Q: When is the contest?
A: The 2010 contest will start accepting entries very soon - so get your songs ready. The exact dates have not been finalised but will be posted on this website when confirmed. Please add your email to the our mailing list using the subscription box below if you wish to receive updates on this.

Q: Can I enter a song that I have written but get someone else to sing and play it?
A: Yes. You can use other singers and musicians to perform your song.

Q: Will the quality of my recording or production make a difference?
A: No. We guarantee that the recording quality, performance, vocals and production etc are not being judged. We only judge the song itself and your songwriting ability. Our judges are very experienced and have listened professionally to many tens of thousands of songs. They fully understand the difference between a good song and a good production. Many winners in the contest have been just a single voice singing over a very basic and simple piano or guitar backing. Acapella entries - just a vocal line with no music backing recorded directly onto cassette tape - have also made it to the finals and runner up stages. Of course, a good production never hurts and will make your song sound better, but our judges will always concentrate on the songwriting first and foremost. To sum up: a good song that has been very poorly recorded or produced will win out over a beautifully produced but weak song.

Q: Is there a maximum length or time limit for each song?
A: No. Unlike other contests we do not impose a time limit on each song. Most songs entered tend to be between 3 to 5 minutes long but songs may be of any length and we do not want to interfere with your creativity by setting a time limit.

Q: What is the entry fee?
A: We plan to keep the old price of £15 for early entries and increase this for late entries. This way everyone will still be able to enter at the old price. If you choose to enter at the last minute however we will be introducing the new slightly higher price for late entries. The choice will be yours. We will post full details when we start accepting entries.

Q: Who are the judges?
A: We are associated with some of the biggest and most respected names and organisations in the music industry. Our team of judges and advisors have included directors and senior executives of organisations such as The BRIT Trust, The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers, The Music Aid Organisation, The World Music Foundation, The Music Aid Awards Academy, The International Song Copyright Agency and others as well as, top producers, musical directors and music industry executives, experienced songwriters, music journalists and authors, members of music qualification examination boards plus specialist panels and judges provided by The BRIT Trust and the BRIT School. We call on this pool of experts and professionals to form judging panels. 2010 judges include top producer and musical direcor Richard Niles, BRIT Award winning producer Simon Ellis, Universal Music Director and ex BBC Radio Controller Lesley Douglas, Soul 2 Soul singer Charlotte Kelly and others.There are more details on other parts of this website.

Q: How does the judging work?
A: Our judging procedures are the best in the industry. Songs that successfully continue past the preliminary panels will have the chance to go on to the semi finals and continue on to the finals. These songs are carefully examined on many occasions to select the winners. We have real respect for the dedication and talent of the people who enter this contest and we devote a lot of time and effort to ensure each contestant has a fair and equal chance.

Q: Is there a minimum age restriction?
A: No, there is no minimum age restriction.

Q: I only write lyrics and do not compose music, can I enter my lyric?
A: Yes you can. There is a "Lyrics Only" category for this. See Song Categories.

Q: I only write instrumentals, can I still enter?
A: Yes you can. There is an "Instrumental" category for this. See Song Categories.

Q: Can I enter a song that has lyrics in a non english language.
A: Yes. You may enter songs with lyrics in a language other than english - but you should include an english translation with your entry

Q: Is there any censorship? I am worried that my lyrics contain a swear word.
A: No. There is no censorship and no restrictions on the type of language used. 

Q: I live outside the UK, can I enter the UK Songwriting Contest?
A: Yes. This is an international event and the contest is open to all songwriters, bands and musicians regardless of nationality and country of residence.

Q: Can I enter the same song in more than one category?
A: Yes you can. If you think that your song has a chance of winning or being selected as a finalist in more than one category you may enter in those categories. For example you might enter a song in the Pop category and also enter the lyric separately in the Lyrics Only category. You might even decide to enter it in a third category where you feel it has a good chance of doing well. But please note that each of these different category entries will be charged a separate entry fee even though it is the same song as each will be treated as a separate entry..

Q: Will I still own all the rights to my song after I have entered it in the contest?
A: Yes. You will continue to own all the rights in your song and entering the contest will have no effect on your copyright ownership.

Q: Can I enter a song that is already in another contest? Or already published?
A: Yes. You can enter your song if it has already been entered in a different contest or has been published. 

QUESTION STILL NOT ANSWERED? Fill out our online contact form NOTE: Please make sure that your question is not answered above before contacting us - please also remember that the contest dates have not been finalised yet, as stated above, and these dates will be posted on this website and emailed to everyone on the mailing list when confirmed.