American Songwriter is proud to announce the 2026 Lyric Contest Dream Mentor, Jessie Jo Dillon.
The Grand Prize Winner of the 2026 Lyric Contest will be flown to Nashville for the “Dream Day On Music Row” prize package that includes a “Dream Mentorship” with Jessie Jo, a full day recording session, a Dream Co-Write with a hit songwriter, lodging at a premier hotel, and more.
Reigning two-time ACM and NMPA Awards Songwriter of the Year Jessie Jo Dillon is a top
creative force in today’s songwriting community. Dillon is a perennial GRAMMY® Awards
nominee including three consecutive nominations for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical, in 2024, 2025 and 2026, as well as four prior nominations for Best Country Song.
Known for her evocative lyrics and hit sensibilities, Dillon has written chart toppers recorded by
some of the biggest names in Country Music including Morgan Wallen (“Lies Lies Lies”), Jelly
Roll (“Halfway To Hell”), Tyler Hubbard (“Back Then Right Now”), Old Dominion (“Memory
Lane”), Keith Urban (“Messed Up As Me”), Maren Morris (“Rich”) and Cole Swindell (“Break Up
In The End”), among others.
Among Dillon’s biggest hits is the global crossover “10,000” Hours” (Dan + Shay feat. Justin
Bieber), which spent 21 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart after
dominating Billboard’s three other Country charts (Airplay, Streaming and Digital sales) in the
same week. The RIAA-certified 5X PLATINUM smash has also amassed over 1 billion streams
and earned multiple ACM, CMA, Billboard and American Music Awards nominations.
2025 Country radio singles penned by Dillon include the #1 hits “Am I Okay” (Megan Moroney) and “Happen To Me” (Russell Dickerson) as well as “Friday Night Heartbreaker” (Jon Pardi), “Wish You Well” (Vincent Mason), “Baggage” (Kelsea Ballerini) and “Beautiful Things” (Megan Moroney). She has also penned songs for George Strait, Post Malone, HARDY, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Nate Smith, Brothers Osborne and Darius Rucker, to name but a few.
Dillon’s numerous accolades also include earning a 2025 CMA Triple Play Award for penning
three No. 1’s in twelve months, MusicRow’s 2025 Female Songwriter of the Year Award, the
2025 Yellow Rose of Inspiration by the Song Suffragettes, Billboard’s 2024 Rising Songwriter of
the Year, Variety’s 2025 Power of Women in Nashville honor and NSAI Song of the Year for
“Break Up In The End” in 2019. Dillon has also been recognized for her contributions to the
Country Music landscape with inclusion in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s 2024 installment of American Currents: State of the Music exhibit. She will also vie for Song of the Year with
Moroney’s “Am I Okay?” at the 59th Annual CMA Awards airing live November 19 on ABC,
marking her first-ever nomination.
In April of 2025, Dillon was appointed to the position of Song Buddy by MCA, Music Corporation
of America, by President and CEO Mike Harris and Chief Creative Officer, Dave Cobb. The
bespoke position reflects a recognition of Dillon’s ability to develop and support artists and her
commitment to connecting songwriters deeper with the creative ecosystem. In August 2025,
Dillon launched Gatsby Records as Founder & President, a new imprint under MCA, kicking off
with Carter Faith’s highly-anticipated debut album Cherry Valley (out 10/3) as the label’s first
Release.
Since 1984, the American Songwriter Lyric Contest has helped hundreds of thousands of aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Those who submit to the 2026 Lyric Contest have a chance to win prizes, including a feature in the magazine, a brand new Acoustic Guitar, and more.
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