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The Birthplace of Country Music is hosting a qualifying round for Tennessee Songwriters Week in 2026!
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.)
SPECTATOR TICKETS ON SALE NOW CLICK HERE
Congratulations and best of luck to the following 2026 Bristol qualifiers:
Hannah Rae Adams | Bristol, TN
Jake Angeles | Abingdon, VA
Adam Bolt | Abingdon, VA
Cody Glenn Cox | Bristol, VA
Sophie Childress | Big Stone Gap, VA
Cary Corley | Raleigh, NC
Madison Denhardt | Big Stone Gap, VA
Bria Elena | Shamong, NJ
Brent Funkhouser | Reston, VA
Matthew Hurd | Rogersville, TN
Tom Lynn | Morehead, KY
Trace Nixon | Mechanicsville, VA
Tommy Paschal | Greenbrier, TN
Katie Powderly | Frederick, MD
Fallyn Grace Presley | Damascus, VA
Roger Ramsey | Meadowview, VA
Joshua Scarberry | Bristol, TN
William Seymour | Roanoke, VA
Jonathan Short | Wise, VA
Manuel Street | Marion, VA
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 and one (1) alternate 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.
The qualifying round will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2026 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 21, 2026: Deadline for Bristol qualifying round entry
SONGWRITER REGISTRATION FOR THIS VENUE IS CLOSED
January 25 – February 7, 2026: Qualifying Rounds statewide (Birthplace of Country Music Museum 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.
