Bristol, Tenn.-Va. (December 16, 2021) – Calling all local songwriters! The Birthplace of Country Music is hosting a qualifying round for the 2022 Tennessee Songwriters Week competition on Saturday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET in the performance theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, located in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia. Registration for songwriters to sign up is open now through January 11, 2022 and there is no fee to enter.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is one of several venues across the state of Tennessee to host qualifying rounds. Other qualifying venues in the Tri-Cities region include Bonnie Kate Theater in Elizabethton, Model City Tap House in Kingsport, and the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough.
Winners from qualifying rounds will advance to showcase events at venues in Memphis, Franklin, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, and Johnson City the week of February 20-26, 2022. The showcase winners will get their chance to take the stage at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe on March 20, 2022.
The public is invited to be part of the audience at the museum to cheer on participants competing in the Bristol event. Tickets for spectators are on sale now for $10. To purchase, click here.
During qualifying rounds, songwriters will perform one original song; they must own the rights to the song they will perform. To enter, songwriters must submit their contact information, song lyrics for the song they plan to perform, and a YouTube link to a video of the song they will perform. Songwriters will be judged based on their overall performance, originality and connection to the audience.
Songwriters are only permitted to register with one venue during qualifying rounds.
Legal residents of the United States, including the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico qualify to enter. For those who wish to register at the Bristol event on February 5, click here where you’ll also find rules of entry and more details.
Qualifying round venues in East Tennessee will choose 4 (four) songwriters to advance to showcase rounds.
The mission of Tennessee Songwriters Week is to support music venues, generate awareness of songwriters’ contributions to Tennessee, pave the way for future artists, inspire travelers to experience the state’s music stories, history, attractions and venues, and drive revenue for music venues devastated by the pandemic.
Timeline of Events
Now through January 11, 2022: Sign-ups for qualifying rounds in East Tennessee
January 30 – February 12, 2022: Qualifying rounds across the state
February 20-26, 2022: Showcase events
- Feb. 20: Puckett’s, Franklin
Feb. 21: The Bijou Theatre, Knoxville
Feb. 21: Songbirds Foundation, Chattanooga
Feb. 22: Lafayett’s Music Room, Memphis
Feb. 22: The Down Home, Johnson City
Feb. 23: Ole Red, Gatlinburg
February 20-26, 2002: Special events across the state, including songwriter nights and in-the-rounds.
March 20, 2022: Final at The Bluebird Cafe
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development partners with The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), music venues and local convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers of commerce and partners across the state, all committed to make sure songwriters can share their original work onstage with other writers.
Follow along with Tennessee Songwriters Week by following @tnvacation and #madeinTN, #NowPlayingTN
For a full list of qualifying round venues across the state, visit TNVacation.com/songwriters-week.
Located in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, the Birthplace of Country Music is the parent nonprofit of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum (an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution), the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, and WBCM Radio Bristol, which broadcasts from the museum.
The twin cities of Bristol is home to the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions, the event in history recognized world-wide as the “big bang of country music.” The ’27 Sessions included the first recordings of the Carter Family (the First Family of Country Music) and Jimmie Rodgers (the Father of Country Music), among others, and made a deep impact on the country music industry. The Birthplace of Country Music organization is the keeper of that history, and works to perpetuate, promote, and celebrate Bristol’s rich music heritage; to educate and engage audiences worldwide regarding the history, impact, and legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions; and to create recognition, opportunities, and economic benefit for its local and regional communities.
For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.