Dallas Songwriters Celebrate Songwriting at Annual Awards Show
DSA celebrated winners from the Annual International Song Contest and the Young Songwriters Contest in January 2024.
Dallas, TX, February 24, 2024 --(Blogger.com)--The Dallas Songwriters Association presented their 33rd Annual Song Contest Awards highlighting 2023 songwriting contestants via Zoom with a live stream to Facebook featuring live performances by semifinalists, contest winners, and multiple presenters.
“Their were so many talented entries,” said Americana Judge Jenni Mansfield Peel, "that it made my job very difficult ." “The songs just keep getting better each year."
Winners of the DSA 33rd Annual International Song Contest were announced in eight categories, plus the Grand Prize winners. http://dsasongcontest.blogspot.com.
Judges were industry professionals who judged songs based on six elements of a song: hook, melody, lyric, structure, originality, and truth. DSA offered over $5,000 in prizes. Each category winner won a free membership to DSA. First Place winners received $100 and 2nd place winners received $50.
Once again, DSA partnered with Broadjam, who provided fantastic prizes to some of our winners, including a 1-year Broadjam Primo MoB Membership ($199.95 Value). Other prizes awarded were: one song critique from Barbara McMillen, Associate Professor of Songwriting at Collin College, recording time at JoMusik Studio, and two tickets to Between the Waves Music Conference.
33rd Annual Song Contest Awards
Grand Prize Winners
M'Lynn Musgrove of Los Angeles, California, the Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Dallas Songwriters Association International Song Contest is enjoying her new Casio PX-S1000 Privia Piano, for her song "Fade Away." She also placed 3rd with her song "Safety Net."
M’Lynn began writing songs at age of 12 after growing up in a musical family. Her career began at age 15 while attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts where she was inspired and moved by her talented peers.
In 2016 she was a semi-finalist in the B.W. Stevenson Memorial Singer/Songwriter Competition hosted by Poor David's Pub, where she was the youngest participant. Also the same year she was accepted into the LA Grammy Summer Program at USC.
In 2017 she traveled back to LA to record at 64Sound Studios and created her first EP, “Grounding” which gained traction in Dallas and throughout global radio stations. Her song “Just Take Time” was named #2 of 2018 by Mi-Soul Radio in London, while another song off the EP. “Gave All My Love Away” was trending in France. Her two latest singles “T.F.I.L.” and “Paralyzed” were recorded locally in the summer of 2018, and released early 2019.
M’Lynn has been accepted into the music/songwriting programs at Berklee School of Music in Boston, The New School in NYC, Loyola, in New Orleans, Belmont University in Nashville and The University of Miami- Frost School of Music in Florida. She was one of 12 chosen for the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music songwriter program.
Besides being the DSA 2023 Song Contest grand prize winner for her song, “Fade Away” which also won 1st place in the Love Song/Easy Listening category, She is also a Grand prize runner-up for her song “Safety Net” which placed in the Pop/Rock category. "Safety Net" also made the top 10 out of thousands of entries in the Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf 2023.
The 2nd place Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Dallas Songwriters Association International Song Contest is Wayne Gathright for his song “Country USA.” He also won first place in the Country category for his song "Close Enough" and Honorable Mention in the Singer Songwriter category for his song, "Behind A Wall". He was also the winner of the Dallas Songwriters Vern Daily Songwriter of the Year for 2023.
He was chosen 2019 'Songwriter of the Year' in Austin TX after winning 2 separate song contests in 2019 . He has also been the 'Publisher's Pick' at the Texas Songwriter's Symposium for multiple songs. He has written and recorded over 150 songs.
Will Townsley from Arlington, Texas won a Grand Prize Honorable Mention for his song,"Nothing To Do With You". A former writer for Curb Publishing and Al Jolson/Black and White Music, both out of Nashville, Will Townsley’s songs have been recorded by Jason Ashley, Colt Prather, and others.
Will has performed with artists that include Sammy Kershaw and Joe Nichols and opened for Jake Owen, Brett Young, Chris Jansen, Richie McDonald (Lodestar), Larry Stewart (Restless Heart), Tim Rushlow (Little Texas), Blues Traveler, and The Wilder Blue. He has performed for major organizations including the Dallas Cowboys and was invited to perform at songwriter showcases that include the world-famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee and the Wildflower Music Festival.
Will teaches currently teaches music industry courses at the University of Texas–Arlington.
Grand Prize Winners
1. Fade Away by M'Lynn Musgrove, Eva Honey, Dallas, TX
2. Country USA by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
3. 3. Safety Net by M'Lynn Musgrove, Eva Honey, Dallas, TX
HM Nothing to Do With You by Will Townsley, Arlington, TX
Judge Roy Elkins comments: https://dsasongcontest.blogspot.com/p/dsa-2023-song-contest-awards-grand.html
Category Winners
AMERICANA/FOLK/BLUEGRASS,,,,,
1. My Beautiful Mistake by Louis Cate, Alexandria, VA
2. When You Were Loving Me by Andrew & Elizabeth Wolf, Washington, DC
3. Bayou Sef--Dedicated to Frank Allen Swayze by Charles Carter, Terrell, TX
CHRISTIAN/INSPIRATIONAL,,,,,
1. I'd Be A Fool by Theodore Henning II, Fort Worth, TX
2. Other Side of the Wind by Louis Cate, Alexandria, VA
3. The Media's at War by Charles Carter, Terrell, TX
COUNTRY,,,,,
1. Close Enough by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
2. Nothing to Do With You by Will Townsley, Arlington, TX
3. Dallas by Charles Carter, Terrell, TX
HM. I Fall Apart by Renee Safier, Redondo Beach, CA
INSTRUMENTAL,,,,,
1. Song for George by Andrew Wolf, Washington, DC
2. Armadillo Blues by Theodore Henning II, Fort Worth, TX
3. Summer Daze by Lance French, Rowlett, TX
LOVE SONGS/EASY LISTENING,,,,,
1. Fade Away by M'Lynn Musgrove, Eva Honey, Dallas, TX
2. Until You Become Mine by Phil Ipsan, New York, NY
3. We Say I Love You by Kenney Noguera, Conconully , WA
NOVELTY/CHILDRENS,,,,,
1. Hey Little Hero by Kelli Caldwell, Portland, OR
2. Like This (A Dancing Song) by Kevin Reardon, Riverside, CT
3. The Door To Your Dreams by Mark Patterson, Plano, TX
HM. Santa Claus Got Lost by Louis Cate, Alexandria, VA
HM I Got An App For That by Charles Carter, Terrell, TX
POP/ROCK/ALT/R&B,,,,,
1. Everything by Ethan Senger, Canton, GA
2. Look Away by Christy Sasser, Fairhope, AL
3. Safety Net by M'Lynn Musgrove, Eva Honey, Dallas, TX
HM Pick Up Those Pieces by Kenney Noguera, Conconully , WA
SINGER/SONGWRITER,,,,,
1. Lonesome Is As Lonesome Does by Louis Cate, Alexandria, VA
2. Life Is Hard by Eric Ramsey, Scottsdale, AZ
3. Wonderland by Trinity Reed, Plano, TX
HM Behind a Wall by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
HM Forever Drive by Jeffrey Widman, Plano, TX
DSA honored Emma James of Corpus Christi, Tx with the Young Songwriters Award. https://youngsongwriterscontest.blogspot.com
YOUNG SONGWRITERS CONTEST
Dreaming Wild by Emma James, Corpus Christi, Tx
Happy For You by Ava Della Pietra, Old Field, NY
Worst Of Times by Ava Della Pietra, Old Field, NY
Your Plans by Nyasia Robreno, Heartland, TX
I Don’t Know the Words by Braden Meek, Grapevine, Tx
DSA celebrates and continues to honor the hard work of their members by presenting the Vern Dailey Songwriter of the Year Award and the Best Song of the Year Award on Feb 17th.
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About DSA
Dallas Songwriters Association is a 501 C-3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to enhancing the overall personal growth and professionalism of our members. With a passion for music and songwriting, DSA offers various events to support their members’ growth through workshops, open mics, networking, showcases, song contests, and community service. Support DSA by visiting https://dallassongwriters.org/.
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