WRITE ABOUT JESUS SONGWRITING COMPETITION RULES AND GUIDELINES
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR OUR 2025 COMPETITION
Each registrant may submit one song into the competition. (Those who attend on the spouse/parent registration are not eligible to enter the competition.)
Songs must be submitted via the Competition Submission Form no later than midnight central time, September 24, 2025. Each submission must include the entry form, an mp3 of the song, and the lyric of the song. Please submit your lyric as a Word document.
Each writer should list the title of the song and all co-writers' names on their lyric, even if the co-writers do not attend the workshop.
We categorize songs by genre. It is up to the writer to familiarize himself or herself with the genres and decide which best fits their song. There will be competition groups for:
Writers will be assigned to a small group of up to 14 people with two professional evaluators, either two writers or one writer and one publisher. They will listen to your song in the small group and then give you valuable verbal feedback. You will also receive their written critiques of your song following the workshop.
The winning song from each small group will be heard on Saturday by a select committee of pro songwriters, publishers, and former grand prize winners, and they will choose the grand prize winning song. Winners will be announced at the close of the workshop on Saturday.
First, second and third place winners of each small group will receive current CD’s or other prizes.
The grand prize winner will receive: 1) a free registration to next year’s Write About Jesus Workshop. 2) When the winner is ready to make a trip to Nashville, we will arrange several professional co-writes and meetings for him or her with publishers.
For more information and suggestions about preparing your song for competition, write us here.
EVALUATIONS
Each small group will have two professional evaluators.
Songs will be evaluated on idea, creativity, structure, lyric, music/melody, overall impact, and commercial potential.
Verbal critiques will be given by each evaluator during the competition session. Please be attentive to ALL comments from the evaluators, as these are an invaluable learning tool.
Written comments will also be provided by the evaluators, and those will be returned to registrants at the end of the workshop. A score of 90-100 indicates that the song could be cut without any changes or re-writing. A score of 81-90 means the song could be pitched and possibly cut with some re-writing. A score of 71-80 indicates that the song would need significant re-writing to have potential for use. A score of 70 or below indicates that the song probably has limited or no potential for use without a lot of additional work. .
Registrants should keep in mind that evaluators do not score identically. As long as each evaluator is consistent with his or her own scores within a small group, the strongest songs will win. Please do not compare scores between evaluators or with other registrants, as this will not give you an accurate picture of the actual reaction to the song.
Entries will be returned at the end of the workshop along with written evaluations.
RULES FOR SUBMITTED SONGS
Do not submit songs which have won another songwriting competition. Remember that the competition is more about learning than winning.
Registrants should only enter a song which they have written. Do not submit a song written by someone who is unable to attend.
Co-written songs are permitted in the competition. Co-writers do not have to be registered for the workshop.
If your co-writer is also a registrant at the workshop, you each may enter one song.
Co-writers will share in the prize that is won by a song at the discretion of the writer who submits the song. We are unable to offer duplicate prizes.
The following kinds of songs are NOT allowed in the competition:
Songs which have been written by a writer or co-written with a writer who is currently or formerly a staff writer for a publisher are ineligible.
Songs which have been co-written with a member of the Write About Jesus Master Class are also ineligible.
Please check with co-writers to make sure their writer status conforms to these guidelines.
OUR POLICY ON THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
We do not allow songs which have been created (either the melody or lyric or any part of the melody or lyric) using artificial intelligence, in writing or providing assistance in generating the lyric or in writing or improving the melody. All songs entered must be declared by the writer to be entirely created by a human. We do allow demos which have been created using the AI platform's "cover" feature, meaning the AI is copying the melody and lyric already created by humans.
NEVER OPEN OR READ ANOTHER REGISTRANT'S EVALUATIONS WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION.
PRIZES
First, second and third place winners in each small group will receive cd's and/or books, or WAJ merchandise as prizes.
The grand prize winning songwriter will receive: a free registration to next year's Write About Jesus workshop and at least 3 arranged publisher meetings in Nashville, and at least 3 arranged co-writes with professional writers.
If a co-written song wins, and both (or all) writers are workshop registrants, they will share in the prize package. The writer who enters the song is eligible for the scholarship to the workshop the following year, but at their discretion, they may choose to split the cost of the registration and share in the scholarship with their co-writer(s).
A FEW WORDS FROM SUE ABOUT THE COMPETITION...
It is very tempting to place too much emphasis on the songwriting competition. But please prayerfully submit your hopes and dreams for the competition to the Lord. While previous winners have had wonderful success with their songwriting, many other registrants who never won the competition—never even placed first in their small group—have also had great success. Treat the competition as a chance to learn, and then trust God with the results.
Also please remember that the comments made by the evaluators about your song are designed to help, to instruct, and to encourage. The goal is always to make songwriters more effective and successful.
Continue to Competition Entry form
Back to home.
Each registrant may submit one song into the competition. (Those who attend on the spouse/parent registration are not eligible to enter the competition.)
Songs must be submitted via the Competition Submission Form no later than midnight central time, September 24, 2025. Each submission must include the entry form, an mp3 of the song, and the lyric of the song. Please submit your lyric as a Word document.
Each writer should list the title of the song and all co-writers' names on their lyric, even if the co-writers do not attend the workshop.
We categorize songs by genre. It is up to the writer to familiarize himself or herself with the genres and decide which best fits their song. There will be competition groups for:
- Pop/AC/CCM
- Southern Gospel
- Worship
- Country/Inspo Country
- Print/Choral
- Childrens/Special Occasion/Novelty
Writers will be assigned to a small group of up to 14 people with two professional evaluators, either two writers or one writer and one publisher. They will listen to your song in the small group and then give you valuable verbal feedback. You will also receive their written critiques of your song following the workshop.
The winning song from each small group will be heard on Saturday by a select committee of pro songwriters, publishers, and former grand prize winners, and they will choose the grand prize winning song. Winners will be announced at the close of the workshop on Saturday.
First, second and third place winners of each small group will receive current CD’s or other prizes.
The grand prize winner will receive: 1) a free registration to next year’s Write About Jesus Workshop. 2) When the winner is ready to make a trip to Nashville, we will arrange several professional co-writes and meetings for him or her with publishers.
For more information and suggestions about preparing your song for competition, write us here.
EVALUATIONS
Each small group will have two professional evaluators.
Songs will be evaluated on idea, creativity, structure, lyric, music/melody, overall impact, and commercial potential.
Verbal critiques will be given by each evaluator during the competition session. Please be attentive to ALL comments from the evaluators, as these are an invaluable learning tool.
Written comments will also be provided by the evaluators, and those will be returned to registrants at the end of the workshop. A score of 90-100 indicates that the song could be cut without any changes or re-writing. A score of 81-90 means the song could be pitched and possibly cut with some re-writing. A score of 71-80 indicates that the song would need significant re-writing to have potential for use. A score of 70 or below indicates that the song probably has limited or no potential for use without a lot of additional work. .
Registrants should keep in mind that evaluators do not score identically. As long as each evaluator is consistent with his or her own scores within a small group, the strongest songs will win. Please do not compare scores between evaluators or with other registrants, as this will not give you an accurate picture of the actual reaction to the song.
Entries will be returned at the end of the workshop along with written evaluations.
RULES FOR SUBMITTED SONGS
Do not submit songs which have won another songwriting competition. Remember that the competition is more about learning than winning.
Registrants should only enter a song which they have written. Do not submit a song written by someone who is unable to attend.
Co-written songs are permitted in the competition. Co-writers do not have to be registered for the workshop.
If your co-writer is also a registrant at the workshop, you each may enter one song.
Co-writers will share in the prize that is won by a song at the discretion of the writer who submits the song. We are unable to offer duplicate prizes.
The following kinds of songs are NOT allowed in the competition:
Songs which have been written by a writer or co-written with a writer who is currently or formerly a staff writer for a publisher are ineligible.
Songs which have been co-written with a member of the Write About Jesus Master Class are also ineligible.
Please check with co-writers to make sure their writer status conforms to these guidelines.
OUR POLICY ON THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
We do not allow songs which have been created (either the melody or lyric or any part of the melody or lyric) using artificial intelligence, in writing or providing assistance in generating the lyric or in writing or improving the melody. All songs entered must be declared by the writer to be entirely created by a human. We do allow demos which have been created using the AI platform's "cover" feature, meaning the AI is copying the melody and lyric already created by humans.
NEVER OPEN OR READ ANOTHER REGISTRANT'S EVALUATIONS WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION.
PRIZES
First, second and third place winners in each small group will receive cd's and/or books, or WAJ merchandise as prizes.
The grand prize winning songwriter will receive: a free registration to next year's Write About Jesus workshop and at least 3 arranged publisher meetings in Nashville, and at least 3 arranged co-writes with professional writers.
If a co-written song wins, and both (or all) writers are workshop registrants, they will share in the prize package. The writer who enters the song is eligible for the scholarship to the workshop the following year, but at their discretion, they may choose to split the cost of the registration and share in the scholarship with their co-writer(s).
A FEW WORDS FROM SUE ABOUT THE COMPETITION...
It is very tempting to place too much emphasis on the songwriting competition. But please prayerfully submit your hopes and dreams for the competition to the Lord. While previous winners have had wonderful success with their songwriting, many other registrants who never won the competition—never even placed first in their small group—have also had great success. Treat the competition as a chance to learn, and then trust God with the results.
Also please remember that the comments made by the evaluators about your song are designed to help, to instruct, and to encourage. The goal is always to make songwriters more effective and successful.
Continue to Competition Entry form
Back to home.