American Songwriter Judges Offer Insights into Judging the 2023 September/October Lyric Contest Winners

In response to feedback from the American Songwriter Community, the esteemed contest judges were asked to share some insights into their winner selections. Read below for insights into how the panel of judges picked the winners for the September Lyric Contest.

1st Place – “Wine Well Spent”

By Eryn Michel and Kimberly Shires

Pam Sheyne:
I really enjoyed this song, its wordplay and the twist of the phrase time well spent. Clever and emotive at the same time.

Sarah Siskind:
Clever play on words. The sentiment of setting aside intentional time to remember someone was a unique idea.

See Lyrics, HERE.

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Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2023 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:

ENTER THE LYRIC CONTEST

2nd Place – “Jesus & Jack”

By Barrett Bryant

Adam James:
Seriously dig the hook and how you got to it!

Sharon Vaughn:
I just love this lyric. It is brilliantly humorous and self-deprecating. My favorite kind of humor

Pam Sheyne:
I loved the wordplay and crafting of this lyric, it was super fun, original a

See Lyrics, HERE.

3rd Place – “the wind”

By Katie Hazdovac

Sharon Vaughn:
So well written and the paragraphs with individual content are wonderful

Lance Carpenter:
The wind, the sky, the sea…I have a feeling this was written on a boat or a shoreline…but it was a beautiful lyric giving life to those three lifeless things in a way that makes them come alive and gives the listener a new way to see and experience them. Personification isn’t easy and this writer executed it well.

Sarah Siskind:
I liked how the writer put themselves in the perspective of nature. It was a nice play on how we don’t always have the control we think we do.

See Lyrics, HERE.

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Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2023 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:

ENTER THE LYRIC CONTEST

4th Place – “Mama I Tried”

By Maura Streppa, Olivia DaPonte & Sam Hatmaker

Priscilla Block:
“Mama I Tried” is a very honest song about loving and leaving. It’s calling yourself out for being a product of one half of your upbringing even though you had the opportunity to be raised right. It shows you what you could’ve been if you had chosen the right path. 

See Lyrics, HERE.