Bill DiLuigi
2011 Grand Prize Winner
Dream Co-write with Chris Young & Anthony Smith
I am proud to be a past Grand Prize Winner in the American Songwriter Magazine lyric contest. It is a true lyric contest because only the lyric, without music, is judged. Sometimes a great demo or melody can take the focuts off of the lyric.
The prizes were great. I love the Martin guitar I won. It sounds better every year. Part of the prize package was a demo session with Dolly Parton’s producer, Kent Wells. Kent did an amazing job! Writing with superstar Chris Young was also fantastic. Although Chris didn’t record the song we wrote, an independent artist did.
It was cool to have people say, “Hey, I recognize you from seeing your pictures in the magazine.” Being the winner certainly gave me a lot of free publicity and name recognition. This helped me get a publishing deal with Rhyme Partners after the contest. Since then my songs have hit the Billboard and Americana Top 100. I was twice nominated for a Covenant Award (Canada’s Dove Award). My songs have also been in major movies and shows like Hart Of Dixie and Single Ladies.
All in all, I must say my entrance fee was a small and profitable investment. The magazine staff gets excited about and understands the culture of songwriting. Thank you American Songwriter for a great experience!
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