SONGWRITER CONTEST ENTRY FORM

Only enter if you will be available to participate in the finals and perform live on Sept 1 from 1PM - 5PM at Balloon Fiesta Park during the Harvest Wine & Music Festival.  

 

Full festival details at NMWine.com/ABQ

COMPETITON DETAILS - read thoroughly:

ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be a current New Mexico resident.
• Open to solo singer-songwriters, duos, or trios performing original material (no covers).
• All genres welcome — from folk and country to Latin, indie, pop, rock, and more.
• Must be 18 years or older to apply.
• If selected as a finalist, you must be available to perform at the Harvest Wine & Music Festival on Monday, September 1, 2025 from 1PM - 5PM at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, NM.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Submit:

• Audio or video recording of an original song (MP3, YouTube, or similar link).
  • Link to online recording or YouTube video preferred.
  • Upload and email options below
• $20 to enter. 
• You may submit up to 2 songs for consideration.
• Submit entries via this submission form or email below - no later than Sunday, August 1, 2025.

SELECTION PROCESS:

• A panel of music industry professionals will select up to 15 finalists based on:
  • Songwriting originality
  • Lyrical content
  • Musicality
• Finalists will be notified the week of August 11, 2025.
• All finalists will receive 4 passes to the Harvest Wine and Music Festival on Monday, September 1 for friends and family. Note - this is a 21+ event. While musicians may be 18+, all guests must be over 21. No kids permitted. 

FINAL ROUND:

• Finalists must be available to perform live at the Harvest Wine & Music Festival on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, NM.
• There will be four elimination rounds before a panel of judges, with winners of each round moving on to the next rounds.
• Finalists should be prepared with no less than 4 original songs. 
• Finalists will be judged on:
  • Songwriting originality
  • Lyrical content
  • Musicality/Melody
  • Instrumental abililty
  • Vocal ability
• For each round Finalists must perform a different original song
• A Winner and Runner-Up will be selected on-site.

PRIZES:

• Winner:
  • $500 cash prize.
  • Featured performance slot at the 2026 New Mexico Wine Festival over Memorial Day Weekend.
  • Additional $500 performance fee payment for the 2026 Wine Festival performance. 
  • Media spotlight press release and social posts.
• Runner Up: $200 cash prize.

OTHER DETAILS:

• Full PA and backline, incuding a drum kit, will be provided at the finals.
• A professional sound engineer will be onsite. 
• By entering, you grant permission for your name, photo, and submitted music to be used in promotion of the competition and festival.
• Songs must not contain hate speech, explicit content, or promote illegal activity.

SONG SUBMISSION

If you are unable to share a link or upload the file, please email it to: Monsoonmusichouse@gmail.com