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21st Annual USA Songwriting Competition Kicks Off

UPDATED: Tuesday, March 15, 2016

The 21st annual USA Songwriting Competition is offering a free early entry bonus. The first 1,000 entries entered by March 31 or earlier will each receive a free Recording magazine annual subscription worth $23.97.

Currently, entries are being accepted for the 21st Annual USA Songwriting Competition for a top prize of $50,000 worth of cash and merchandise. Also, winning songs will be played on radio. Categories include Pop, Rock/Alt, Folk, R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Instrumental and many more.

USA Songwriting Competition is sponsored by: PRS Guitars, Sony, D'Addario Strings, Recording Magazine, New Music Weekly, Loggins Promotion, Airplay Access, Audio-Technica, Full Compass Music Stores, Presonus, Sonoma Wireworks, IK Multimedia, MasteringTheMix, Intellitouch Tuners, Sweetwater, Landr and more.

*Each submission costs $35.

To submit your music, visit online.songwriting.net

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ORIGINAL POST: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016

The USA Songwriting Competition is now accepting entries. Last year's winning song was featured in the first episode of American Idol, as well as Box office hit motion picture This Is Where I Leave You, starring Jason Bateman and Tina Fey. This is the third consecutive year that the top winner has a song placed in a box office hit movie.

Last year’s winners, Los Angeles-based Music Connection March 2015 New Music Critique folk/pop band Distant Cousins (pictured), won Overall Grand Prize at the 20th Annual USA Songwriting Competition with their song “Are You Ready (On Your Own).” The song is written by Ami Kozak, Dov Rosenblatt and Duvid Swirsky. Distant Cousins is a relatively new band, but their songs have been featured in commercials such as German soft drink, Lift, Macy's, on TV programs such as Graceland, Criminal Minds and Fly Away.

Read More: Unsigned Artist: Distant Cousins

Songwriters vie for a chance to win a top prize of $50,000 worth of cash and merchandise such as music gear. Winning songs will be receiving radio airplay. Songwriters can enter in 15 different song categories such as: Pop, Rock/Alt, Folk, R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Instrumental, etc.

USA Songwriting Competition has been honoring songwriters from all over the world. Winners came from Australia, Japan, Canada, U.K., Germany, Brazil, South Africa, USA, etc. Past winners have gotten recording contracts, gotten their songs on film, TV as well as getting cuts with major artists. The 2014 winning song by Justine and Kerris Dorsey was featured in the box office hit movie Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner. The 2013 winner American Authors’ song was placed in the hit movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine and Sean Penn. American Authors is a rock group from New York City. They hit No. 1 on the Billboard Charts after they win at the 2013 USA Songwriting Competition. The song has been certified double platinum.

The 2016 USA Songwriting Competition is sponsored by PRS Guitars, Sony, D'Addario Strings, Recording Magazine, New Music Weekly, Loggins Promotion, Airplay Access, Audio-Technica, Full Compass Music Stores, Presonus, Sonoma Wireworks, IK Multimedia, Intellitouch Tuners, Sweetwater and Landr.

Photo by Bryony Sheamur

For more information, visit songwriting.net/enter.