Ellis Paul and Opening with the Three Winners of The Folk Project’s 2026 Songwriting Contest
*** Admission: $20/$15 (FP members); 12 and under free with adult.***
| Ellis Paul doesn’t just write songs; he’s a guitar-carrying reporter who covers the human condition and details the hopes, loves, losses of those he observes, turning their stories into luminous pieces of music that get under your skin and into your bloodstream. And much like the artists who have influenced him, everyone from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to the singer-songwriter who is undoubtedly his greatest inspiration, Woody Guthrie, Paul weaves deeply personal experiences with social issues and renders them as provocative works that are as timely as they are timeless. |
| Born and raised in Maine, Paul attended Boston College on a track scholarship and in the evenings became a fixture on the city’s open mic circuit. After winning a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition, he caught the ear of folk luminary Bill Morrissey, who produced his indie album Say Something in 1993. This led to a seven album contract with Rounder Records and the 1994 album, Stories. His songs have appeared in several blockbuster films (Me, Myself, and Irene; Shallow Hal, Hall Pass) and have been covered by award winning country artists (Sugarland, Kristian Bush, Jack Ingram). |
| Through a steady succession of albums of his own – a remarkable 23 releases so far – and a constant touring presence around the world, Paul’s audience has grown into a loyal legion of fans. Along the way, he has picked up an impressive number of awards including the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award, 15 Boston Music Awards, An Honorary Doctorate from the University of Maine, the 2019 International Acoustic Music Awards Artist of the Year and most recently his album, The Storyteller’s Suitcase, was named the 2019 NERFA Album of the Year. |
Announcing The Folk Project’s 2026 Songwriting Contest
Enter Folk Project’s first annual Songwriting Contest to win a cash prize and the opportunity to play an opening act at the Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series.
Key Dates:
- July 24, 2026 – Deadlines for entries
- August 24, 2026 – Winners announced
- September 25, 2026 – Performance at Troubadour
Prizes: Three winners will each win a $200 cash prize and will get to perform their award-winning songs in the opening set for Ellis Paul at the Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series on Sept. 25, 2026 in Morristown, NJ.
How to enter:
- Register for the contest at https://folkproject.clappia.com/app/AJC367603
- Songs must not be subject to any existing publishing contract or exclusive administration deal.
- You will be pasting a URL link to your songs from any of a number of cloud-based services like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, DropBox, Samply, SoundCloud or a similar service.
- Entry fee is $15 per two-song entry, and you may enter as many times as you like.
- Deadline for submission is July 24, 2026 (11:59 PM ET)
- You can send questions to [email protected]
Eligibility and Judging: The contest is open to all songwriters, anywhere. It will be judged by professional songwriters on the basis of melody, lyrics, composition and originality. To the extent possible it will not be judged on production quality, but your recording needs to be good enough to show off what the judges will be looking for.
AI Use Policy: We are seeking songs written by human creators. While AI tools, such as Suno or Udio, may be used to assist with production, all core songwriting elements – including lyrics, melody, and structure – must be the original work of the submitting artist.
Any use of AI in the production process must be disclosed at the time of submission. Fully AI generated songs are not eligible for consideration.
Other details: You retain all rights to your own work. Should you win, you allow us to use your name and likeness for promotional purposes. If necessary, Folk Project may choose to extend the deadline for entries, but we will not make it any earlier.
For More Information: Folk Project Song Writing Contest