2014 Chris Austin Songwriting winners

Judges and winners of the 2014 Chris Austin Songwriting ContestAt this past weekend’s MerleFest, winners were chosen in the 22nd Annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. The invitational competition is held each year during the festival, with finalists chosen in advance.

Congratulations to these 2014 winners:

Bluegrass

  • 1st Place – Paul Harrigill (Murfreesboro, TN) and Amber Nugent (Ferriday, LA) – I’m Blue
  • 2nd Place – Chelsea McBee (Shepherdstown, WV) – Gone-A-Rye
  • 3rd Place – Josh Crews (Boone, NC) – Crossties

Gospel/Inspirational

  • 1st Place – Frank Hurd (Raleigh, NC) – Light
  • 2nd Place – Gary Alan Ferguson (Alexandria, VA) – Time to Praise the Lord
  • 3rd Place – Allen Smith and Corey Smith (Robbins, NC) – Without Love

Country

  • 1st Place – Becky Warren (Nashville, TN) – Call Me Sometime
  • 2nd Place – Kelsi Robertson-Harrigill (Murfreesboro, TN) – If You Never Let Me Go
  • 3rd Place – Dan Buehner (Salt Lake City, UT) and Ben Childs (Oxford, MS) – Cadillac

General

  • 1st Place – Joseph Terrell (Chapel Hill, NC) – Angelina Jane is Long Gone
  • 2nd Place – Sarah Potenza and Ian Crossman (Nashville, TN) – My Turn
  • 3rd Place – Clint Alphin (Dunn, NC) – Nobody Knows My Name

First place finishers took home a check for $500 from sponsor La Fiesta Mexican Restaurants, two boxes of D’Addario strings, a gift certificate from Jackson’s Music. Second and third place winners received $250 plus strings and a gift certificate.

Judges this year were Charles R Humphrey III, Niall Toner, and Darrell Scott.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.