Bella McCormick, a journalism major from Nashville, was deemed winner of the Rose & Thorn Records Songwriter competition hosted at The Lyric on April 20, taking home a $500 cash prize.
The competition received over 50 entry applications and eventually narrowed their selection down to six contestants. To apply for a chance to compete in the bright lights, songwriters submitted a lyric sheet and a demo of an original piece to the Rose & Thorn Records website.
Rose & Thorn Records executives Jared Scott and Connor Rankin, both University of Mississippi alumni, and four fellow panelists with backgrounds in music judged the contestants based on six categories. They are looking to make the contest an annual event.
“We judge on six different categories: the structure of the lyrics, their lyrics themselves, their vocals, the melodies, the originality of their lyrics and the clarity of their lyrics (and) how well they were understood,” Scott said. “I hope they were able to get some insight from some record people so that they could take their career and mold it to the insight we gave.”
In addition to judges, the event was hosted by Auburn McCormick and Hannah Kalfas, artistically known as Kal, who are both currently signed to Rose & Thorn Records.
The first talent to compete was senior Spanish major and Vicksburg, Miss. native Yasmine Anderson — known in the industry as Yas.
Anderson set the stage with an original song, “Heavy Heart” and a soulful cover of SZA’s song, “Snooze.” While Anderson may not have walked away with the monetary reward being offered to first place, she feels she took home something more meaningful.
“I was hoping to win, but I really didn’t even care because I just did it for the exposure. I’m happy that I (competed). It’s a slow journey, so I’m taking in the journey, taking in the experience of it and learning from it because I’m not hoping for overnight (success),” Anderson said.
The next artist to compete was Kyle Kite, an entertaining performer frequently seen singing in Heartbreak Coffee on the Square. With his energetic tempo and ability to string words together in a unique, impactful message, the audience couldn’t help but to clap and sing along.
Following Kite’s lively set, Nashville native and journalism major Bella McCormick prepared to show the judges panel why she deserved to win.
“The really kind woman who owns Lost Dog Coffee in Taylor, Miss., Layton McCool, messaged me the post about (the competition) and said, ‘You would do amazing in this,’ so I thought, ‘Why not?’” McCormick said.
After McCormick’s moment in the limelight, junior English major Izzy Arthurs from Jackson, Tenn., had a chance to show the judges what she was capable of. While they were only required to perform one original piece, Arthurs took this opportunity to show the audience her style by performing two songs, “Long Time Coming” and “New Best Friend.”
No stranger to a crowd, senior Matt Allum from Peachtree City, Ga., followed Arthur’s performance. He chose to submit his song “Brand New Start” into the competition, which was released on Dec. 20, 2023. Allum ended his ten-minute window by serenading the audience with another one of his creations titled, “Over You.”
“I’ve only been writing for a couple of years. “Brand New Start” was a song that I submitted because it kind of talks about how you go through rough patches but there’s also a lot of good when you start a new track to what you’re doing,” Allum said. “Everybody seems to like it off of my EP, so you go with the crowd favorite.”
The final songwriter of the night, Bryson Howard, captivated the audience dubbing his emotional songs “not country” country.
The event ended after one final performance by Auburn McCormick and the awards presentation. Bella McCormick won first place, while Kite took second place and Howard was awarded third place.
Senior integrated marketing communications major Madeline Holifield from Laurel, Miss., enjoyed each of the afternoon’s performances from the audience.
“The songwriting competition was a great way to spend my Saturday afternoon. I loved the original songs from each of the performers. I think this was a great opportunity for our community and I hope to see similar events in the future,” Holifield said. “I loved the opportunity to see my peers showcasing their talents.”
