The Oklahoma Songwriters & Composers Association, in association with The Woody Guthrie Coalition, is proud to announce the Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition. This international, folk-oriented songwriting contest is held in conjunction with the 13th Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, held in Woody’s hometown of Okemah, Oklahoma, each July. This year’s Festival dates are July 14-18, 2010.
Songwriting Contest Questions: e-mail Tom Marshall
The contest will open on January 2, 2010. All entries must be postmarked by April 17, 2010.
Please do not send entries overnight, express or certified mail! This impedes the process, and is not necessary as postmarks are used exclusively as far as timeliness of receipt of an entry.

Songwriting Contest Rules & Entry Form for the 2010 Festival Contest.

If you would like to use PayPal for the entry fee...Go to:
 The Oklahoma Songwriters & Composers Association Website.



2009 Songwriting Contest
Winners Announced!

1st place
Chad Elliott, Coon Rapids, Iowa
Song: "Same Old Way"

2nd place
Judy Painter, Austin, Texas
Song: "The Ghost of Billy Grey"

3rd place
Kelly Izzo, Brockport, NY
Song: "Serigene"

Honorable mentions, in no particular order...
Not in any necessary order...

"Ghost Ranch", by Michael Hurwitz of Alta, Wyoming.
"Cracked Windshield", by Patti Sullivan of Conroe, Tx.
"The Grapes of Wrath", by John Myles of Boone, North Carolina.
"The Journey", by Judy Painter of Austin, Tx.
"Mama's House", by Rebecca Folsom of Boulder, Colorado.
"Medicine Creek", by John Nelson of Seattle, Washington.

Thanks to all those who entered, and congratulations to the winners and
honorable mentions for some well written songs.


2008 Songwriting Contest
Winners Announced!

1st place
Charisse Kahler, Overland Park, Kansas
Song: "Across the Border"

2nd place
Brian Kalinec, Houston, Texas
Song: "The Fence"

3rd place
Peter Chase, Albuquerque, NM
Song: "Something to Save"

Songs that didn't make the cut, but...were too good not to mention...
Not in any necessary order...

Charisse Kahler -Blue Factory Hill
Brian Kalinec - Uncle Joe
Craig Corona - A Little More Time
Van Buchanan - Waltzing Matilda
Van Buchanan - Six Feet Understood
Doug Irwin - Rattle the Cage
Steve Brooks - What Would Molly Do
Basil Harris - Gold Star Mother
Robert Thatcher - Woody (Rode the Rails)
Hank Woji - The Pigs at the Trough
Jenrose Fitzgerald - Time For Change
Jenrose Fitzgerald - Sure to be a Fire
Jody Milgrew - Til My Peace Be Found
Sharon Osuna - The Biscayne Bay Waltz
Lara Herscovitch - Sylvia's Eyes
Megan Burtt - The First Time


2007 Songwriting Contest
Winners Announced!

1st place
C. Daniel Boling, Albuquerque, N.M.
Song: "Jesse"

2nd place
Emily Kurn, Anchorage, Alaska
Song: "Mississippi Moon"

3rd place
Jack Fowler, Eufala, OK
Song: "Floorwalking Waltz"


"It was SO close between the top six songs this year, that I want to include three "fourth place" songs. There is no compensation for fourth place...no spot on the program and no prize money...but, these songs are so good, I just had to give them something..." Here are the "fourth place" songs:

"Anna Rose", by Patti Sullivan of Conroe Texas.
"Home Depot" by Nick Annis of Harpers Ferry, W.V.
"Transcontinental Railroaded" by Effron White of Fayetteville, Arkansas

~ Honorable Mentions 2007 ~
In no particular order:
Garrison Doles............Redemption
Jack Fowler................Dixie Land
Dan Clanton................Hard Way to Go
Scott Taylor................My Pride & Joy
Jamie Saunders..........Just About Suppertime
Samantha Crain..........Hold Each Other Up
Patti Sullivan..............Mother Joan
Sarah Sample............Noah
James F. Curley........There Used to be a Train
Willie Carmichael.......Little Blue Hat
Phyllis Tannerfrye......How You Doin?
Sheena Wilson..........You Can't Go Back
Emily Kurn................If I Am American
Jim McLeese..............Weapons of Mass Destruction
Ricky Brian...............Like Woody Guthrie Did
Claudia Nygaard........J.C.
Joe Wraber...............Oil in the Cornfield
Eric Atonna..............Carlos’s Rainbow

Thanks to all the entrants, for probably the largest WG contest ever!


2006 Songwriting Contest
Winners Announced!

1st place
Robyn Landis, Vashon, Washington
Song: "Glad to hear the rain"

2nd place
Carl Tosten, Everett, Washington
Song: "American Dream"

3rd place
Kate Wallace, Santa Barbara, California
Song: "Dry as the Desert"

2006 Honorable Mentions...

"Farmimg Town", By Nick Plakias
"The Barre Angel 1918" by Tracy O'Connell
"When the Buffalo Come Back" by Dave Crossland
"The Water Boy" by Bob Fresen
"The Old International" by C. Daniel Boling
"Can the Rich Get to Heaven" by Randall Lamb
"Avery" by Kim Townsend
"This Land of Plenty" by Nicloe Reynolds
"Cut 'em Down" by Erik Balkey
"Children of a Mayan God" by Nick Annis
"The Old Folks" by Brian Oberlin
"Freedom" by Kirk Keeler
"Goin Home" by Lynda Jones
"Daddy's Little Girl" by Ellen Bukstel
"Someone You Can Be" by John Seay
"Strike The Match" by Hank Woji
"Sago Mine" by Ian Dickson
"I'm In Love" by Robyn Landis

Thanks to all who participated!...Good Job Folks!


2005 Songwriting Contest
Winners Announced!

1st place
Gary Taylor, Houston Texas
"Hit the Road Again"

2nd place
Gabe Marshall, Moore, Oklahoma
"Song of Home"

3rd place...a tie!
Judith Avers, Greeley, Colorado
"What do I Gotta' be Poor For"
Gary Brumley, Tulsa, Ok.
"My Goodness Woody"

Congratulations to the winners...a very tough competition once again.
These folk's songs won from a field of over 200 songs entered in this year's contest.

Honorable Mentions for 2005 Contest
"I Don't Know"...by Lew Hall/Linda Temple
"No Sabbath"...by Ilene Zauderer
"It's About Time"...by Dave Bastien
"Sail On Ilona"...by Brennan Stoelb
"Winter Blues"...by Robyn Landis
"Birds Don't Try"...by Darrel Clark
"When You Go"...by Terry Leon
"Simply a Man"...by Terry Leon
"Blowin' By"...by Phyllis Tanner Frye
"It's a Song"...by Phyllis Tanner Frye
"This Old Town"...by Steve Chizmadia
"Push Each Other Up"...Lynda Jones
"I'll Be Thinking of You"...by Gerry Mochan

We apologize for any misspellings, drop us a line and we'll fix 'em!
.

2003 Songwriting Contest
Winners Announced!


The 2003 contest had an amazing number of outstanding entries, out of 165 total, which made it difficult enough to judge.
But according to the final judge, when it got narrowed down to the following six entries, it became almost impossible to
pick three in ranking order. The final six were:
"Drop of Still Water", by Chuck Dunlap
"Betty Jane", by Angie Heimann
"Hurry Home", by Fran Lucci
"Not What I Ought To Be", by Derek Shacklett
"Talk Radio", by Michael Troy
"A Little Bit Of Sweet", by Effron White

Three is the magic number however, and so the winners are:
FIRST PLACE:
"Hurry Home"
Fran Lucci
Woodland Hills, California

SECOND PLACE:
"Talk Radio"
Michael Troy
Somerset, Massachusetts

THIRD PLACE:
"Drop of Still Water"
Chuck Dunlap
Lincoln, Washington

The following also made it to the final judge, and honorable mention.
"Yellow Rose from Texas", by Doris DeArmon of Tulsa, Oklahoma
"One Child at a Time", Fran Lucci
"The Hayes Hotel", by Jimmy Abraham of Albuquerque, N.M.
"Fatter than I Want to be", by Derek Shacklett
"Tennessee Nights", By Corey Dolgon of Milton, Massachusetts
"Giving Tree", by Angie Heimann
"One Boy", by Irene Adar of San Rafael, California
"Weep and Shine", by Kelly Barber and B.J. Megginson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
"Daddy's Little Girl", by Ellen Burstel of Southwest Ranches, Florida
"Small Wooden Cross", by Ann Hardin and Randy Rogers of Cordell, Ok.
"Hey Dr. King", by Billy Byron of Cambridge, Massachusetts

Congratulations to all for a very fine field of entries for the contest. Looking forward to the 2004 contest already!

2002 Songwriting Contest Winners
First Place:
"To Your Health"
Nick Masullo
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Second Place:
"Ode to the American Farmer"
Jayson Bales
Dallas, Texas

Third Place:
"The last Diner"
Scott Idlet
Centennial, Colorado

Honorable Mention ~ 2002

Glen Sulley, Ok. City "Unborn Child"

Daniel Boling, Albuquerque, NM. "Flight 93"

Jayson Bales, Dallas Tx. "Drive on"

Louie Cate, Mary Janet Simmons, Alexandria, Va. "Eyes of Hunger"

Billy Ross, Cushing Ok. "Growing old in California"

Nick Masullo, Fayetteville Ark. "It can't be June"

Jeff Hunter, Boulder Creek, California "A Way of Life"

Frank Manning, Sante Fe, NM. "Louis Tikas"

Lloyd Hendricks, Cement, Ok. "Everyone I Know"

Cindy Kelly, Shawnee, OK. "Just to be"


Past Winners

2001

First Place: Minimum Wager, Chuck McCabe, Los Gatos, CA

Second Place: Hard Times In Cincinnati, Jake Speed, Cincinnati, OH

Third Place: Sunny Day in Terre Haute, Patti Witten, Ithaca, NY

2000

First Place: No Place For Children, Daniel Master, Staten Island, NY

Second Place: Young Mother, Monica Taylor, Afton, OK

Third Place: Life Is Fine, Effron White, Fayetteville, AR

1999

First Place: Down Highway Nine, Eric Sarmiento, Norman, OK

Second Place: Hard Times and Promises, Tim McHugh, East Sound, WA

Third Place: Chaplinesque, Marco Joachim, New York, NY

Congratulation's to the winners!
Thank's to all OSCA participants!

The official rules and entry forms will be posted soon on both this site & the OSCA site

Tom Marshall . . . . & . . . . Dave Laurence . . .
Performing at the Woody Guthrie Free Folk Music Festival.

Festival photos courtesy of . . . Jim Dirden Festival Photographer

We would appreciate your Comments & Suggestions: Webmaster@WoodyGuthrie.com