2024 Tennessee Songwriters Week Qualifying Round at the Museum

*NOTE: THE DEADLINE FOR SONGWRITER ENTRY IN BRISTOL QUALIFYING ROUND HAS NOW PASSED. PLEASE CHECK DEADLINES IN OTHER PARTICIPATING VENUES AROUND THE REGION IF YOU STILL WISH TO ENTER . 

The Birthplace of Country Music is hosting a qualifying round for Tennessee Songwriters Week in 2024! Registration for songwriters begins Dec. 15. Deadline to enter is Friday, January 12, 2024.

Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET

Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum

Tickets: $10 (For spectators only; no registration fee required for songwriter entries.)

BUY SPECTATOR TICKETS

REGISTRATION FOR SONGWRITERS CLOSED JAN. 12

Aspiring singer-songwriters dream of the opportunity to perform at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, and for a few lucky artists, that opportunity will arrive during 2024 Tennessee Songwriters Week! A number of venues in the region and across the state, including the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Downtown Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, will host qualifying rounds for singer-songwriters to compete for a place in the spotlight at this historic proving ground for artists – and spectators are invited to watch the competition!

Three (3) songwriters will be chosen from the Bristol competition to move forward and compete during Tennessee Songwriters Week Showcase at The Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee on Thursday, February 22. Two alternates will also be chosen in case one of the top 3 are unable to fulfill the commitment. One songwriter will move forward from each Showcase event across the state of Tennessee to perform at Bluebird Cafe in March.

Up to 20 contestants will be considered for the qualifying round on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, but we will be accepting a waitlist after the 20 spots are filled. There is no registration fee. Any legal resident of the Unites States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are eligible.

The deadline to register for Bristol qualifying round is Friday, January 12, 2024.
**NOTE: Once you have filled out the application, you will not be notified immediately of your submission status. We will send emails out the first week in January letting songwriters know their submissions have been received.

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 during the competition. Songwriters will be judged based on their overall performance, originality and connection to the audience. Songs deemed inappropriate or inflammatory will not be considered. Songwriters are only permitted to register with one venue during qualifying rounds. Internet access is required to enter, with no purchase necessary.

Tennessee Songwriters Week Official Rules. 

For more information on qualifying rounds across the state of Tennessee, click here.

Timeline of events for Tennessee Songwriters Week:

December 15: Songwriter registration opens

January 12: Deadline for Bristol qualifying round entry

January 29 – February 11: Qualifying Rounds statewide

February 18 – 24: Showcase Events statewide

March 24: Finale at The Bluebird Cafe

Made possible by The Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development, The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Taylor Guitars; committed to making sure songwriters can share their original work on stage with other writers.