Protest Song Writing Contest

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026 at 06:00 pm UTC-04:00

619 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL, United States, Florida 32601 | Gainesville

Heartwood Soundstage
Publisher/HostHeartwood Soundstage
Protest Song Writing Contest
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Protest Song Writing Contest
Submission Deadline: Midnight, June 21st
Live Performance & Final Contest: 6-8 p.m., July 12th at Heartwood Soundstage's Listening Room

From Mavis Staples and Woody Guthrie to Jesse Welles and Childish Gambino, songwriters have used their talents to help us make sense of difficult times, to find resilience, to speak out for truth and justice, and to support each other through hardship. Songwriters, you are invited to carry on this tradition by raising YOUR voice and submitting an original protest song to the Heartwood Soundstage Protest Song Writing Contest!

To enter, email a recording of your song (MP3 or video file) to [email protected] with the subject line “Protest Song Writing Contest” by June 21st.

Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of local songwriters, poets, and community organizers. Judges will score songs with a rubric that awards points for creativity, lyricism, musicality, and originality. The top scoring songwriters will be invited to perform their songs live in the Bob McPeek Listening Room at Heartwood Soundstage on Sunday, July 12th from 6-8 p.m. to a live audience. After the performances, the judges will select one final winner to receive a prize basket of gifts including a bar tab and tickets to Heartwood Soundstage.

Everyone is invited to attend the live contest on July 12th, tickets are sliding scale/pay what you can. Proceeds will support Heartwood Soundstage and Community Spring. Community Spring is a local nonprofit that is working to advance economic justice by disrupting the cycle of poverty and mass incarceration. Learn more at https://www.csgnv.org/.

Poster art by Jason Rockhill
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Event Venue

619 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL, United States, Florida 32601

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