Songwriter alert: ArtPrize registration deadline for 2012 song entries is May 24; $10,000 in prizes available

For the second year, Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize will accept original songs as entries as official artworks in the international competition.

And this year, St. Cecilia Music Center is offering $10,000 in cash, plus prize packages, for musicians/songwriters, separate from the overall competition that focuses primarily on visual art.

But there’s a catch: Songwriters and musicians must register online no later than May 24 to qualify for the ArtPrize competition.

The good news is that songs don’t have to submitted until June 21, but entrants must register within the next week, according to veteran local musician and recording studio owner Michael Crittenden, who’s helped spearhead the music segment of ArtPrize.

Just visit artprize.org to register; those songwriters who set up an ArtPrize account online can simply sign in and click on the “Complete Draft and Pay” to update this year’s entry.

Although the lion’s share of 2011’s 47 entries came from Michigan, the competition is open to songwriters/musicians from around the globe with a $50 registration fee for a solo artist, and $25 for each additional collaborator. (Click here for an MLive.com a story about last year’s song entries.)

This year’s ArtPrize takes place from Sept. 19 to Oct. 7, with those entered in the song competition eligible to apply for a performance spot during a planned three-day performance showcase.

For 2012, St. Cecilia Music Center will present five $2,000 awards in the song competition in the categories of pop/electronic, rock/blues, folk/country, jazz and classical, according to Cathy Holbrook, SCMC executive director.

Winners will be chosen by popular votes tabulated on the ArtPrize website.

Also, entries in this area will be eligible for a juried award of $20,000 in the “time-based/performance” category, which also includes dance and performance art, Crittenden said.

Here’s the rest of the lowdown from SCMC and rules on how to register:

• The song or piece must be an original piece of music written within the last three years.
• You must register on the ArtPrize website and create an artist profile by May 24. Enter at www.artprize.org, with the form as “Performance” and the medium as “Music.”
• To be eligible for prize money, you must “tag” yourself on the ArtPrize profile by typing in which genre you belong. You may choose only ONE genre from these categories:
• Classical
• Blues/Rock
• Folk/Country
• Jazz
• Pop/Electronic
• There must be a recording of the piece embedded by June 21 at close of the connection period. You will need to use a media player from another website such as YouTube.com or Vimeo.com for video and SoundCloud.com for audio. You can create a free account on one of those type of sites and then paste the embed code in the space provided on the Work Entry form. Questions regarding embedding can be answered at artists@artprize.org .
• Once a profile is created, musicians should “connect” to St. Cecilia Music Center so officials can see the request to enter as a performer and SCMC can either decline or accept the connection request.
• Pay the registration fee as needed: $50 for solo artist and $25 per additional collaborators.
• Those who want a band’s name used as the entry name (the name that will receive publicity), entrants should click “collaborator” and list a second person’s name when registering. There is an additional $25 per collaborator. All band member names can be listed if the additional collaborator fees are paid, but it’s not necessary. The names listed will receive the award money if the band wins. Arrangements regarding distribution of prize money within a group is the responsibility of the group.
• One musician may not have multiple chances to win through various projects so an artist may only enter once, either as a solo artist or part of a band or group.

Those with questions can contact Holbrook at SCMC at 459-2224 or email her at cathy@scmc-online.org.