Competition
International Acoustic Music Awards 2026
with International Acoustic Music Awards
Closes
November 6
this Friday
You could win
No cash, $11,000 of merchandise and services to the Grand Prize winner
“Entrants and their collaborators will retain full rights to all work submitted for the competition” — Rule 5.
A publicity-rights note: Rule 6: “Entry constitutes permission to use winners names, likeness and voices for future publicity and advertising purposes without additional compensation.” A publicity grant over winners, not a claim on the song — the same clause shape appears in ISC’s Rule 10 and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest’s Section 5.
Competition
The American Songwriter Lyric Contest — 2027, Session One
with American Songwriter
Closes
November 15
two weeks
You could win
No cash. The 2027 prize package is not yet published; what the page confirms for every session is that all 15 finalists are featured in American Songwriter and first through fourth place have their lyrics published, and the terms name a Gibson guitar for first place and a Nashville co-writing trip for the year’s Grand Prize winner
The license has no stated end date — Section 5 (Content).
A heads-up: Section 5 (Content) takes a licence over what you send and never states how long it lasts. Scope, duration and revocability are what a licence means — an ownership disclaimer standing next to it settles none of them, so this is the question to put to American Songwriter in writing before you enter.
Competition
Great American Song Contest 2026
with Songwriters Resource Network
Closes
November 18
two weeks
You could win
$2,500 cash to the Grand Prize, plus $500 per category winner and a $1,000 lyric prize
Writers retain all rights to their songs, lyrics and compositions — contest rules.
Competition
International Songwriting Competition 2026
with International Songwriting Competition, Inc.
Closes
November 23
three weeks
Entry
$35 per song, per category
You could win
$25,000 cash, plus studio time, guitars and gear
You keep every ownership right in the song you enter — Rule 14.
A publicity-rights note: Rule 10: “Entry constitutes permission to use winner's name, likeness, and voice for future advertising and publicity purposes without additional compensation.” That is a grant over a winner’s publicity, not over the song — and the same clause shape appears in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (Section 5) and the International Acoustic Music Awards (Rule 6), both also on this desk.
Competition
IMSTA Online Song Competition 2026
with the International Music Software Trade Association
Closes
November 26
three weeks
You could win
No cash. The global Grand Prize is “a remarkable collection of software packages valued at over $5,000” — the online round produces one winner, who then competes for it against the winners of the regional rounds
The license has no stated end date — the Competition Rules & Regulations (captured August 14, 2026).
A heads-up: the Competition Rules & Regulations (captured August 14, 2026) takes a licence over what you send and never states how long it lasts. Scope, duration and revocability are what a licence means — an ownership disclaimer standing next to it settles none of them, so this is the question to put to the International Music Software Trade Association in writing before you enter.
A publicity-rights note: the Rules & Regulations (publicity) makes it a condition of entry that the International Music Software Trade Association may publicize and broadcast a winner's name, likeness and voice — a publicity-rights grant over the person entering, and a separate question from what happens to the song.
Competition
Music for Humanity — the fourth annual song writing contest
with Music for Humanity
Closes
November 30
four weeks
You could win
$1,000 for the best song and $500 for the runner-up, plus honorable mentions announced at the organizer’s free concert night at Noble Coffee Roasters in Campbell Hall, New York on December 19, 2026; the winner is also interviewed in 2027 on John Burton’s show “Home from Here”
Nothing about rights in songs entered in the contest appears in the captured terms — the contest page, captured August 14, 2026.
Competition
The American Songwriter Song Contest 2026
with American Songwriter
Closes
December 7
five weeks
You could win
$10,000 cash to the Grand Prize, plus $1,000 to each category first place and $500 to each second
The license has no stated end date — Section 5 (Content).
A heads-up: Section 5 (Content) takes a licence over what you send and never states how long it lasts. Scope, duration and revocability are what a licence means — an ownership disclaimer standing next to it settles none of them, so this is the question to put to American Songwriter in writing before you enter.
Competition
John Lennon Songwriting Contest — Session II
with John Lennon Songwriting Contest
Closes
December 31
eight weeks
You could win
$20,000 cash for Song of the Year, plus instruments and studio gear for session winners
No ownership or licence over entries appears in the published rules — captured August 2, 2026.
A publicity-rights note: Section 5: “Entry constitutes permission to use winner's names, likenesses, and voices for future advertising and publicity purposes without additional compensation.” A grant over winners’ publicity rather than their songs — the same clause shape appears in ISC’s Rule 10 and the International Acoustic Music Awards’ Rule 6.
Competition
InspireMore’s Christian Song Contest — the second annual
with SV Inspire More, LLC (InspireMore)
Closes
January 4
months away
You could win
$5,000 cash to the Grand Prize winner, plus $1,000 to each category first place and $500 to each second place, with A&R mentorship and editorial coverage
The license has no stated end date — the Content section of the Terms & Conditions, captured September 29, 2026.
A heads-up: the Content section of the Terms & Conditions, captured September 29, 2026 takes a licence over what you send and never states how long it lasts. Scope, duration and revocability are what a licence means — an ownership disclaimer standing next to it settles none of them, so this is the question to put to SV Inspire More, LLC (InspireMore) in writing before you enter.
Competition
Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest 2027 — a showcase in Red Lodge, Montana
with Rocky Mountain Songwriter Festivals Inc.
Closes
February 28
months away
Entry
$45 for up to two songs
You could win
No cash. The winner gets a Gibson guitar (courtesy of Gibson Gives) and an invitation back to the 2028 festival as a paid Rising Star Songwriter; first and second place open the June 19, 2027 show for the Nashville Hit Songwriters, and third to fifth play in the round that afternoon
An exclusive license, limited to live recordings, video, webisodes and photographs created in conjunction with the festival, for all time (“in perpetuity”) — Section 9 of the contest rules.
A heads-up: Section 9 of the contest rules uses perpetual/irrevocable licensing language over the song, regardless of any separate ownership disclaimer — scope, duration and revocability decide, not the disclaimer.
Competition
Best Song Of The Month
with SongwriterUniverse
Closes
Rolling
Rolling — no deadline pressure
You could win
No cash, industry directories and a Broadjam membership, plus a published interview
The contest page carries no rights, licence or ownership clause — captured August 2, 2026.