrom, Niklas Rosström, Michael Garvin & Lukas Hällgren; FINLAND 
"Alligators Live in the Bayou" by Mick Maloney; Algoma, WI 
"Falling in Love on Zoom" by Jay Clemens & Rachel Efron; San Francisco, CA 
"Love Letter" by Mohan Sivaloganathan, Jeremy Paxton & Anjelica Sky; Cliffside Park, NJ 
"Diez" by Mariana Restrepo; Miami, FL 
"Mind Games" by Te'Zhuen Watson, Tema Siegel & Eric Tarlin; Los Angeles, CA
"Tanguerìa" by Greta Cipriani; ITALY
"Wait on You" by Tyra (Adura) Archie, Calvin Nowell, Chris Biano &  Brian Reith; Houston, TX 
"Light Of The Sun" by Polina Hubavenska & Yavor Rousinof; UNITED KINGDOM & BULGARIA

 

  


The finalists of the 28th USA Songwriting Competition (2023):

 

DANCE/ELECTRONICA
"Distance" by Marco Perfetti & Automatixx
"Back Into U" by Shaan Kambli 
"Lightspeed" by Spencer Dalton & Mr Emotional
"Spotlight" by Spencer Dalton & Mr Emotional
"Falling Apart" by Bessam Witwit & Treetalk
"Dancin' Lights" by Jean M McClain & Marisol Cabrera
"Problem" by Julian Gardner & Julez feat. J.O.Y
"Way Too Long" by Nathan Brumley, Deekey, Cosmo & Skoro  
"My Heart (Boom)" by Ishaan Vohra & Eleron
"Casablanca" by Bessam Witwit & RIELL

FOLK
"Rise with the Dawn" by Karen Ballew & The Deer's Cry
"This Is the Good News" by Grant Peeples & Danny Goddard 
"Don't Be Discouraged" by Peter Lehndorff 
"Revival" by Maggie McClure, Shane Henry, Stephen Gause & Nathan Angelo (THE IMAGINARIES) 
"Lavender Moonshine" by Tret Fure 
"September Me" by David LaMotte 
"On a Dying Day" by Emily Pinkerton & The Early Mays
"Ashes and Dust" by Josh Evington & The Hues
"Northern Girl" by Maggie Pope 
"Temptation" by Dave Nachmanoff 

ROCK/ALTERNATIVE
"My Runaway" by Francesca Tarantino & Mike Walker 
"Get Loud" by William H Carpenter & Abby Posner
"Nobody Knows" by Jarrett Bailey & Hey It’s Jay
"Lights of Tokyo" by Dylan Cattanach 
"Heartbreak" by Cameron Christopher, Charles Christopher & Ethan Christopher (The Christopher Brothers)
"Time's Up" by Ryan Clure, XNK & Lina Cooper 
"Red Lights" by Richard Tichelman, Mescon David Asher & Kenny Sharp
"Together Apart" by John Polimeni & Evan Russell Saffer (Makes My Blood Dance) 
"Just A Ghost" by Ben Harold & The Rising
"Standing O" by Blake Arambula & Glass Mansions

LYRICS ONLY
"Land of Was" by Jeffrey Hartman, Robert Edward Fowler & Kit Tyrone Worton
"Melancholic" by Jaime Jaworecki, Nick Schwarz & Annika Bennett
"The Old Twelve Bar Blues" by James Kachulis 
"Churches and Bars" by Bryson VanCleve &  Jill VanCleve (Troubaduo)
"If Time Were an Ocean" by Helle Hansen 
"Let Me Rewind" by Helle Hansen 
"Harder Now" by Tania Doko, Mattias Lindblom & Marcus Lindberg 
"Death by Innuendo (Control)" by Jason Boyd & Surgeon Boyd
"Stranger Things" by Ryan Boey, Daniel Leathersich & Ryan Brisotti
"This Moment" by Story Elston     

CHILDREN
"Sweet Dreams (Bedtime Prayer)" by Mark Jeleniewski
"Yellow Bicycle" by Billy Byron
"Alligators Live in the Bayou" by Mick Maloney 
"(This Lullaby Is) Just For You" by Alan Jarvis 
"Sleuthy Sloth" by Andrew Best & Stephen Duncan
"Candy Canes" by Donna Dyson & Spotty Kites
"Born To Be Brave" by Brock Burford, Kairo McLean & Kirk Diamond (Sonshine and Broccoli)
"I Am a Girl" by Tennille Amor 
"A Fairytale Princess Who Looks Like Me" by Christopher Sizemore 
"Made To Bloom" by Stephanie Leavell 

NOVELTY/COMEDY
"Tin God" by Franz Mang 
"You're The Brightest Bulb (On The Christmas Tree)" by Mark Stepakoff 
"Nothing Can Stop Christmas" by Tedd Swormstedt 
"THE HIGH LIFE" by Carol Weiss 
"Feeling Left Out" by Charles Sartorius 
"The Reasons Are Many" by Justin Ezzi 
"Wiggle Butt" by Len Seligman 
"It's Thanksgiving" by Dan Ruprecht & Three Lefts and A Right
"Tex-Mex Ex" by Allan Corby
"Falling in Love on Zoom" by Jay Clemens & Rachel Efron    

HIP-HOP/RAP
"Make it" by Wilbur Levans 
"Tropical Wonder" by Winston Sailsman & DJ Slimer feat. Treva
"I Suppose" by Luis Reyes 
"Celestity" by Roc Flowers & Stefano De Donato
"We Still Here" by Corey Giovanny Alvarez & MystaPulse
"Love Letter" by Mohan Sivaloganathan, Jeremy Paxton & Anjelica Sky 
"Trauma" by Kamahri Hayes 
"God Does Not Make Accidents" by Te'Zhuen Watson 
"Love The Child In Me" by Darren Piper "Optikz" 
"So High" by Tylar Dreyer & Austin Jones

LATIN
"Déjame sola" by Páfata Productions André Bressling 
"No" by Gonzalo Fraga & Diván Japonés
"¡Qué Muchacha!" by Mario Miguel Marquez Trujillo 
"Está Saliendo El Sol" by Luis García Moya 
"Antonella" by Beto Hale & Juan de Dios Martin
"Diez" by Mariana Restrepo 
"Divina" by Karina Magallon 
"La vecina del 840" by Walter Zeinal 
"Donde Fue a Parar el Tiempo" by Laidiesky Rodriguez & Ezequiel Nicolas Suarez Maroni
"Te Vas" by Eduardo Padrós Serat 

R&B
"Don't Even Try" by Stan Xidas & Doug Swander
"The Man You See" by Kevin Kilberry & Jon Rappa
"The Bed You Made Me" by Megan McConnel 
"Gold" by Shariay Hammond & Ojeez
"Lightskin Keychain" by Vi Lawson 
"Our Struggle" by LaShonda Strozier & Say What
"Mind Games" by Te'Zhuen Watson, Tema Siegel & Eric Tarlin
"When I Miss You" by Darnell Boone 
"Loveology" by Andre DuBois, Craig Thompson, Jr. & Antoine Franklin
"Little Closer" by Regenia Boyle & Dion George    

INSTRUMENTAL
"Out of the Blue" by Luiz Simas 
"Bodhrán's Magic" by Roman Miroshnichenko, Charlie Bisharat, Henrik Andersen & Vladimir String Orchestra 
"Janna's Song" by Iris Frommer 
"Nightshade" by John McMillan
"Tanguerìa" by Greta Cipriani 
"Simplemente" by Hector Alberto Trouboul 
"Trailera" by Daniel Figueiredo 
"Ola" by Momo Kimura 
"Red Line AM" by Kevin Mazey 
"I Believe" by Shao Ying Low

JAZZ
"Cores Frias" by Teresa Ines Coelho
"Waltz 1/19" by Bruce Gertz 
"Africa" by Roman Miroshnichenko, Mike Stern & Stas Namin; RUSSIA, USA & ARMENIA
"Lifeline" by Anouschka Pearlman 
"Synergy" by Vahagn Stepanyan, Dave Koz, Eric Moore, Leslie Johnson, Mark Lettieri, Philip Lassiter & Kitt Wakeley
"Quantum Entanglements" by Aimee Allen 
"Strange Charm" by Nicholas Hammond & Michael Storey
"Shunzo" by Peter Xifaras 
"Paris Always Will Have You" by Tony DeSare 
"Let Me Rewind" by Helle Hansen

GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL
"Lamb of God" by Charlin Neal 
"It Was You All Along" by Jason Schaarschmidt 
"Holding On" by Kevin Toqe, Andrew Sanders & Hope Toqe
"What The Eyes Don't See" by Kenneth Hirsch & Michael Jay
"Change" by Tedd Swormstedt & Jeffrey East
"Plant A Seed" by Wayne Miller & Tom Saffell
"Greatest Blessing" by Edwin Dimaculangan 
"Savior of the World" by George Koehl, Jasmine Fortenberry, Mitchel Mershawn & Tyler Fortenberry 
"Cosmic" by Nathan Brumley & Jordan Butcher
"Wait on You" by Tyra (Adura) Archie, Calvin Nowell, Chris Biano &  Brian Reith    

WORLD
"One Human Tapestry" by Moti (Mordechai) Hammer 
"Phire Elaam" by Gautam Banerjee & Swagata (Ban) Banerjee (Ban Brothers)
"Tenagay (You don’t understand)" by Agreen Dilshad 
"Bro Dllm (Go, My heart)" by Agreen Dilshad 
"Hasratein" by Ramalingam Sankaran 
"Light Of The Sun" by Polina Hubavenska 
"Eitil Away" by Anya Hinkle 
"Ruby Ruby" by Susan Muranty 
"Walking Away" by George Solonos 
"Dangerous and Young" by Amanda Abizaid & Lindsay Gillis

COUNTRY
"Say to Me" by Callie Young & Warren Sellers
"Living Room" by Brian Callihan, Wynn Varble & Matt Rogers
"Ten Tons" by Jim Vilandre & Cory S Miller
"A Night To Forget" by Dale Allen Pommer, Travis Smith & Elmer Knable
"Girl From Oklahoma" by Jeff Roe, Matt Rogers & Darrin Morris
"Ice Cold Beer" by Russ Parrish, Sarah Stankiewicz, Alisen Wells, Alek Glauvitz & Topher King 
"The Heavy" by Shari Rowe, Mark Addison Chandler & Warren Garrett
"Run" by August Lantay-Lefkovich, Auriel Lantay-Lefkovich, Hallelujah Lantay-Lefkovich
"Cigarettes" by Alexa Johns & Laci Bonner 
"Jesse" by Heath Coleman, Ethan Wynn, Eric Michael Taylor, Caleb Mills, Andrew Parris, Will Snellgrove

POP
"Just Won't Have It" by Alexander Webb & Latrell LA Harvey
"Imposter" by River Iris & Paul Sikes
"Taboo" by Darren Vader, Robbie Rosen & Corey Phillips
"Sweet Love Gone Sour" by Corey William Schneider & Randall Ray Krumrei
"Before You" by Elyse Jewel Butterman & Myah Marie Langston
"Queen of my life" by Jannike Sandstrom, Niklas Rosström, Michael Garvin & Lukas Hällgren 
"Fascinated" by Corey Laitman & Cloudbelly
"Just You and I" by Cole Prawer & Joseph Itaya
"Volcano" by Tess Posner, Cari Cole & Amy Kuney
"Getaway Car" by Andrew Koss & Trey Bruce
"Calling Out Your Name" by Tania Doko, James Roche, Emil Berg & Kamilla Bayrak 



ENTRANTS WITH MOST SONGS IN FINALS NUMBER OF SONGS IN FINALS
Helle Hansen (3)
Tania Doko (2)
Spencer Dalton & Mr Emotional (2)
Bessam Witwit (2)
Tedd Swormstedt (2)
Agreen Dilshad (2) 
Roman Miroshnichenko (2)
Nathan Brumley (2)
Te'Zhuen Watson (2)  



 

 

 

Top Winners through the Years

2023 - William H Carpenter & Abby Posner (from band "Ships Have Sailed")

2022 - Sav Buist 

2021 - Scott Oatley (Vân Scott), Jorge Mhondera & Jay Speight

2020 - Andrew Jannakos & Michael O'Neal Smith

2019 - Jamie Alimorad & Gino Vannelli

2018 - David Wilcox

2017 - Priscilla Hairston, Boots Ottstad & Ben Burgess

2016 - Jerad Finck, David Hodges & Steven Solomon

2015 - Ami Kozak, Dov Rosenblatt & Duvid Swirsky (from band "Distant Cousins")

2014 - Justine Dorsey & Kerris Dorsey

2013 - Dave Rublin, Shepherd Goodman, Aaron Accetta, James Adam Shelley, Matthew Sanchez & Zachary Barnett (from band "American Authors")

2012 - Mike Schmid

2011 - Nenna Yvonne

2010 - Alannah Myles & Nancy Simmonds

2009 - Sarah Lonsert, Jonathan George & Jami Templeton

2008 - Jordan Zevon, Jordan Summers & Morty Coyle

2007 - Ari Gold, Joe Hogue 'JOJOHO' & Sean Petersen

2006 - Vikki Simpson (of the Waifs)

2005 - Hakim Young

2004 - Patrice Pike, Wayne Sutton, Sean Phillips & Darrell Phillips

2003 - Gabriel Mann

2002 - Sarah Lewis (of band "Jag Star")

2001 - Steve Tannen

2000 - Jonathan Kingham

1999 - Adrianne Gonzelez

1998 - Steffani Bennett

1997 - Lisa McCormick

1996 - Jan Anderson

Top 2 Positions Twice
Will Carpenter (from the Rock group Ships Have Sailed)  first songwriter to ever win any of the Top 2 positions in 2 different years. He won the Overall Grand Prize with co-writer Abby Posner in 2023 and Overall Second Prize win in 2018 with co-writers Robert Gillies & Art Andranikyan. 

 

Youngest Winners
Kerris Dorsey (16 years Old), youngest Overall Grand Prize winner in history, in 2014

Molly Hunt (15 Years Old), youngest first prize winner in history, in 2011

Sarah Lonsert (17 Years Old), youngest first prize winner and also youngest Overall Grand Prize Winner in 2009

Kate Voegele (18 Years Old), won 1st Prize in 2005