The Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition
There is a yearly competition to discover promising new singer-songwriters called the New Folk Competition. Thirty-two finalists are selected from a field of 800 entries to share two of their original songs in an afternoon appearance on the stage of the Threadgill Theater. From these 32 finalists, six winners are selected by a small group of well-established performing songwriters. In addition to cash and other tangible prizes, the six winners are invited to the main stage to perform a 20-minute set.
A win at Kerrville carries considerable prestige in the singer-songwriter community. This is in part due to the peer-professional judging and the festival’s long history of recognizing emerging artists who have later gone on to wider success. There have also been examples of notable performers who have appeared as finalists in the competition without ever earning a win. Artists who have performed in the competition include:
- Steve Earle (1978)
- John Gorka (1984)
- Nanci Griffith (1978)
- Tish Hinojosa (1979)
- Robert Earl Keen (1983)
- Mark Elliott (1993)
- Lyle Lovett (1980, 1982)
- Ellis Paul (1994)
- Slaid Cleaves (1992)
- Cosy Sheridan (1992)
- Johnsmith (1990)
- Anne Feeney (1989)
- James McMurtry (1987)
- Pierce Pettis (1987)
- Buddy Mondlock (1987)
- David Wilcox(1988).
Read more about this topic: Kerrville Folk Festival
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