We are excited to present The Acorn's 14th annual Singer-Songwriter Competition! Everything you need to know about entering is included in our FAQs below. If you have any follow up questions, please email us - songwriter@acornlive.org.
To participate, scroll down past the FAQ section to see our guidelines and entry form.
Saturday, July 18th at 7pm ET / 6pm CT
Applicants submit three original songs. Submission fee is $35
If the entrance fee is cost prohibitive for you, please reach out to songwriter@acornlive.org for financial assistance.
Either option is fine. If you would like to print out your registration payment, choose "Print at Home." If you do not want to print it, choose "Will Call." You will receive confirmation of your payment once the transaction is completed.
Yes, three songs are mandatory in order to be considered. The Acorn is looking for artists who are actively writing songs.
We accept solo or duo submissions only. Your video entry must be representative of how your song(s) would be performed should you make the finals. (Examples: Do not submit a video of you performing your original song with your band. If you submit as a duo, you must perform as a duo.
Schedule is subject to change, however arrival time could be anywhere between 12 noon and 4 PM ET.
Yes. Make check payable to The Acorn and mail to The Acorn, P.O. Box 395, Three Oaks, MI 49128. If you are paying by check, please include a separate sheet with the name of the participant, email, song titles and a phone number where you can be reached. Once we receive the check, you will receive a confirmation via email.
You are welcome to send an email to songwriter@acornlive.org.
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To participate in The Acorn's 2026 Singer-Songwriter Competition, please follow our guidelines listed below.
Acorn Singer-Songwriter Competition Entry Guidelines
Important Dates
- Thursday, February 26. Open for Submissions
- Tuesday, April 28 @ 1pm ET. Submission Deadline (any entries after the deadline will not be considered)
- Thursday, June 11. Notification to Finalists
- Thursday, June 18. Public Announcement of 2026 Finalists
- Saturday, July 18. Finals. Event start time is 7 PM ET / 6 PM CT Check in for finalists TBD.
Submission Fees
- 3 songs $35
Payment
- Preferred - Online (credit card)
- By check: Make check payable to The Acorn and mail to The Acorn, P.O. Box 395, Three Oaks, MI 49128. If you are paying by check, please include a separate sheet with the name of the participant, email, song titles and a phone number where you can be reached. Once we receive the check, you will receive a confirmation via email.
- If the entrance fee is cost prohibitive for you, please reach out to songwriter@acornlive.org for financial assistance.
Guidelines
- Submissions must include three original songs.
- All lyrics and melody must be composed by you, with you singing the lead vocal.
- Video entries only. (Applications without video files will be considered incomplete submissions.)
- Each song must have accompanying lyric sheets with song title and songwriter's name on each song. (Submissions not including lyrics will be considered incomplete.)
- Video and audio quality need to be good enough for judges to conduct informed evaluations. Make sure we can see you and hear you!
- On each song’s recording, do not say your name, nor the song’s title, nor any other intro. Just record the song itself.
- We accept solo or duo submissions only. Your video entry must be representative of how your song(s) would be performed should you make the finals. (Examples: Do not submit a video of you performing with your band. If you submit as a duo, you must perform as a duo.)
- No performance may include recorded sound or live-played “loops.”
- Video format options: mp4 download, smartphone video, YouTube link, or Vimeo link. If your file size is too big, we recommend you upload to Google Drive.
- Preferred format for video and lyric sheet entries is to paste links in the online entry form. Use links from a cloud such as Google Drive (preferred) or Dropbox.
- Do NOT copy/paste your lyrics into the Google Form. If you are having trouble, you can email your lyrics to songwriter@acornlive.org. Include TITLE and NAME OF SONGWRITER.
- The use of AI is strictly prohibited. AI may NOT be used to compose any lyric or melody, nor for any aspect of your performance.
- Travel to The Acorn is the responsibility of the performers.
- Previous Finalists in The Acorn Singer-Songwriter Competition are not eligible to compete for three years. Previous First place winners are not eligible to compete.
How It Works
- Submissions are evaluated on song structure, lyrics, musicality, overall appeal, and the ability of the performer to sustain a full length show.
- The top six finalists are chosen from the pool of submissions. Those six semi-finalists compete at the Singer-Songwriter Competition Finals, Saturday July 18th, 7pm ET, in front of a panel of prestigious judges and Acorn patrons.
- Finalists will perform their winning entry (chosen by our selection jury) and one other song from their submission in the first round. The panel of judges then narrows down to three Top Finalists.
- The top three perform another original song. The audience votes to determine the winner.
Prizes
- Winner to receive $1,200, 2nd place/Runner-up $500, 3rd place $350, remaining 3 Finalists given $150.
- Finalists will also receive a video recording of their performance at The Acorn.
- Finalists are considered for other Acorn shows and recommended for other area events.
Questions?
Please read our FAQs for more information, or if you have any questions! If you still need assistance or have questions that aren’t answered there, email songwriter@acornlive.org