Guidelines for song submissions:

• MP3 Song submission recording must be a SOLO performance with only VOICE and ONE accompanying INSTRUMENT.
  • A simple voice recording from a phone is acceptable.
  • Please ensure that lyrics can be heard on recording.
• Song Submission Judging Criteria (1-100pts)
  • COMPOSITION (1 - 50 pts) - Lyrics, theme, emotional impact, hook, originality, melody, appeal, phrasing, cadence, form, and structure.
  • VOCAL QUALITY (1 - 25 pts) - Pitch, resonance, range, natural and inflection.
  • DELIVERY QUALITY (1 - 25 pts) - Expression, instrumental skill, impact, pace, dynamics, balance, rhythm, and color.
• Contestants may submit up to 2 original songs.
• No co-writes. Songwriting entries must be entirely written by the entering songwriter.
• We encourage songwriters to submit new / different songs for the Telluride Troubadour and Folks Songwriting Showcase contests.
• Contestants cannot be signed to a third-party record label or publishing deal. This competition is meant for emerging and independent performing songwriters

To select the winners amongst the ten finalists, a panel of judges drawn from different facets of the music industry – songwriters, performers, DJs, producers – independently evaluate the performers’ songs based on our scoring criteria:

• 50% Quality of Composition (depth, insight, cleverness)
• 25% Quality of Vocal Rendering (vocal quality, pitch, tone)
• 25% Quality of Delivery (instrumental technique, induction of charismatic mania)

Sorry, we are not able to share the judge’s scoring sheets with contestants.

The top 10 Finalists will attend the Songwriters Showcase Finals held live in Lyons, CO during the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival (August 7-9, 2026)

• Top (10) Finalists will receive the following:
  • 3-day pass (w/camping) to the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
  • In-the-round performance slot in the Wildflower Pavilion during the festival in addition to contest performances on the Mainstage
• Contest Format
  • Friday August 7, 2026 (Main Stage) - Each contestant to perform (2) Original Songs, winner selected
• Rules for Live Performances
  • No backup musicians allowed. This is a solo competition.
  • Finalists will play 2 original songs on the Festival main stage.
  • Recommended time limit: 5 minutes per song. Points will be deducted for significantly exceeding this limit.
  • Acoustic instruments with pickups are permitted. The only permitted effect is an EQ device. No looping or other effects.

  • Instruments allowed are those that can be carried out to the mics with the performer. A keyboard will be provided if necessary.

The winners will be announced from the main stage following the contest finals.

We’d like to congratulate the following top 10 finalists who competed in the Songwriter Showcase Contest Finals at the 35th Rocky Mountain Folks Festival (August 8-10, 2025).

We would also like to congratulate the following songwriters who earned an Honorable Mention recognition for their song submissions (listed in alphabetical order by last name):

• Ingrid Avison (Nederland, CO) - “Wild Edge”
• Elana Brody (Lyons, CO) - “The Swan”
• Andrew Camp (Columbia, MO) - “Tours of Gethsemane”
• Trey Duncan (Greenville, SC) - “Stranger in My Skin”
• Michelle Held (Dearborn, MI) - “Unresolved”
• Kyle Hoffman (Broomfield, CO) - “Overcomplicate”
• Mike Lamitola (Erie, CO) - “The Caregiver”
• Holly Lovell (Arvada, CO) - “Lion’s Den”
• Holly Lovell (Arvada, CO) - “Helpless Mother”
• Sophia Rankin (Tucson, AZ) - “Surrender”
• Alicia Stockman (Heber City, UT) - “Glad That You Did”
• Erin Ash Sullivan (Harvard, MA) - “Theresa”
• Scott Test (Corltandt Manor, NY) - Sisyphus”
• David Tiller (Lyons, CO) - “Under the Influence”