2024 Texas State Songwriting Championship Recap
Megan Kearns, January 5, 2025
Photo by Rustic Spirit Photography
The 2024 Texas State Songwriting Championship celebrated an incredible array of talent, honoring some of the most outstanding songwriters in Texas. Held at Fort Worth's historic Pearl's Saloon, the event saw a packed house as attendees gathered to enjoy an unforgettable night of music and creativity. Cynthia Anderson, the event organizer and owner of Texas Brew Radio, was thrilled with the turnout and the energy in the room.
Looking back at how far we have come with our artists in the last two years is beautiful. We have truly leaped bounds over what we anticipated and are excited about the future for our artists and the Texas Music Scene. We have been able to give hope to multiple struggling venues with our showcases over the last few years, we were state recognized this year as an artist development non-profit, and were really blessed with some amazing talent! It’s definitely been a beautiful learning experience, the most rewarding part is seeing our artists not only win within our organization, but elsewhere, their development is why we are here. We had multiple artists that were a part of the organization this year get recognized by other organizations as well, and that tells me, I’m doing something right, and I need to do more of it! Here’s to 2025 and another great year of music!
Championship Winners:
1st Place: Brandon - Howard County
2nd Place: Tristan Roberson Music
3rd Place: Celeste Marie Wilson
It was incredible to see so many talented artist striving so hard to be great at their craft. God bless them, and God bless Texas.
Special Awards:
Female Songwriter of the Year: Payton Riley Music
Male Songwriter of the Year: Marley Gilles
Upcoming Female Songwriter of the Year: Katie Beth Mihm
Upcoming Male Songwriter of the Year: Carson Clay
Runners-Up:
1st Runner-Up Female Songwriter of the Year: Kaitlyn Jewett
1st Runner-Up Male Songwriter of the Year: Tylan Anzaldua
2nd Runner-Up Female Songwriter of the Year: Kylie D Hart
2nd Runner-Up Male Songwriter of the Year: Jason Jobst
Individual Honors:
Most Impactful Songwriter of the Year: Joshua Martin
Artist Assistance Award: Dave Christen
Most Original Style: Celeste Marie Wilson
Most Soulful Sound: Celeste Marie Wilson
Most Classic Sound: Greg Strawn
Most Powerful Stage Performance: Kylie D Hart
Sponsors' Top Pick: Kaitlyn Jewett
Audience Favorite: Kaitlyn Jewett
Most Original Sound: Jason Jobst
MVP: Jason Jobst
Most Diverse Songwriter: Tony Cox
Radio Top Pick of the Year: Tristan Roberson
Most Inspirational Songwriter of the Year: Payton Riley
Uncle Ryano, an accomplished artist known for his work on projects like "Cowboy Up" and television shows such as NCIS and Grey's Anatomy, expressed his admiration for the event and its participants:
“Texas is known for being a powerhouse in countless industries. One area that rarely receives acknowledgment would be Texas songwriters and their music. It has repeatedly changed music around the world, from George Strait to ZZ Top, Willie Waylon, and Beyoncé. The Texas State Songwriting Championship proved the power of the poet is still alive and well in the great state of Texas. Congratulations to the winners and a huge thank you to all of the incredible participants. I'm proud of you all.”
This year’s championship not only highlighted the depth of songwriting talent but also emphasized diversity and originality. Each artist brought their unique sound and style, making the 2024 event a true celebration of creativity and music. Congratulations to all the winners and participants!
Megan grew up in Kansas and earned a Music Business degree from Full Sail University. Now based in the Oklahoma Panhandle with her family, she is dedicated to supporting and growing her local music community through Loud and Heavy Booking.
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