CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR
WINNERS!!
AND TO OVER 120 SONGS THAT WERE SUBMITTED! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TALENT!
If you missed it LIVE here is the complete WTMD Radio interview with Grammy Nominated music legend Kathy Sledge talking about our Songs of Strength Competition! Thank you Kathy, @WTMD and DJ Alex Cortright and our sponsors Downtown Columbia Arts & Culture Commission, Downtown Columbia Partnership and The Horizon Foundation.
"Middle Passage Through North America" - Saleem - 2nd Place
Click To Play Song
Are you a songwriter? Is Music in your soul?
Columbia Festival of the Arts, WTMD and our community partners officially launched the Songs Of Strength competition October 14. Entries could be any kind of music with lyrics on any subject with ephasis on music that somehow inspires, shares our challenges, our hopes, our will to grow and desire to heal. We have a Youth category for songwriters under 18 (as of Oct 1, 2020) and an Adult category for 18+.
OUR ESTEEMED JUDGES
A Platinum Grammy Nominated Artist, Award Winning Actors, Music Publishing Exec, Musicians, Merriweather Post Pavilion Exec, plus Community & Arts Leaders.
(L to R) Kathy Sledge, Anita Gillette, Rain Pryor, Keith D’Arcy, Ian Kennedy, Massama Dogo, Phillip Dodge, Grace Anastasiadis, Dave Simmons) Click For More Info.
Who was eligible?
Anyone who had a new song (written anytime after January 1, 2020) with an audio file and lyric sheet could enter. Our initial November deadline to submit was extened to December 3, 2020.
Prizes to be awarded:
Adult First Prize – $750. Youth First Prize – $500 and an Audience Choice Award is $250. Our honored and experienced Judges represent various Art & Music Industry professionals! Winners were announced on January 27, 2021.