The results of the 30th Annual USA Songwriting Competition are out. The top 3 winners (Overall Grand Prize, Overall 2nd Prize, Overall 3rd Prize) will be announced on 12/2/2025. We would like thank our entrants, judges and sponsors for your support. 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 31st Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2026), click here to enter >>
Here are the winners of the 30th USA Songwriting Competition (2025):
Category Prize Winners (First Prize in each of the 15 categories)
DANCE/ELECTRONICA
"Afterlife" by David Flagg & Faus Ivan; Sealte, WA
FOLK
"Visitor" by John Moreland; Tulsa, OK
ROCK/ALTERNATIVE
"Eternity" by Gregory Shilling & Brian Kierulf; Los Angeles, CA
LYRICS ONLY
"Softer Than You Know" by Helle Hansen & Frans Bak; Copenhagen, DENMARK
CHILDREN
"Harmony" by Harold Simmons, Fyütch & Aura V; Baltimore, MD
NOVELTY/COMEDY
"Bury Me With a Parachute" by Michael Berardi & Cheryl Berardi; Palm Beach, FL
HIP-HOP/RAP
"Side by Side" by Jonathan Harvey & Dgiovahni Mike Denize & Shadiyah (BGVs); West Palm Beach, FL
LATIN
"Así No Se Puede Querer" by Luis Santiago & Los Inconformes; Guaynabo, PR
R&B
"Get This Groove" by Julianne Williams & Dennis Williams/Old Town Love; Phoenix, AZ
INSTRUMENTAL
"Takoma" by Teja Gerken & Doug Young; San Francisco, CA
JAZZ
"Do it for the Love" by Kate Schutt & Steve Seskin; New York, NY
GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL
"Be Still And Know" by Dale Allen Pommer, Bob McCormick & Corey Lee Barker; Nashville, TN
WORLD
"Dagsens Auga Sloknar Ut" by Sylvaine; NORWAY
COUNTRY
"Makeup" by Justus Montgomery, Landon Wall, Ethan Anderson & Gary Frost; Nashville, TN
POP
"The 1" by Eli Golden & Matt Anthony; New York, NY
HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS
"Anastasia" by Rieko Okita & Akira Yamazaki; Tokyo, JAPAN
"Refusnik" by Avril Hue (Rue De Vivre); Los Angeles, CA
"Ain't That The Way" by Ree Shad & Lance Cowan. Featuring Natalia Zukerman Kemp Harris & Wanda Houston; Great Barrington, MA
"Cold Blood" by Mark Stepakoff; Boston, MA
"Best is Yet to Come" by John Epp & MöTT; Salida, CO
"Shattered Echoes" by Alexander Santos; Spring, TX
"Headspin" by Souren Mozian & Grant Garrett; New York, NY
"Me Encantas" by Mirla Avila, Ramon Casillas (Ray El Ingeniero); Lubbock, TX
"Somehow, Someway" by Chad Price; Atlanta, GA
"Quarter Back" by Carly Zimmerman & Aron Rosing; Nashville, TN
"The Quiet After" by Rees Walther & Carrie McRae; Albertville, MN
"Cruel Joke" by Flavia Watson & Chris Rizzo; Los Angeles, CA
"Poison Ivy" by Andie Mackenzie & Luke Bonenfant; New York, NY
"You Stay with Me" by Gillian Margot & Geoffrey Keezer; New York, NY
"A Friend Like You" by Peter Lewis & Tom Maraldo; Bradenton, FL
"In My Arms" by Edie Carey & Sarah Sample; Colorado Springs, CO
"The Interview Went Wrong!!!" by Quang Pham & The Witty Misfit; Toulouse, FRANCE
"Amen" by Jo Ellen Doering & George Doering; Los Angeles, CA
"What I See Is What I Get" by Christen Cooper & Forest Glen Whitehead; Draper, UT
"Another Small Delay" by Dave Nachmanoff; Davis, CA
Here are the finalists of the 30th USA Songwriting Competition (2025):
DANCE/ELECTRONICA
"Awe Walk" by Scott Corneau & Blacklight Beat Patrol
"Afterlife" by David Flagg & Faus Ivan
"Kao More (Like the Sea)" by Maja Vasilj, Dante “Lotto” Babb & Phil Maher
"Prince-Like" by Fayeshawn Danzie
"Refusnik" by Avril Hue (Rue De Vivre)
"Turn Up!" by Gregory McDonald & KINO
"Ess & Zam" by Artemisio Bertone
"Stop Me If You've Heard This Before (Version 3)" by Mark Johnson
"Love Me For Now" by Weston Kleinknecht
"La Isla" by Walter Zeinal
FOLK
"Bighearted" by Kate Schutt & Steve Seskin
"Old Faithful" by Michelle Raybourn, Gloria Anderson & Ellen Goebel
"Cold Blood" by Mark Stepakoff
"Visitor" by John Moreland
"Ain't That The Way" by Ree Shad & Lance Cowan. Featuring Natalia Zukerman Kemp Harris & Wanda Houston
"Big Sky Country" by Mallory Chipman
"Go" by Jesse Eastman & The Everydays
"Change My Mind" by Joe Holt
"A Hero's Tale" by Ridge Banks & Tom Stanton
"Bring on the Night (Big Ol' Blue revisited)" by Ryan Orr
ROCK/ALTERNATIVE
"Light At The End of the Tunnel" by Jo Ellen & George Doering
"Best is Yet to Come" by John Epp & MöTT
"Eternity" by Gregory Shilling & Brian Kierulf
"Shattered Echoes" by Alexander Santos
"The Dash" by Eric Colville
"All I Gotta Do" by Grant Maloy Smith
"Now!" by Ann Minogue & Nicholas Saya
"Hello Sun" by Amber deLaurentis & Tom Cleary
"Into Forever" by Nathaniel Dominguez
"Into The Lilac Tree" by John Wlaysewski & Late Cambrian
LYRICS ONLY
"Elusive Underbellies" by Bob Davoli
"Dragonfly" by Tom Bender & Justine Blazer
"Ink" by Payton Riley Kuehn & Joseph (J4) Wandass IV
"Long Lost Light" by Bask
"Lonely World" by Zerena Lupo, Carrie Karpinen & Matt Bronleewe
"Softer Than You Know" by Helle Hansen & Frans Bak
"Lonely Waltz" by Helle Hansen & Frans Bak
"What I See Is What I Get" by Christen Cooper & Forest Glen Whitehead
"Another Small Delay" by Dave Nachmanoff
"Back To Life" by Kevin Stroud & Lizzie Miller Longstaff
"Holding Your Dream" by James Kachulis & Shane Adams
CHILDREN
"Popcorn Party" by Donna Dyson & Spotty Kites
"Animals Do Most Anything, Part One" by Ranger Jack
"You Just Gotta Dream Big" by Alitzah Wiener aka Twinkle Time, LorI Barth & James L. Dallas
"I Am Strong" by Nick Gill & The Quokkas
"A Friend Like You" by Peter Lewis & Tom Maraldo
"Take Time" by Scott Durbin & Imagination Movers
"Good Day" by Kim Noller, Katie T & Carter Green
"Harmony" by Harold Simmons, Fyütch & Aura V
"In My Arms" by Edie Carey & Sarah Sample
"Bamboo" by Michelle Gregor
NOVELTY/COMEDY
"Prelude" by Franz Mang
"Barbecue Sauce" by Mark Stepakoff
"The Interview Went Wrong!!!" by Quang Pham & The Witty Misfit
"Stop! Take Your Cat!" by Michael Berardi
"Bury Me With a Parachute" by Michael Berardi & Cheryl Berardi
"Oreo Dessert" by Marcus AK
"Tea Can Tackle Anything" by Philip Maybury
"My Dog’s Best Friend" by Lon Conklin
"Dylan's Gone Electric" by Dave Dvorak
"Doodle" by Marina Sneider & Ron Gunczler
HIP-HOP/RAP
"Side by Side" by Jonathan Harvey & Dgiovahni Mike Denize & Shadiyah (BGVs)
"Headspin" by Souren Mozian & Grant Garrett
"Gangstalking (Community Policing)" by Makala Wright & Kala K
"Ra-ta-tat-tat" by John Beyer & Benjamin Damptey
"Mockingbird" by Mark Johnson
"Champion" by Darren Piper ‘Optikz’
"Gun’z Away" by Darney Rivers & The Lord K Born Featuring Alexa V
"Jump into the deep" by Justin Williamson & Wak815
"Sona Rock" by Marcus AK ft. Evelyine
"Haters Anthem" by Wilbur Levans
LATIN
"Muéstrate" by Luis Quintero
"Nací para adorarte" by Cristina Rodriguez Penton, Ibrahim Hernandez, Lixandro Vegas & Vladimir Quintero
"Como Olas del Mar (Las Totoritas)" by Alfredo Miró-Quesada Bancalari & Piero Noratto
"Nadie Como Tú" by Chris Milo
"Me Encantas" by Mirla Avila, Ramon Casillas (Ray El Ingeniero)
"Señor Ley" by Luis Santiago & Los Inconformes
"Así No Se Puede Querer" by Luis Santiago & Los Inconformes
"Mi Terra" by Eleazar Rico
"Accesorios" by Emily Rondón
"El Tren (No hay flores en la ciudad)" by Gonzalo Fraga & Ballon Captif
R&B
"Shouldn’t Have Let You Go" by Eric Hill
"Get This Groove" by Julianne Williams & Dennis Williams/Old Town Love
"Time With You" by Debo Ray, Deborah Pierre, Jerry Velona & Charles Alexander
"Wolves" by Jill Desiree Marsono, David Olivas, Katisse Buckingham & Kent Moore
"Can't Let Go" by Mitchell Cantor & Marla Cantor
"Hold On" by Nicholas Hammond, Odd Rene Andersen, Bjarne Gustavsen, Borge Petersen-Overleir, Rino Johannessen, Torstein Lofthus & Kjell Arne Nordli
"Somehow, Someway" by Chad Price
"Bye Bye Blues" by Charlie Walmsley & Larry McCray
"Chills" by Maya Jenkins
"Reasons" by Shontasia Brown
INSTRUMENTAL
"Takoma" by Teja Gerken & Doug Young
"Wings of a swallow" by Róisín Gavin
"The Battle of Chamdo" by Luc lemay & Gorguts
"Uspavanka (Lullaby for Sarajevo)" by Mirza Redzepagic
"For Robin" by Agustín Amigó
"Chime" by Alan Gogoll
"Whispers in the Wind (John 3:8)" by Misty Lemmond
"Adagio Days" by Peter Xifaras
"Blues Odyssey" by Avra Banerjee
"Revive" by Momo Kimura
"One Day The Truth Will Win" by Roman Miroshnichenko
JAZZ
"Red Backpack (Mochila Vermelha)" by Rodrigo Bonelli
"Out of the Blue" by Helle Hansen & Frans Bak
"Do it for the Love" by Kate Schutt & Steve Seskin
"Oriental Waltz" by Yuki Yamamura
"February Friends" by Alex Hand
"I Need Just One Love in my Life" by Fred Lederman & Alan Baboff
"And Some Blues...." by Lisa Hilton
"Musashi" by Shunzo Ohno
"Moments" by Sharon North & Chris “Big Dog” Davis
"You Stay with Me" by Gillian Margot & Geoffrey Keezer
GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL
"Rest" by Jill & Bryson VanCleve
"Determination" by Fred Lederman & Alan Baboff
"One Step Away" by Brent Lillie
"Uncommon Clay" by Wayne Miller & Tom Saffell
"Be Still And Know" by Dale Allen Pommer, Bob McCormick & Corey Lee Barker
"In You I Found Me" by Michael Berardi & Richard Berardi
"Amen" by Jo Ellen Doering & George Doering
"The Finished Work" by Mark Boucot, Cedric Israel & Josh Bissell
"Angels in the Middle" by John Henry Bradshaw
"That's How I Know" by Yolanda Klem & Ryan Klem Jr.
WORLD
"冰箱" by Jiexi Zhao
"Anastasia" by Rieko Okita & Akira Yamazaki
"Prelude" by Franz Mang
"Dagsens Auga Sloknar Ut" by Sylvaine
"So Nice" by Ingvi Þór Kormáksson
"Drops of poison (Kapi otrova)" by Primoz Rebernik Ribic
"The World Belongs To No One" by Quang Pham
"Their World / Our World" by Michael Berardi & Stas Namin
"Dimmi" by Nicolas Acquavella
"Avaze Hasrat" by Ala Bahrami
COUNTRY
"Pretty Good" by Megan Kelley, Cedric Israel & Abbey Cabler
"Makeup" by Justus Montgomery, Landon Wall, Ethan Anderson & Gary Frost
"Holding On To Hope" by Wayne Miller & Tom Saffell
"Underwire" by Dale Allen Pommer, Alayna Kowal & Bonnie Warren
"5 o'clock Shadow" by Natalie Otto & Philip Morgan
"Quarter Back" by Carly Zimmerman & Aron Rosing
"The Quiet After" by Rees Walther & Carrie McRae
"Make This Place For Me" by Elaina Christina Clement, Andrea Veltri & Hane McLeaish
"Whiskeys Gotta Go" by Lauren Griffith, Lucas Sader, Ginny Luke & Haisley
"What I See Is What I Get" by Christen Cooper & Forest Glen Whitehead
POP
"Ice Cream Cake" by Skylar Springer, Austin Heller, Jake Neumar
"Sun Go" by Gregory Shilling & Brian Kierulf
"Cruel Joke" by Flavia Watson & Chris Rizzo
"The 1" by Eli Golden & Matt Anthony
"One Way Ticket" by Richard Tichelman, Brian Howes, Andrew Allan & Jason VanPoederooyen
"Poison Ivy" by Andie Mackenzie & Luke Bonenfant
"Lonely World" by Zerena Lupo (ZERENA), Carrie Karpinen, Matt Bronleewe
"Sail Out Beyond The Breakers" by Michael Berardi, Richard Berardi, Otto Richter & John Beltzer
"Grey to Gold" by Tess Posner & Jeff Franzel
"Ball and Chain" by Cammi Avery (CAMMI), Grace Bronleewe & Matt Bronleewe
ENTRANTS WITH MOST SONGS IN FINALS NUMBER OF SONGS IN FINALS:
Michael Berardi (5)
Helle Hansen & Frans Bak (3)
Matt Bronleewe (3)
Fred Lederman & Alan Baboff (2)
Mark Stepakoff (2)
Luis Santiago & Los Inconformes (2)
Wayne Miller & Tom Saffell (2)
Dale Allen Pommer (2)
Franz Mang (2)
Kate Schutt & Steve Seskin (2)
Marcus AK (2)
Jill VanCleve & Bryson VanCleve (2)
Jo Ellen Doering & George Doering (2)
Quang Pham (2)
Zerena Lupo & Carrie Karpinen (2)
Christen Cooper (2)
