Submissions for Merlefest’s prestigious “Chris Austin Songwriting contest” are due March 4th. Songs maybe submitted to one of 4 categories including - Country, Bluegrass, Gospel and General.

Along with a plethora of prizes up for grabs, submitters get a chance to have their material reviewed by a panel comprised of songwriters and other Nashville music industry professionals.

According to Merlefest’s website, “entries are open to those whose primary source of income (50 % or more) is not derived from songwriting or publishing.”

For detailed information on the contest you can visit the Merlefest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest on the Merlefest Website. Questions can also be directed to allison.phillips@wilkescc.edu and the contest hotline number is 1-800-799-3838.