2024 RESULTS

The results of the 29th Annual USA Songwriting Competition are out. Here are the list of  winners and 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 30th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2025), click here to enter >>

 

Here are the winners of the 29th USA Songwriting Competition (2024):

 

Overall Grand Prize

Julian Gardner, 2024 Overall Grand Prize Winner
"Higher Than Love" by Julian Gardner, J.O.Y. & Paddy Hunt; Wales, UK
 
Overall 2nd Prize
"Stubborn" by Skylar Springer & Kayliann Lowe; Brick, NJ

Overall 3rd Prize
"My Best Friend's Getting Married" by Liddy Clark; St. Louis, MO

 

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

Best DANCE/ELECTRONICA award
"Higher Than Love" by Julian Gardner with Feat. J.O.Y; Wales, UK
     
Best FOLK award
"Farmer's Almanac" by Stoll Vaughan; Lexington, KY
    
Best ROCK/ALTERNATIVE award
"Present and Accounted For" by Noam Weinstein; Boston, MA
    
Best LYRICS ONLY award
"Stubborn" by Skylar Springer & Kayliann Lowe; Brick, NJ
    
Best CHILDREN award
"Dreamland" by Flor Bromley & Lucy Kalantari; Croton on Hudson, NY
    
Best NOVELTY/COMEDY award
"Get off My Lawn" by Chip Sharratt & Dickie Christopher; Minneapolis, MN
    
Best HIP-HOP/RAP award
"Road to Nowhere" by Curtis Lindley; Dallas, TX
    
Best LATIN award   
"Entre Patas" by Alfredo Miró-Quesada Bancalari, Checo MQB, Ramun Ra & Pirata Noratto; Madrid, SPAIN 
     
Best R&B award
"Now You're Here" by Debo Ray, Deborah Pierre, Jerry Velona & Charles Alexander; Boston, MA  
    
Best INSTRUMENTAL award
Isla Grande" by Ron Korb; Toronto, CANADA 
    
Best JAZZ award
"Broken" by Jill Marsono & David Olivas; Los Angeles, CA 
    
Best GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL award
"Three Things He Left Us" (ft. Doug Moore and ARI) by Wayne Miller & Tom Saffell; Nashville, TN 
    
Best WORLD award
"Jarðartrá (Dust to Dust)" by Eivør Pálsdóttir (Eivør), Tróndur Bogason,  Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs; Syðrugøta, FAROE ISLANDS
     
Best COUNTRY award    
"Somebody Believed" by Bill DiLuigi, Steve Dean & Billy Montana; Nashville, TN
    
Best POP award    
"My Best Friend's Getting Married" by Liddy Clark; St. Louis, MO

 
HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS
"White Man’s Dream" by Kristen Ford & Ani Difranco; Nashville, TN 
"Luna" by Russ Hewitt; Dallas, TX 
"It's Only Water" by Helle Hansen; Copenhagen, DENMARK 
"Munjoy Hill" by EJ Edward Ouellette & Lisa Anne O’Donnell; Boston, MA
"From a Bullet to the Bible" by Mac Millen, Tim Stewart & Toy Polo; Blackville, SC
"Crime of Fashion" by David Lauver & Dave Welty; Knoxville, TN
"Big" by Kim Noller; Wichita, KS
"Bhairav Raga" by Phil Scarff & Natraj; Boston, MA
"Pluto" by Amelie Sampson & Gordie Sampson; Nashville, TN
"Say It Like You Mean It" by Robin Randall & Bill LaFleur; Los Angeles, CA
"Back in Tennessee" by Rusty VanSickle, Terry Clayton & Josh Osbourne; Nashville, TN
"FOMO" by Carson Ferris; Salt Lake City, UT
"Help Me" by Anthony Osbourne & Tone Lope; New York, NY
"Te Quiero a Ti" by Marla Lewis, Dave Kinnoin & Melissa Sanley; Wantagh, NY
"The Revolutionary" by Frederick Miller (Fred Milla); Chicago, IL
"Truth Cannot Hide" by Francesca Tarantino, Mike Walker & Caroline Walker; Orlando, FL    
"Katie's Got a Locket" by Jeff Talmadge; Austin, TX 
"House on Fire" by Lizi Kowenhoven; Pittsburgh, PA 
"What Are We" by Maddi Overy, Matt Bronleewe & Grace Bronleewery; Williamsburg, VA  
"Rebirth" by Harrison Le, Sofia Bella & Tsoysauce: Tampa, FL

 

Here are the finalists of the 29th USA Songwriting Competition (2024):

 

DANCE/ELECTRONICA
"Starlight" by Fred Lederman & Alan Baboff
"Walk on Air" by Eric Dick & Celleste 
"Lightspeed Remix" by Spencer Dalton & Mr Emotional
"Feral Child" by Tess Posner, Cari Cole, Dani Brillhart & Colton Jones
"Higher Than Love" by Julian Gardner with Feat. J.O.Y 
"What Are We" by Maddi Overy, Matt Bronleewe & Grace Bronleewery 
"Wide Awake (feat. Branchey)" by David Flagg, DisKatch & Branchey
"ID23" by Ryan Chrzanowski 
"Catch the Light" by Andrew Sarnoff & Pat Maiorino
"Rebirth" by Harrison Le, Sofia Bella & Tsoysauce

FOLK
"Gray Sky Blues" by Naomi Sommers
"Farmer's Almanac" by Stoll Vaughan 
"Without A Compass" by Dave Nachmanoff 
"Drive" by Mandy Marylane
"Evergreen" by Liddy Clark 
"Either or Both" by Brady Lillie & Lennon VanderDoes
"House on Fire" by Lizi Kowenhoven 
"Katie's Got a Locket" by Jeff Talmadge 
"May Flowers" by Charlie Brennan 
"There on the Mantle" by Robert Muscovitz 

ROCK/ALTERNATIVE
"Tomorrow is Mine" by Chris Evans & AudioGust
"Truth Cannot Hide" by Francesca Tarantino, Mike Walker & Caroline Walker  
"Walls" by Tom Bender & Justine Blazer
"Gasoline Looking for a Fire" by Joe Cameron & Brad Thomas Ackley
"Niko, Let's Go Bowling" by Jackson Velli & Picture Us Tiny
"Mustang (No One Owns Her)" by Haley Bond (Haley and the Comet) 
"Call You In" by Eliza Carthy & Ben Seal
"Same Kind of Heartache" by Evan Kreutzberg (Evan Kreutz)
"White Man’s Dream" by Kristen Ford & Ani Difranco 
"Present and Accounted For" by Noam Weinstein 

LYRICS ONLY
"Stubborn" by Skylar Springer & Kayliann Lowe 
"Love Washes Off" by Michael R. J. Roth & Eric Ramsey
"If I Can't Love You" by Lily Zager, Jack Zager & The Zager Band
"Little Way" by Lizi Kowenhoven 
"Munjoy Hill" by EJ Edward Ouellette & Lisa Anne O’Donnell
"Albatross (Reimagined)" by Rachael Sage & Crys Matthews
"Watershed Moment" by Helle Hansen 
"The Hunger Always Wins" by Anouschka Pearlman 
"The Passenger and the Pilot" by John Chaffee 
"When the World Disappears" by Masha Alexis, Masha and the Fam 
"Day (Song For My Valentine)" by Rafael Montecruz & Abraham Armell   

CHILDREN
"Hey Dr King!" by Billy Byron
"How to Howl" by Adam Donmoyer, Rockaroni & Cheese
"How (Can I Make Someone's Day?)" by Dana Cohenour 
"Dreampilot" by Kat Sena 
"Dreamland" by Flor Bromley & Lucy Kalantari
"Road Trip" by Imagination Movers
"Be a Lion" by Donna Dyson, Wil Hughes & Spotty Kites
"Who Would That Leave to Be Me?" by Jordan Wax 
"Big" by Kim Noller 
"Animal Band" by Robert McCarthy, Mr. Rob & Friends 
"Afraid But Brave" by Jesse Friedberg & Jesse Jukebox

NOVELTY/COMEDY
"I'm Almost There" by Federico Christofe Liberatore
"I Hate Snow" by Mark DeVos
"Immortality" by John Weeks & Thurdy
"Kitty is a Cougar" by Mark Stepakoff 
"Get Off My Lawn" by Chip Sharratt & Dickie Christopher
"Sitting in the Exit Row" by Carla Ulbrich 
"Moshemian Thrashody" by Kevin Stout, David Furtschegger, Klemens Mayr (INSANITY ALERT) & Freddie Mercury 
"What Doggies Do" by Tracy Carn, Luna and Max
"Keep the Flies off the Cake" by Deb Seymour 
"Crime of Fashion" by David Lauver & Dave Welty 

HIP-HOP/RAP
"Are You Living Joe Dreamz?" by Joe Dreamz 
"Jus Call" by Kalan Skinner-Ward & Bandido Sh'n
"Road to Nowhere" by Curtis Lindley 
"The Revolutionary" by Frederick Miller (Fred Milla)
"All For Us" by Harrison Cone 
"Memories of Popclaw" by Christopher Carthern & Q THA Producer
"Something to See" by Allyssa Jacobs (Aygelyss)
"I Found Ya" by Jacob Palermo & Kontages
"Pipe Down" by Jasmine Leslie & Paven melody
"The Godmutha" by Gyvania Acosta

LATIN
"Mi Cancion" by Fred Lederman & Alan Baboff
"Algo Nuevo" by Nathan Ironside 
"Te Quiero a Ti" by Marla Lewis, Dave Kinnoin & Melissa Sanley
"Divina Mujer" by Mario Miguel Marquez Trujillo 
"Morena" by Roberto Valdés Miranda and Mario Miguel Marquez Trujillo
"Conectate con el exito" by Cristina Maria Rodriguez Penton 
"Si Te Quedas" by Albaro Javier Campuzano Peña 
"Goodbye" by Guillermo Wan & Zoey Shae
"Ya No Vuelvas" by Gerard Flores 
"Entre Patas" by Alfredo Miró-Quesada Bancalari, Checo MQB, Ramun Ra & Pirata Noratto 

R&B
"2 Sailboats" by Issa Bibbins & Marcia Bibbins 
"Prayer" by Alexander Wood, Smith & Jackson
"Get to know ya" by Brinik Louissaint & Phreak Bwa 
"Right Back" by Connor Santucci & Astronaut
"Far" by Kameron Waller & Alanfor
"Fairytale" by Evan Pak 
"Unapologetically Dope" by Racquel Roberts 
"Wait Up" by Antonio Jemes & ToneJ
"Help Me" by Anthony Osbourne & Tone Lope
"Now You're Here" by Debo Ray, Deborah Pierre, Jerry Velona & Charles Alexander 

INSTRUMENTAL
"Fylgd" by Ingvi Þór Kormáksson 
"Middle East VooDoo" by Tomer George Cohen 
"Luna" by Russ Hewitt 
"One Last Mile" by Jeremie Groleau 
"Vicki's Red Boots" by Teja Gerken 
"A Desolate Heart" by Xi Tian 
"Brass Festival" by Paulo Tozzi 
"Nashville Swing" by Stefan Schyga 
"Isla Grande" by Ron Korb 
"Ostrov" by Roman Miroshnichenko 

JAZZ
"Me and the Snowstorm and You" by Don Breithaupt & Jay Graydon 
"Memories of the Sea" by Jun Furuya & the otherside quartet
"It's Only Water" by Helle Hansen 
"Grace" by Helle Hansen 
"Wisdom of Aurelius" by Brownman Ali 
"Nostalgia" by Tyler Foos & Isaac Helgestad 
"From Dawn to Dusk" by Ron Rieder 
"Broken" by Jill Marsono & David Olivas
"Dragon Fruit" by Brady Thomas 
"The Music of our Love" by Greg French 
"Beyond the Stars" by John DiModica & Ed Maina    

GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL
"From a Bullet to the Bible" by Mac Millen, Tim Stewart & Toy Polo 
"And I Gave You Love" by Andrew Sarnoff & Pat Maiorino
"Three Things He Left Us" (ft. Doug Moore and ARI) by Wayne Miller & Tom Saffell
"Daughter" by Kasaan Hammon, Sam Hart & Liz Rigney
"Found" by Kevin Kilberry & Jon Rappa
"Say the Word" by Rick Brown, Hannah Starr, Josiah Warneking & Joshua Miller
"Prodigal" by Zion Schaffer & Arrows Rising
"Where I Am" by Rhonda Gessow & Brandon Chase 
"That Was You" by Steve Peters & Brandon Chase
"Worth" by Patrick Tabaks & Eduards Rediko   

WORLD
"Vasundhara" by Rita Sahai
"Wave and Wind" by George Asithianakis 
"Hinei kel y'shuati" by Gil Holland 
"Jarðartrá (Dust to Dust)" by Eivør Pálsdóttir (Eivør), Tróndur Bogason,  Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs
"Let Peace Unite Us" by Megan Fay, Nicolas Laget, Amy Rizkallah & Sydney Michaeli
"Irmaasai Lang" by Jessica Jansen & Voice of Maasai ft Pendo Moringe
"Za sladami Anny" by Jannick Delechamp
"Ganga Kaleidoscope" by Avra Banerjee 
"Краще разом, обʼєднай" by Holland Nelson 
"Bhairav Raga" by Phil Scarff & Natraj
"Khorshidake Taban" by Ala Bahrami 

COUNTRY
"My First Broken Heart" by Patrick Dodge, Victoria Banks & Avrim Topel
"His Heart is in the Right Place" by Andrew Sarnoff & Pat Maiorino
"Holding on to Hope" by Wayne Miller, Tom Saffell, Justin Morgan & Edith Elouise 
"Somebody Believed" by Bill DiLuigi, Steve Dean & Billy Montana
"Racing Towards You" by Lizzie Miller-Longstaff & Duke Rashkow 
"Shouldn't It Hurt More?" by Donna Valentine & Walt Aldridge
"Red Blooded American" by Kate Watson & Jesse Watson
"Does That Make You Happy" by Alison Williams & James Keesy Timmer
"Back in Tennessee" by Rusty VanSickle, Terry Clayton & Josh Osbourne
"Before I Go" by Brooks Herring, Katrina Stone & Benjamin Heard

POP
"Silence" by William Carpenter & Daniel J Hange
"Pluto" by Amelie Sampson & Gordie Sampson
"It's My Time" by Andrew Koss & Maxine Linehan
"My Best Friend's Getting Married" by Liddy Clark 
"Fool Again" by David Thiele & Justina Shandler (Velvet Halo)
"If The Walls Could Talk" by Robert Montano, Jeff Franzel, Gabriel Beltrone & Elliana Faith 
"Dead Roses" by Patrick Dodge & Alexa Valentino
"Hugsi bert um teg (Still Just You)" by Eivør Pálsdóttir (Eivør), Tróndur Bogason,  Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs
"Say It Like You Mean It" by Robin Randall & Bill LaFleur
"Play Your Ace" by Cass Eager & Stephanie Morton-Small
"FOMO" by Carson Ferris



ENTRANTS WITH MOST SONGS IN FINALS NUMBER OF SONGS IN FINALS: 
Helle Hansen (3)
Andrew Sarnoff & Pat Maiorino (3)
Eivør Pálsdóttir (2) 
Fred Lederman & Alan Baboff (2)
Lizi Kowenhoven (2)
Liddy Clark (2)
Mario Miguel Marquez Trujillo (2) 
Wayne Miller, Tom Saffell & Justin Morgan (2)
Patrick Dodge (2)
Brandon Chase (2) 

 

 

 

Top Winners through the Years

2025 - TBA

2024 - Julian Gardner, J.O.Y. & Paddy Hunt

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