The IBMA Songwriter Showcase Selection Committee has announced the finalists for the Songwriter Showcase, to be held in late September during their 2020 World of Bluegrass convention.
Writers are chosen for this honor each year when the committee considers submissions from all over the world. These finalists will be able to perform their songs before the attendees at the showcase, which include top artists and producers from across the bluegrass and acoustic music spectrum.
Here are the chosen songwriters, who represent a wide range of ages and backgrounds within the bluegrass realm.
- Aaron Bibelhauser & Mike Finders – Time In and Out
- Beth Lee – Dreams Are Cheap in Tinseltown
- Forrest O’Connor – It Never Ends
- Heather Kenney – Whole Life of You
- Jaelee Roberts – One’s Real Life
- Jeff Hovis – This Old Man’s Tools
- Johnny Williams – Sailor’s Regret
- Mark Kilianski – Old Buffalo
- Nick Chandler – Big Bill Johnson
- Theo MacMillan – Burn Down the Sun
There is an entire track during World of Bluegrass dedicated to the craft of songwriting, bearing the fairly obvious name, the Songwriter Track. It includes about a half dozen events over the three days specifically for writers to meet each other, exchange ideas, and pitch songs to the wider professional community.
At this point, the World of Bluegrass and its attendant shows are still scheduled for September 29 through October 3 in Raleigh, NC. The IBMA has yet to announce a cancellation, though the Governor of North Carolina has not yet released restrictions that prevent gatherings of this kind. Intense deliberations are currently underway to be ready to convert to an all-virtual conference should these restraints not be lifted.
Many conventions in the state have already postponed or moved their events due to the uncertainty, and the IBMA will likewise need to make a go/no go decision quite soon.
We will certainly let everyone know what the call is made.
