Finalists have been announced for the 2014 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, held annually as a part of MerleFest. As is usually the case, a number of young bluegrass artists show up on the list.
Paul Harrigill, banjo player with Flatt Lonesome, is nominated along with Amber Nugent for their song, I’m Blue. Allen and Corey Smith from Ash Breeze also got a nod for Without Love. In addition to her husband, Kelsi Robertson-Harrigill, who plays mandolin in Flatt Lonesome, is up for the prize in the Country category for If You Never Let Me Go.
On the fringes of bluegrass, Joseph Terrell of Mipso made the cut with Angelina Jane is Long Gone.
A complete list of finalists follows:
Bluegrass
- Josh Crews (Boone, NC) – Crossties
- Paul Harrigill (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Amber Nugent (Ferriday, LA) – I’m Blue
- Chelsea McBee of The Random Assortment & the Christian Lopez Band (Shepherdstown, WV) – Gone-A-Rye
Gospel/Inspirational
- Gary Alan Ferguson (Alexandria, VA) – Time To Praise the Lord
- Frank Hurd (Raleigh, NC) – Light
- Allen Smith and Corey Smith of Ash Breeze (Robbins, NC) – Without Love
Country
- Dan Buehner (Salt Lake City, UT) and Ben Childs (Oxford, MS), both of Hollering Pines – Cadillac
- Kelsi Robertson-Harrigill (Murfreesboro, TN) – If You Never Let Me Go
- Becky Warren (Nashville, TN) – Call Me Sometime
General
- Clint Alphin (Dunn, NC) – Nobody Knows My Name
- Sarah Potenza and Ian Crossman (both of Nashville, TN) – My Turn
- Joseph Terrell of Mipso (Chapel Hill, NC) – Angelina Jane is Long Gone
The finals will be held on Friday, April 25 at MerleFest. Each finalist will perform their entry live on stage. Cash and merchandise prizes will be awarded to each contestant.