FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  Texas Country Music Association Announces

2024 TCMA Songwriter Contest Top 10 Finalists

Annual Songwriter Contest Includes 10 Finalists in Both Country and Christian Country Music Categories

FORT WORTH, TX (August 1, 2024) -- The Texas Country Music Association announced today that the 2024 TCMA Songwriter Contest’s Preliminary Round Judges have named the top 10 Finalists in each the Country and Christian Country categories. Those top 10 Finalists now move to the Final Round Judges for scoring.

There were 415 total songs submitted in both categories and all entries were original works. Preliminary Round Judges scored each song on creativity, lyrics, melody, arrangement, originality, and overall technique.

According to Texas Country Music Association President, Linda Wilson, the TCMA Songwriter Contest is always a tremendous success and highly effective program for TCMA Member Songwriters. “All of the songs were fabulous and there are so many great songwriters who are a part of TCMA who deserve recognition. It is our job as the only trade organization and primary advocate for the Texas Country music industry to encourage them and work on their behalf to help get them exposure and their music heard. It was certainly difficult for preliminary round judges to choose only 10 in each format and to narrow the list down.”

The 2024 Country Songwriter of the Year and 2024 Christian Country Songwriter of the Year Overall Winner in each category will be announced before the 2024 Texas Country Music Awards and will have the opportunity to perform the song they submitted during the Awards’ pre-show. Five Honorable Mentions, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th Place Runners Up will also be announced before the Awards show and will be verbally recognized during the pre-show and will be able to pick up their trophies there, or will be mailed their trophies if they cannot attend.

The 2024 TCMA Country Songwriter Contest Top 10 Finalists are (in no particular order):

• ·         Brett Hendrix for “Stay With Me”
• ·         Charlie McCabe for “Let Me Down”
• ·         Dennis Duff for “Life In The Slow Lane”
• ·         Dusty Moats & Kyle Fambro for “Fender Bender”
• ·         Hadlie Joe Pritchard & Jamie Lin Wilson for “This Ole Guitar”
• ·         Jesse Watson & Kate Watson for “My Crowd My Friends”
• ·         KC Johns, Brett Trout & Tim Angsten for “Rodeo Queen”
• ·         Ryder Grimes for “In My Boots”
• ·         Ty Wilson & Andrew Parton for “The Last Sip”
• ·         Will Carter & Jude Dyllan for “Had It All Wrong”

The 2023 TCMA Christian Country (includes Faith Based, Inspirational, Positive and Christian Country) Songwriter Contest Top 10 Finalists are (in no particular order):

• ·         Aaron Loy, Jim Hawkins and Michelle Henegar for “Pew For You”
• ·         Allan Peterson for “What I Need To Do”
• ·         Allison Gilliam for “In These Boots”
• ·         Jacob Wheeler for “Scars On His Hands”
• ·         Jed Seneca & Tim Johnson for “Old Book New Page”
• ·         Megan Barker, Elmer Knable, Kimberly Dawn for “Cowboy’s Church”
• ·         Tara Tinsley for “Future”
• ·         Trey Calloway JP Williams & Doc Lewis & Cody Kelley for “Horses In Heaven”
• ·         Trey Calloway Andrea Renfree, & Steven Cade for “Backroad Believer”
• ·         Zebb Rogers for “Only The Blood”

“The annual songwriter contest is evidence that songwriters pour their hearts into their music,” says TCMA Executive Vice President Richard Wilson.

Plans for Texas Country Music Weekend in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards are underway through the combined effort of the Texas Country Music Association and Stockyards Heritage Development Co. with activities beginning on Friday, November 8^th and winding up with the Awards ceremony on Sunday, November 10^th at Billy Bob’s Texas. In 2023 the Stockyards reported a record number of 142,000 visitors in the Stockyards for Texas Country Music Weekend.

The 2024 Texas Country Music Showcase will be held from 1pm-5pm on Friday, November 8 followed by a free concert with Sunny Sauceda Band.  On Saturday, November 9 the Stockyards will host TCMA’s 2024 Texas Country Music Showdown – an 8-band competition with a panel of judges selected by Stockyards Heritage Development Co. who also provides the cash prizes.  The 2024 Texas Country Music Showdown Grand Champion will be announced and awarded at the 2024 Texas Country Music Awards on November 10 at Billy Bob’s, and the 1^st and 2^nd place runners-up will also be announced. After the Showdown on Saturday, there will be a free concert with Tanner Sparks Band.  On Sunday, Nov 10 at noon there will be a free Christian Country Concert with Christian Country Artists Curtis Grimes, Morgan Ashley, and Tiona Campbell.  Curtis Grimes will also offer the opening prayer at the Awards show later that day.  Performing at the 2024 Texas Country Music Awards are Will Carter Band, The Great Divide, Larry Joe Taylor, Moe Bandy, Brandon Rhyder, Ryder Grimes.  Headlining and performing the Awards show finale Jason Boland and the Stragglers.   Additionally, each of the 5 Emerging Artists Finalists Chaser Crouch, Billie Jo Jones, Jack Nelson, Jordan Nix and Bubba Westly.

Tickets are on sale now at billybobstexas.com or through a link on www.texascountrymusic.org. For more information about the Texas Country Music Association, how to join and become involved, and about the 2024 Texas Country Music Awards, visit www.texascountrymusic.org

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MEDIA CONTACT

Linda Wilson, President

Texas Country Music Association, Inc.

903-472-8008

tcma@texascountrymusicassociation.org