JIMMY LAFAVE SONGWRITING CONTEST NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES
February 4, 2025—Red Dirt Relief Fund is now accepting entries to the eighth annual Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest. The contest is free to enter and open to unsigned Oklahoma songwriters in any genre to showcase new and emerging talent from across the state. The winner of the contest takes home a $750 cash prize, a day of recording Tulsa’s historic Church Studio, and the opportunity to perform at Bob Childers' Gypsy Cafe on May 4 in Stillwater. Each artist may submit ONE lyric-driven song in any genre online at https://forms.gle/EfFvz9yYpCSKFNXm6 by March 5th.
Three contest finalists will be selected based on lyrics, melody, originality, form and musicality by a panel of judges, including renowned songwriters and industry professionals Brad Piccolo, Roger Ray, Deana McCloud and Ronnie Carlson. Finalists will be asked to submit a video recording of their song (acoustic) for public voting online April 7-16. This video can be recorded on a phone as professional production is not required. The judges' scores of overall performance will be combined with public votes to determine first prize of $750, a day of recording at Tulsa’s history The Church Studio, and a spot in the lineup at Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café. The People's Choice winner, selected by online voting, will take home $250.
Contest information, application and previous winners’ videos can be found athttps://www.reddirtrelieffund.org/jlfsongcontest/.
The Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest highlights LaFave’s legacy of mentorship and musical discovery that have become hallmarks of the Gypsy Café festival. It was established the year after Jimmy LaFave accepted the “Restless Spirit Award” on the Gypsy Café stage, a short time before succumbing to cancer. Previous winners include Ken Pomeroy’s “Sidewalk Song” (2018), Dallas Parker aka Faux Draco’s “Abilities” (2019), Joe Baxter’s “Romeo’s Girl” (2020), Ahna Jennings’ “Hope & Gasoline” (2021), Branjae’s “Free Facts” (2022), Brent Giddens’ “Shades of Texas” (2023), and Eric Hunker’s “When it all Ends” (2024).
Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café, Oklahoma’s largest homegrown songwriter festival featuring more than 70 artists, returns to Stillwater, Okla. for its fourteenth year on Sunday, May 4 featuring 4 stages and a VIP brunch to kick off the day. Tickets go on sale Wednesday February 12. The festival benefits Red Dirt Relief Fund, Oklahoma’s music industry safety net that has granted more than $920,000 in emergency aid to music creators statewide over the past decade. Ways to support the cause can be found at www.reddirtrelieffund.org/donate.
The Church Studio is a proud partner of this year’s contest to highlight their programs for local musicians looking to record music in the iconic house of Leon Russell. The historic church became a recording studio and home office for Shelter Records in the early 1970s, and was later purchased by Russell as a studio where countless Grammy winners have, and continue to, record. The Church Studio supports, educates, and inspires with a professional recording environment, public programs, and interpretive exhibits. More information can be found at https://thechurchstudio.com/.
Visit reddirtrelieffund.org, friend Red Dirt Relief Fund on Facebook or follow @reddirtrelief for festival updates. For media or sponsorship inquiries, please contact Katie Dale at reddirtrelieffund@gmail.com or 918-407-4599.