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The Birthplace of Country Music is hosting a qualifying round for Tennessee Songwriters Week in 2026!
SONGWRITER REGISTRATION OPENS DECEMBER 11
Date: Thursday, January 29, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $15 (For spectators only; no registration fee required for songwriter entries.)
Congratulations and best of luck to the following Bristol qualifiers:
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 2026 Tennessee Songwriters Week! Dozens of venues 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 be part of the live audience to cheer on contestants. The Bristol competition will also stream live on WBCM Radio Bristol’s Facebook page.
Three (3) songwriters will be chosen from the Bristol competition to move forward and compete during Tennessee Songwriters Week Showcase at The Reserve in Kingsport, Tennessee on Monday, February 23, 2026. One songwriter will move forward from each Showcase event across the state of Tennessee to perform at Bluebird Cafe in 2026.
Up to 20 contestants will be considered for the qualifying round on Thursday, January 29, 2025 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. There is no registration fee or purchase necessary to enter. Internet access is required to enter. Any legal resident of the Unites States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are eligible. Must be 18 years of age or have attained their state of residence’s age of majority. Entrants can be an individual songwriter, duo or trio who has not previously won a Showcase Event. **Please read Tennessee Songwriters Week Official Rules in their entirety to ensure you are qualified to enter.
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. All entrants of Bristol qualifying round must sign a photo/video release waiver as the event will be streaming live.
**Click here to read Tennessee Songwriters Week Official Rules**
More information on additional qualifying rounds across the state of Tennessee is forthcoming.
Timeline of events for Tennessee Songwriters Week:
December 11. 2025: Songwriter registration opens
January 12, 2026: Deadline for Bristol qualifying round entry
January 25 – February 7, 2026: Qualifying Rounds statewide (Bristol qualifying round is Jan. 29)
February 22 – 28, 2026: Showcase Events statewide
March 29, 2026: Finale at The Bluebird Cafe for one winner from each showcase event
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.
