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Songwriting Challenge Eligibility & Guidelines

 

Eligibility & Guidelines

Who can Participate in the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge?

    • High School Students from all 50 States, Washington D.C. and U.S. territories are eligible.

Entry Requirements

    • Each Participant can submit one original composition tailored for a musical theater production. The full musical does not need to be written, but the student will be asked to justify the song as a storytelling moment as part of the larger hypothetical work.
    • Collaborative entries (up to three Writers) are accepted, but all members of the team must meet the age and schooling requirements.
    • Limit of one solo entry and one collaborative entry per Participant.
    • Entries must be the wholly original work of the entrant(s) and should not infringe on any copyrights or any other rights of third parties.

General Guidelines

    • The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) advocate for creativity, originality and artistic expression. Any form of plagiarism will lead to disqualification.

What’s Not Allowed

    • Remixes or covers of existing work.
    • New works that sample or include stems/tracks from existing work.
    • Adaptations of popular movies, books, TV shows and other pre-existing media.
    • Songs promoting hate, discrimination or any form of offensive content.
Photo Credit: Rebecca J Michelson

Submission Process & Timeline

The Songwriting Challenge has a two-part submission process. Draft 1 submissions will receive feedback only. Feedback will be provided to all Participants to foster growth and development. After receiving responses from industry professionals, students may then revise their submission for the Draft 2 competitive round. Students must submit a Draft 1 entry and incorporate that feedback in Draft 2 in order to be eligible for the Winners Weekend in NYC. 

Draft 1 Submission

Key Dates: Open August 1, 2024 | Close January 31, 2025

Submit the first draft of your song in the Draft 1 submission round. Draft 1 submissions will receive feedback only.

Receive Feedback
Once submitted, experts from the musical theatre industry will listen to your song and provide constructive feedback. All songs will be reviewed 4-5x.
Participants who submit to Draft 1 will be eligible to submit a second draft incorporating feedback.


Draft 2 Submission

Key Dates: Open March 14, 2025 | Close April 11, 2025

After revising your song, Participants may submit to Draft 2 to be entered into the competitive round and considered for the NYC Winners Weekend & Mentorship prize.
Students must have submitted Draft 1 by the posted due date in order to be eligible to participate in Draft 2. 

Competitive Evaluation
This round, our entire panel of NAMT Members, Educators, Alumni Artists and more will evaluate your song’s potential, originality and overall quality.
Students are not required to submit for the Draft 2 Round, but only songs that have been submitted to Draft 1, incorporated feedback, and resubmitted to Draft 2 will be considered for the Winners Weekend. 

Winners Weekend

Key Dates: June 13-17, 2025 for selected Songwriting Challenge winners

Selected Winners will be invited to NYC for Winners Weekend, where their Winning Songs will debut in a concert performed by Broadway talent!

Evaluation Components

Draft 1: Cultivating Growth

    • Song Construction: Does your song have meaningful, creative structure?
    • Lyrical Imagery: Is the text captivating and evocative?
    • Melody & Rhythm: How memorable and engaging is your tune?
    • Narrative Strength: Does the song support a storytelling moment or convey strong emotions?
    • Character & Plot Development: How effectively does the song progress the story or character arc forward?

 

Draft 2: Celebrating Excellence

    • Song Evolution: How well have you incorporated feedback from Draft 1?
    • Artist Statement: Does your vision shine through this song?
    • Moment Definition: How have you justified the song’s significance in the overall story and arc of the character?
    • Technical Proficiency: Are the lyrics, music, character building and plot mechanics working excellently?
    • Overall Impact: Does the song leave an indelible mark on the listener?
Left to Right: Shereen Pimentel performs in Challenge: Accepted!, 2024 Winners pose in Times Square during Winners Weekend, Desi Oakley performs in Challenge: Accepted! Photo Credit: Rebecca J Michelson

Winners Weekend

Your musical journey peaks in the city that never sleeps!
Winners Weekend will take place June 13-17, 2025 in NYC. All travel and lodging expenses covered for Winners and one Chaperone.  

Intensive Mentorship

Student winners will be paired with esteemed NAMT artist mentors for focused songwriting sessions, honing their composition to professional standards and learning about process, technique and production.

Debut on the Big Stage

The highlight of the weekend is a special concert in NYC where Broadway talents perform the winning songs, captivating an audience of industry professionals and theater enthusiasts.

Beyond the Notes

The experience isn’t just about the songs! Network with on-and-off stage insiders, catch a Broadway show, and fully immerse into the vibrant theater district.

 

Ready to go? 

Learn more about the Songwriting Challenge Application and get started with your submission!

Submit Now

This page was last updated on 11/14/2024