PBSF 2026 SONGWRITER COMPETITION RULES
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY – OUR RULES HAVE CHANGED FOR 2026
This is your opportunity to showcase your music at the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival and Win an assortment of cash and prizes! Contest opens for submissions on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 and will close at 11:59pm (Central) on April 28, 2026.
Winners will be announced June 1, 2026. Please READ THROUGH ALL RULES very carefully. Contest will be judged by the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival Judges Panel consisting of hit songwriters and music industry professionals.
Note: Some rules differ from 2025, so if you entered last year be sure to read them thoroughly.
PRIZES
GRAND PRIZE WINNER: $1,000 cash
* Featured Performances at PBSF Songwriters Festival
* Free Business of Songwriting Consult with Gasaway Music
* A Co-Write with a Hit Songwriter
* PBSF Swag Pack + Pensacola Beach Swag Pack
* D.a.T. Sauce Gift Pack
**** Additional Prizes to be announced
CATEGORIES PRIZES: $150 cash
* Featured Round Performance at Awards Ceremony
* PBSF Swag Pack + Pensacola Beach Swag Pack
* D.a.T. Sauce Gift Pack
* Additional Prizes to be announced
CATEGORIES:
Category A: COUNTRY
Category B: BLUES, R&B, or ROCK
Category C: BLUEGRASS or FOLK
Category D: GOSPEL
Category E: YOUTH (17 & Under- can enter songs of any genre listed above).
RULES & REGULATIONS
1. This competition is open to all amateur and professional songwriters and anyone regardless of nationality or origin.
2. There is NO FEE to enter the contest. It is FREE to enter.
3. Winners will be announced on June 1, 2026 on our website and social media.
4. Winners will attend awards ceremony during the festival where they will receive prizes and perform at Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival 2026.
5. Entrants retain full song ownership rights and all copyrights to all songs submitted. Entering the contest does not in any way affect the writers’ ownership of their songs.
6. Entrants MUST be able to perform their song as an individual WITHOUT an accompanist (any & all instruments are, however, allowed).
7. All entries will be considered. Submissions which have lyrics deemed inappropriate for family listening by PBSF shall be disqualified.
8. Songs must be original works written by entrant. Co-written songs are NOT ALLOWED. Songs must be written SOLELY by you, absolutely no AI is allowed. Any use of AI in this competition is unethical, and will disqualify you.
9. There are no restrictions on when the song was written.
10. For the YOUTH Category: Entrants under the age of 18 years MUST provide written consent to enter from parent or legal guardian and include signed PDF letter in the entry email.
Submissions:
11. Entrants must abide by all rules in their initial submission in order to qualify for the contest.
12. Submissions are open to all songwriters, professional and amateur, aged 18 and older and residents of the USA, with the exception of the Youth Category (17 and under- see Rule #10).
13. All songs must be submitted by email to Pbsfcompetition@gmail.com
Entries MUST include ALL of the following to qualify:
* The words “Song Contest” in the Email Subject Box.
* Name, address, and current contact phone number.
* Category
* Attached file of the song. MP3, MP4, & WAV files will be accepted. There is no length limit. NOT LINKS TO STREAMING SITES. Actual files must be included.
* Include a TYPED Lyric Sheet in PDF Form. Not in the body, but in PDF form for our judges.
14. Contestants may enter up to three songs maximum.
15. Songs will be judged equally on originality, lyrics, melody and composition. Production will not be considered (worktapes, raw demos accepted).
16. Entrants will receive an email confirmation of their submission. Winners will be notified by phone and emails provided in submissions.
17. It is the entrants responsibility to provide correct contact details when entering the contest and to ensure that they can receive emails from the contest.
18. The judges decisions are final and binding and entrants agree by entering the contest to accept and abide by the judges decisions.
19. Entry in the PBSF 2025 Songwriting Competition constitutes permission to use winners’ names, likenesses, recordings, videos and voices for promotional and publicity purposes on the PBSF websites and social media outlets and on other third party websites and in publicity and promotional materials and press releases. This permission can be withdrawn by the entrant at any time upon written request.
20. By participating in the contest entrants agree to be bound by these rules and by any subsequent published revisions of these rules and by the decisions of Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival Songwriting Competition which are final in all matters relating to the contest.
GOOD LUCK! We can’t wait to hear your songs!
************ Past Year’s Winners *************
PBSF SONGWRITING COMPETITION WINNERS 2025
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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
“Complicated Man” by J.M. CLIFFORD (Bluegrass- Ron Pope co-writer)
$1,000 + Big Prize Package & more)!
Congratulations to all of our Category Winners who receive a big prize package + $150. All of our winners will be featured in a special performance at the PBSF AWARDS on Saturday, Oct 11, 2025. Details to come.
BLUES/ROCK/RnB: “It’s Just Rain”
DONNA BROOKS Birmingham, AL
FOLK/BLUEGRASS: “Callaway”
JULIETTE STEWART – NYC/Nashville
COUNTRY: “Pretend He’s You”
STAR DE AZLAN – Martindale, TX
GOSPEL: “He Sees You”
ALLISON ALDRICH Citra, FL
YOUTH: “Never Too Far”
LAYLA CAPRI, age 17 Centerville, IN
JIM PASQUALE HORIZON AWARD
“Where There’s A Woman”
CHRISTIAN YEAGER Mechanicsburg, PA
We had a phenomenal response from songwriters across the country. Our judges did a fantastic job when faced with a near-impossible task. Thank you to all who participated in this competition and for your patience on the announcement, as it took longer than expected with so many entries. Thank you to Lewis Bear Company, Paradise Bar & Grill, Bill E’s Bacon, D.a.T. Sauce, & Gasaway Music for Sponsoring this contest, and to our amazing judges. See you in the fall!
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