You can enter the Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge now

This year’s Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge closes on 30th September.

The Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge is an event where songwriters are challenged to write a brand new song inspired by a local work of art.

Now in its fourteenth year the Songwriting Challenge welcomes back judges Jon Lawton (Owner/producer, Crosstown Studios), Kaya Herstad Carney (musician/vocal coach), Luke Moore (composer/Operation Lightfoot), Robert Vincent (award-winning musician and songwriter), and Alison Benson (musician, music teacher, and multiple Challenge winner).

To enter the Challenge a songwriter must visit the Liverpool City Region (Merseyside and Halton) during the entry period of 1st to 30th September and choose a piece of art that inspires them to write a new song. The songwriter or songwriters (collaborations are allowed) can choose any work of art on public display in the Liverpool City Region during the entry period, whether a painting, mural, statue, sculpture, stained glass window, pavement art, or anything else generally accepted as ‘art’.

Songwriters have one month from the launch date to write the song and submit it as a basic recording along with a copy of the lyrics and a photo of the art that inspired it. The judges will then listen to the songs and mark each one on lyrics, melody, composition and originality.

At the end of November the ten highest scoring songs will be revealed with the songwriters being invited to perform them at the Showcase Final at LEAF on Bold St on Saturday 8th February 2025. On the night the audience will get to vote for the Audience Favourite award and the Judges’ Award winner will be announced.

The winning songwriters in the two categories – Judges’ Award and Audience Favourite – receive the following prizes:-

Song professionally recorded by judge Jon Lawton at Liverpool’s Crosstown Studios.
A two hour vocal or songwriting lesson, from judge Kaya Herstad Carney.
A cello lesson or a cello part on the song recording, from Operation Lightfoot’s Luke Moore.

Liverpool Acoustic’s Graham Holland says:

“As the Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge enters its fourteenth year I can’t wait to see who will enter this time round. It’s always exciting to see songwriters new to the Challenge having a go alongside seasoned veterans. Judges Kaya, Jon, Robert, Alison and Luke will have their work cut out to score them all. I don’t envy them in the slightest!“

The Songwriting Challenge is open to anyone of any age living in the UK. However, entrants must have visited the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley, and Halton) between 1st September and the closing date of 30th September.

Tickets for the Showcase Final on 8th February 2025 will be available from the beginning of December 2024. All profits raised will be split between Marie Curie Cancer Care and Garston Animal Rescue in memory of Liverpool Acoustic team member Sharon Jones who died in May 2011.