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FULL CONTEST & ELIGIBILITY RULES FOR THE
25th Mid Atlantic Song Contest.
For the 25th anniversary contest, S.A.W. will accept a total of 300 entries in each category. What does this mean for you? http://www.saw.org/masc25/tips.cfm
All words pre-printed on this entry form (everything from page 1 to 4!) are considered part of the rules. If entering via electronic submission (online), you still agree to abide by all rules & regulations listed here. You may enter as many songs as you wish in each category. It is strongly suggested (mercy!) that your song be a max of 4 minutes, but this is not required. You may enter same song in more than one category. All songs remain the property of the songwriter(s).
ELIGIBILITY
- Each entry must have lyrics EXCEPT for the Instrumental Category.
BUT: Instrumental category entries must include a 3 sentence description
as to the artistic intent of the composition (this is essential).
- All entries must be either submitted online by September 15
or must be postmarked September 15. All entries MUST be received
by September 30 regardless of postmark. We prefer online
entries, but will accept multiple entries from the same artist
on one home burned CD without other unrelated tracks. We
do not accept cassette recordings of any kind..
- You must not have made more than $5,000 in publishing royalties
in 2007 and cannot be employed as a staff writer for a publishing
company nor have been paid for such services by a publishing company.
- Each entry must be wholly original (co-writers allowed) and
shall not infringe on any copyrights or any other rights of any
third party. Each entrant shall hold SAW harmless from and against
claims inconsistent with these requirements.
- Special Prize Eligibility.
To qualify for the $100 Young Artist Award for top artist 21 and
under (as of August 15, 2008), you must give your birthdate &
year, as well as your co-writers. The total amount of the prize
is $100 and check is made out to the submitting songwriter. All
co-writers must be 21 or under. All others may ignore or
lie in wonderful glowing terms about your age as long as you are
true to the fact that you're 22 and over.
To qualify for the NEW $100 International Prize: for top song
submitted by a songwriter residing outside of the US. ALL co-writers
must reside outside of the United States at the time of contest
deadline to be eligible for this prize. The total amount of the
prize is $100 and check is made out to the submitting songwriter.
- No composition or lyric may be entered that has been:
(1) licensed;
(2) placed under contract for commercial sale with any major label,
publisher or other entity; before the deadline; or
(3) selected in previous years' MASC contests as Gold, Silver,
Finalist.
HOWEVER: You may re-submit songs having won honorable mention
in past contests.\
PROCESS OF ENTRY
- FILLING OUT ENTRY FORM. Each song
must be submitted on a separate entry form. Fill out & sign
the official entry form, which signals your acceptance of permissions
& disclaimer at the bottom. For multiple entries fill out
the song information on each separate form. Include payment
information on the first form.
- SUBMITTING LYRICS. You must submit
lyrics or instrumental description. If entering via mail provide
four copies of either a) the complete lyrics of your song,
or b) a three sentence description as to the meaning behind
your instrumental composition. Include title of your work but
no searchable copyright information. We may disqualify your entry
if you do so (we want these to be anonymous). If song is
not in English, provide an English translation--artistic license
allowed. Lyrics must be contained upon one side of one 8.5 x 11
page, and must be at least 11-point typeface. There is no
need to repeat duplicate sections--for example just identify and
re-type “chorus” where it repeats, unless the chorus
contains serious changes. Each entry must be self-contained on
four separate sheets of paper.
- SUBMITTING RECORDING. If entering
via mail, please note: we encourage multiple separate entries
on the same CD, but you MUST include a complete paper track list
as part of your entry. Entries must have song title(s) and category
written legibly on the front cover and on the CD. Do not put your
name or your picture on the CD. CHECK for technical glitches!
We will not replace tracks if you suddenly have a better version. We’re
really very sorry, we wish we could. However, if you would like
to enter that other track as a separate entry you may do
so, but we can’t predict how that will affect the judges’
consideration of your work.
- CALCULATE AMOUNT DUE for all your
entries. Fill out the first entry form we will see when opening
the package with all of your payment information. Include a check
or money order (no cash) for the total amount or include your
credit card number, expiration date and signature.
- PACKAGING ENTRY. Place four
copies of each set of lyrics or description in a stack. Place
separate entry form with each set of lyrics, and place the compilation
or individual CDs on the top of the stack. You may fold all the
papers in half around CD and place in an envelope if you desire.
Place in envelope. Affix proper postage. Send to:
Mid-Atlantic Song Contest / S.A.W.
PMB 106-137
4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016.
- DEADLINE. All entries must
be received online or postmarked by 11:59 pm, September 15, 2008. Mailed
entries must be received by September 30, 2008.
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: All entries received by July 1 qualify for
a SAW & TAXI membership raffle drawing
LATE/LOST ENTRIES: Entries received after September 30 will not
be considered (even w/postmark). SAW assumes no responsibility
for loss/damage to entries prior to receipt.
- JUDGING: Judges are professional
artists, venue operators, presenters, Performing Rights Organization
representatives, label representatives, DJs and Satellite radio
representatives, financial backers & music supporters. Judges
are instructed to disregard production /quality of recording. The
Grand Prize Winner, Second & Third Place Overall Winners will
be determined from the Golds by a larger panel of music industry
professionals after all of the Gold winners are chosen.
We do not provide judges’ comments. We provided Judges’
comments for only two years (2006 & 2005). Curious as to why
we stopped? A song contest is about comparing a very large pool
of entries, not song critique. Comments taken out of context
of the pool in which you are competing are sometimes difficult
to interpret. SAW provides excellent opportunities for song critique
in the Song Exchange, which is free and more useful to songwriters
than the comments of judges as they work through hundreds of entries. We
encourage you to attend our Song Exchange and the many educational
programs we and many other songwriter associations and membership
groups provide. If you need a referral for such an organization,
please contact us.
Only Contest Director & Assistant Director know the songwriter's
name until such time as category judging is complete.
- NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS: Grand
Prize, Second and Third Place Overall Winners will be announced
at the Awards Night Gala. All other winners will be announced
by December 25, 2008 at www.saw.org. Gold and Silver prize
winners in each category will be notified by phone, email or mail
in the weeks prior to the Awards Gala to provide bio & website
info. We will make every effort to reach winners as early as possible
to alert them to their status in order to allow them to plan for
attendance at the Gala. All winners, including Finalists
and Honorable Mention in each category will be listed in gala
program and announced from the stage. The full results will be
posted the day after the big event. You may request a copy
of contest results by writing to the address above.
- Grand Prize, Second Place and
Third Place Overall winners are not eligible for individual category
prizes. All songs submitted are eligible for Gold in their
category (although it is unlikely, the same song CAN win Gold
in two appropriate categories).
- SPECIAL 25th ANNIVERSARY MASC/
30th SAW ANNIVERSARY AWARDS NIGHT: The Awards Night Gala will
be held in the Washington, DC metro area in late fall of 2008
/ winter of 2009. All contestants are encouraged to attend. Depending
upon available time, Gold winners may be asked to perform their
winning song live but are not required to do so. In the event
that the Gold winners asked to perform cannot or choose not to
perform at the event, the silver winner in that category may be
asked to do so if time permits. Glass-etched trophies will
be presented to the contest’s top three winners at the Gala. Please
see list of prizes on saw.org, which is updated throughout the
contest. We will provide a complimentary ticket for each
Gold, Silver and Finalist winner to the Awards Gala.
- PRIZES: Prizes must be redeemed
within one calendar year of Awards Ceremony. We will notify
sponsors of winner names or provide a certificate to winners if
provided by sponsor. If, due to circumstances beyond MASCs control,
the independent sponsors do not deliver their prizes to winners,
MASC will attempt to replace those prizes with like quality prizes,
however MASC cannot be held accountable for prizes not delivered
by sponsors. Federal, local and state taxes on prizes are the
sole responsibility of the winner. Unless noted, prizes are non-transferable
and may not be redeemed for cash. Division of prizes among
co-writers is the responsibility of submitting songwriters.
- PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENTS: Gold
& Silver prizewinners in each category agree to furnish a
recorded version of the selected song within two weeks after notification
(non-MP3 versions) for airplay during the awards ceremony. Winners
also agree that SAW may post MP3 clips of their songs on the SAW
website and when possible, the Washington Post MP3 website. Certain
silver winners will be included in a Winners' CD (see
“Winners’ CD” below). The recorded song must
be produced to technical standards required by SAW. SAW has the
right to edit songs for length, and to omit selected songs from
the CD that do not meet SAW's technical standards. ALL top
winners consent to having their winning songs used in the manner
as listed above as part of their prize.
- WINNERS' CD: Grand Prize,
Second and Third Place Overall & Gold winners are guaranteed
inclusion in the Winners CD, which is sponsored by OASIS. Unfortunately
we may not be able to include all Gold & Silver winners due
to technical limitations of CD format; therefore, it is possible
that certain category winners and the Young Artist and International
Prize winners might not appear on compilation CD. However, all
Gold & Silver winners will be mentioned in the CD artwork
with names & links posted on website.
- CERTIFICATE & CD DISTRIBUTION: Each
songwriter and collaborator listed on the entry form of a winning
song, including Finalists and Honorable Mentions, will receive
a personalized (and really, really nice) 25th Anniversary Certificate
of Merit. Winning songwriters may pick up their certificate at
the awards ceremony. Gold winners receive 10 Winners'
compilation CDs (usually by the August following the award). Silver
winners will receive one copy of the compilation CD.
- SAW will make every attempt to
deliver any unclaimed certificates & prizes to the addresses
provided by songwriters as part of their entry.
The preceding rules have been updated for the 2008 25th Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and developed over a number of years by our song contest team. QUESTIONS? Contact masc@saw.org
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