“LOVE FOR THE LAND”
Songwriter Contest
Calling all songwriters local in northeast Tennessee (or adjacent) who write and perform on the theme of “Love for the Land”.
Contest Details
SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!
For songs inspired by the beautiful places in East Tennessee we want to keep.
Themes: Environmental protection, Rivers, Farmland, Wildlife, Conservation, Trees, Water, Folk Arts.
All Genres.
Submit by August 30, 2026
First Place: $350 + prizes donated by Campbell’s Morrell Music and Radio Bristol WBCM + performs solo at Capitol Hall Erwin in November 2026
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
(1) Songwriters please submit 2 original songworks in the form of video entries, ex. youtube links, to [emily@arcd.org] by August 30, 2026. No AI should have been used during composition.
(2) Songs should be on the theme Love For Land: agriculture, crops, plants, animals, conservation, forests, waterways, soil and earth, changing climate, weather, and/or specifics about a special love for a place on this Earth.
(3) Submitting an entry means that you are able to play solo 2 songs (not a full set, just 2 songs) either November 12, or 13, or 14, date TBD in Erwin.
(4) Entries should be from songwriters who either live in, or have close connections to, northeast Tennessee.
(5) Your email submission should include a paragraph bio about yourself, such as where you live, and the role of music in your life (like an artist statement).
(6) Songwriters who previously won or who submitted entries are welcome to submit again but they should submit different works other than the ones submitted previously. Previously submitted works, even if they did not win, are not eligible.
(7) Songs written by multiple owners should have documented consent from all co-writers to submit and provide accurate co-writer information with the submission.
(8) ARCD staff, Board members, and their immediate family members are not eligible to submit.
2025 Finalists
Camden Benoit
A folk singer from Abingdon, Va, now living in Johnson City, TN. He was the winner of the 2025 “Love For the Land” songwriters competition. Music has shaped much of Benoit’s life and socialization, taking music lessons and writing music on guitar, piano, and other instruments since a young age.
Alaina Majkrzak
A 2026 graduate of the ETSU Bluegrass, old-time and roots music program, learning to root music in tradition while being shaped by new influences. As an emerging voice in folk music, she writes songs that connect her inner emotional world to the outer world with natural imagery.
Jeff Benedict
Jeff Benedict was raised in a NC farming community, but has lived in East Tennessee for the last 30 years. His songs almost always relate in some way to the elements that surround us–earth, water, wind, the sky, fire–as they tell stories about the triumphs and
tragedies we all experience through life. With his band My New Favorites, Jeff performs regularly throughout the region.