Celebrating 13 years dedicated to culturally enriching New Hampshire's Lakes Region with a diversified program designed to appeal to a variety of musical tastes.
All concerts are handicap accessible.

Annual Great Waters Songwriting Contest

Great Waters is pleased to present its Fifth Annual Great Waters Songwriting Contest.

Have your songs heard by a panel of professional songwriters and other music professionals from the folk music community! Panel includes professional songwriters, broadcast and print professionals, and other music industry people. Past panels included singer/songwriters Bill Morrissey and Mark Erelli, radio host and concert promoter Annie Provensano, and Ottawa Folk Festival director Gene Swimmer.

Net proceeds from the Great Waters Songwriting Contest directly support the Great Waters Folk Festival. All entries automatically receive a $5-off folk fest ticket coupon with your entry.

Five finalists were selected from hundreds of submissions from across North America. They each performed their selected song during the folk festival, August 3-5, 2007. The winner performed on the Saturday evening mainstage prior to the headlining act. The winner will also receive $500. The 2006 winner was broadcast throughout New Hampshire on NHPR.

2007 Winner - Emilia Dahlin, Portland, ME We're so impressed with this young atrist that we've already booked her for our 2008 Folk Festival

2006 Winner - Robby Hecht, Nashville, TN Freight Train Lady (click here for song lyrics and audio)
2005 Winner - Craig Werth, Newmarket, NH Tiny Stars (click here for song lyrics)

Deadline for entries is June 15, 2008.

How to enter the contest
To receive a contest entry form, print the entry form available from our website, complete it and mail to the address indicated on the form. You can enter online through SonicBids. You can also call 603/569-7710 and request that an entry form be mailed or faxed to you. The entry form requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Eligibility
The contest is open to those who consider themselves amateur songwriters. For the purposes of this contest, an amateur songwriter is defintd as a person who has not earned more than $7,500 during Calendar Year 2007, nor more than $5,500 during Calendar Year 2006, from songwriting. Performers billed to appear at the 2008 Annual Great Waters Folk Festival as of July 1st are not eligible.

Do not send any lead sheets, lyrics, publicity, bios, etc. Your valid entry package should include ONLY the following:

  1. One completed entry form per song (photocopies acceptable). Signature must be original
  2. One song per cassette, CD, or MP3 file
  3. Three copies of typed or legibly printed lyrics
  4. $30.00 for first song, $20 for each additional song entered. Payment can be made by check or money order payable to Great Waters Music Festival. Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Do not send cash. Multiple entries can be combined into one payment. $5 ticket coupons will be issued for each song entered.
  5. Cassettes, CDs, lyrics or other material will not be returned.

A postcard confirming the receipt of an entry will be sent to each applicant.

Where to Mail Entry
Great Waters Folk Festival Songwriting Contest
P.O. Box 488
58 North Main Street
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0488

Online entries
Online submissions will be handled and considered exactly like mailed entries. Online submissions
are handled through SonicBids.

Entries
All entries must be original work of the contestant and shall not infringe any copyrights or any other rights of any third parties. Songs may have multiple co-writers, but only one name should be designated on the entry form. Contestant may enter as many songs as he/she wishes. Each song constitutes a separate entry and must have its own entry form, lyric sheet, and a recorded copy of a cassette or CD. Check, money order, or credit car payment must reflect the total number of songs submitted (i.e. two entries requires a $50 fee, three entries $70, etc.).

Each entry will receive a $5 coupon valid toward the purchase of any Annual Great Waters Folk Festival ticket. The $5 coupon will be in the form of a coupon code printed on the postcard mailed confirming the receipt of entry mailed to each applicant.

The Great Waters Songwriting contest is not responsible for late, lost, damaged, misdirected, insufficient postage, stolen or misappropriated entries. Entry material will not be returned. Entry fees are non-refundable. If entrant is under 18 years of age, the signature of a parent/guardian is required. All entries must be postmarked or hand-delivered no later than 5pm on June 15, 2008.

Judging
Entries will be screened by a pre-judging committee and five finalists will be sent to the judges who will select the winning entries. Judges will consist of a panel that includes professional songwriters, broadcast and print professionals, and other music industry people. Each entry will be judged on originality, lyrics and melody. Music production and performance quality is not considered. All decisions by the judges will be final. Finalists will be determined and notified the week of July 10th, 2008. Please be aware that only finalists will be personally notified.

Finalist
Five finalists will perform at the Great Waters Folk Festival on Saturday afternoon, July 26, 2008, on one stage with a host to be named. One night of performer lodging at Brewster Academy (consisting of one room with room costs and taxes paid for only) or a private household will be provided for each of the five finalists. Transportation to and from the festival and any other expenses are the responsibility of the finalists. Each finalist will receive one performer and one guest pass to the festival. Co-writers will be treated as one entrant for lodging, credentials, and prizes.

The composer must perform each song live in the finals, with no more than one accompanist other than a co-writer. Accompanist can be anyone except those who are performing as a billed or paid entertainer at the 2008 Annual Great Waters Folk Festival. Instruments allowed are those which can be carried on to the stage with the performer. Acoustic instruments with pickups are permitted, but no effects or electronic devices. You cannot bring special electronic equipment on stage. No electronic instruments or amplifiers are allowed. No performances will take place to pre-recorded tracks. The first place winner must perform their song on the evening Mainstage on Saturday, July 26, 2008.

Do not enter if you cannot fulfill these performance opportunities.

Prizes
1st place winner will receive $500. Additional prizes will be awarded to the 2nd and 3rd place winners. All prizes will be awarded to name on the entry form. Division of prizes among co-authors is the responsibility of the winners. Taxes are the responsibility of the winners. Void where prohibited. All Federal, State and Local laws and regulations apply.

Indemnity and Releases
Signature on entry form certifies that each song submitted is an original work and releases the Great Waters Music Festival, its sponsors, and Brewster Academy from all liability. The winner will be required to sign an affidavit confirming that the winning song is original and he/she holds the rights to the song. Entry also constitutes permission to use winner's name and likeness for future advertising and publicity without compensation. Entrant will retain full rights to all work submitted for the competition.

Questions
Please, NO phone calls. Please direct all questions to info@greatwaters.org. Allow an average of five business days for a response.

Any rules that are misprinted and/or printed incomplete in other publications are not official and we take no responsibility for any disqualification resulting from not following the complete instructions listed above.