UKSC Results Update

Early judging results released!

EARLY STAR RATING RESULTS RELEASED 
We know that it can be an agonising wait to find out how well your songs are fairing in the competition and we know that you would like to have more feedback throughout the contest on the status of your entries. In response to this feedback the UKSC will be introducing some changes this year. All entries submitted before the end of April will have their star ratings published in the first week of May and all five star rated entries will be carefully considered for a place in the Semi Finals and Finals. If you achieve a score of five stars it means that your song will be in the running for a Semi Finalist or Finalist position and could go on to become the Winner in that category.  As the contest progresses, all entries submitted before the last day of the month will have their Star Rating announced during the first week of the following month. 

SESSION ONE AND SESSION TWO EXPLAINED 
The 2023 UK Songwriting Contest is divided into two sessions. Session One started on the 27th of February and will run until the 30th June. Session Two will begin on the 1st of July and run until the 31st of October. At the end of Session One the UKSC will announce which five star song entries have made it to the Semi Finals of the contest. Remember that all Semi Finalists are carefully evaluated and considered for a position in the Finals of the contest. The full list of Finalists and Category Winners will be announced after the closure of Session Two. Selecting the winners is a complex process which relies on careful deliberation by our expert panel of judges and at the finals stages songs are often "deconstructed" and examined closely and in detail by our judges and producers. For audio tracks this involves playing the song on keyboards and guitars to hear them without any production. Chosing the winning song is a highly personalised and time consuming process and we always ensure that judges are given all the time they need to make these decisions.

​THE STAR RATING SYSTEM EXPLAINED
Songs are awarded a star rating from zero to five stars. A rating of five stars means that the song is very well written and complete and shows a good understanding of the craft of songwriting, song form and composition. A five star rating indicates that the writer(s) have been recognised by the judges as talented, capable songwriters with definite potential and these writers have demonstrated that they can write songs of a professional standard. All songs with this rating are considered for the Semi Finals selections. All songs which do not progress into the Semi Finals are given awards by the judges. The UKSC awards range from 'Participant' to 'Highly Commended Entry' award with the best five star entries achieving the Highly Commended Entry award. A detailed explanation of the star rating system, special awards and final positions is here.