Dallas Songwriters Celebrate Songwriting at Annual Awards Show
DSA celebrated winners from the Annual International Song Contest and the Young Songwriters Contest in January 2025.
Dallas, TX, February 24, 2025 --(Blogger.com)--The Dallas Songwriters Association presented their 34th Annual Song Contest Awards highlighting 2024 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 34th 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, and recording time at JoMusik Studio.
WINNERS
AMERICANA
1. Dodged a Bullet by John Sizemore, Dallas, TX
2. The Growing Years by Matt Stemme, Clayton, NC
3. Devil Rail by John Zipperer, Leslie Barker, Canoga Park, CA
HM. My Own Way by Kendall Yancey, The Colony, TX *
HM. You Don't Know What You Don't Know by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
CHRISTIAN
1. The High Pasture by Mark Patterson, Plano, Tx
2. Blood of My Son by Steve Ledford, Garland, TX
3. First trip to Church by Louie Cate, Alexandria, VA
HM. Goodbye by Wayne Gathright, Austin, Tx
HM. Common Thread by Wayne Gahright, Austin, Tx
COUNTRY
1. Love of a Good Man by Cara Anderton, Barnhart, PA
2. Wedding Party by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
3. Stand Tall by Robert Juch, Oro Valley, AZ
INSTRUMENTAL
1. Wings of freedom by Simon Niclas Hahn, Balingen, Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany
2. “Song for Tim – To a Life Well-Lived” by Andrew Wolf, Washington, DC
3. Alone To Wonder by Kenney Noguera, Conconully, WA
LOVE SONGS/ EASY LISTENING
1. 1111 by Melany Azpiolea, Garland, TX *
2. Fool Against Nature by Kenny Noguera, Conconully, WA
3. Second Chances by Andrew Wolf, Mack Reynolds, Washington, DC
HM Second Time Around by Michael Abbass, Denver, CO
NOVELTY/ CHILDRENS
1. I Can't Rhyme by Lanny Sherwin, James Sherwin, Santa Barbara, CA
2. The Door to Your Dreams by Mark Patterson, Plano, TX
3. Skip Tracer by Louis Cate, Alexandria, VA
POP/ROCK
1. Love Is real by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
2. Celebrity by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
3.Breathless by Kenny Noguera, Conconully, WA
3. Jagged Memories by Steve Ledford, Garland, TX
SINGER SONGWRITER
1. Love of a Good Man by Cara Anderton, Barnhart, PA
2. I Knew Her When She Wasn’t All That by Wayne Gathright, Austin, TX
3. Fun In Heaven by Michael Abbass, Denver, CO
HM. Fabulous Flying Machines by Karyn Oliver, Fort Worth, TX
YOUNG SONGWRITER
1. Growing Pains by Emma James, Corpus Christi, TX
2. Broken by Emma James, Corpus Christi, TX
3. Imperfect by Chloe Tao, Dallas, Tx
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
1. Song For Tim – To a Life Well-Lived by Andrew Wolf, Washington, DC
2. Second Chances by Andrew Wolf, Mack Reynolds, Washington, DC
3. Skip Tracer by Louis Cate, Alexandria, VA
HM Second Time Around by Michael Abbass, Denver, CO
