Official Contest Rules

SINGING NEWS SONGWRITING CONTEST 2016 - OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

1. THE SINGING NEWS SONGWRITER CONTEST (“CONTEST”) IS OPEN TO ANY INDIVIDUALTHIRTEEN (13) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER (ENTRANTS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE WILL NEEDWRITTEN PERMISSION FROM HIS/HER PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN), WHO REGISTERS BYCOMPLETING AN OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM AVAILABLE FROM WWW.SINGINGNEWS.COM ORWWW.SINGINGNEWSRADIO.COM ALONG WITH SUBMITTING THE REQUIRED COMPACT DISC(“CD”) AND APPLICABLE ENTRY FEE. ENTRIES MAY BE SUBMITTED BEGINNING MAY 16, 2016.THE EARLY ENTRY DEADLINE IS JULY 15, 2016 AT 11:59 PM CST AND THE REGULAR ENTRYDEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 AT 11:59 PM CST.

THE EARLY ENTRY FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS (MAY 16, 2016 – JULY 15, 2016):Mailed submissions/payments (all must be postmarked by July 15, 2016):- $39.00 mailed payment/early entry - $59.00 mailed payment/early entry + CRITIQUE

THE REGULAR ENTRY FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS (July 16, 2016 – September 26, 2016): Mailed submissions/payments (all must be postmarked by September 26, 2016):- $49.00 mailed payment/entry - $69.00 mailed payment/entry + CRITIQUE

THE SONG MUST BE SUBMITTED BY AN INDIVIDUAL ENTRANT (NO GROUPS) AND MUST BE ANORIGINAL WORK WRITTEN BY ENTRANT AND NOT SUBSTANTIALLY DUPLICATED FROM ANY OTHERSOURCE. ENTRANTS MUST SEND A CD IN THE MAILED ENTRY CONTAINING A PERFORMANCE OF THEENTRANT’S SONG. ACCOMPANYING AUDIO MUST MATCH THE LYRICAL CONTENT (BE THE SAMESONG) AS THE ENTRANT’S OFFICIAL CONTEST SUBMISSION. THE ENTRANT DOES NOT NEED TOSING THE SONG OR BE THE INDIVIDUAL PROVIDING THE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT FOR THESONG.

INDIVIDUALS MAY ENTER THE CONTEST AS MANY TIMES AS THEY LIKE, AS LONG AS A SEPARATEENTRY FORM, CD AND PAYMENT FOR EACH SONG IS INCLUDED. ENTRY VIA U.S. POST OFFICE OROTHER CARRIER MUST BE SENT DIRECTLY TO:

SINGING NEWSATTN: 2016 Songwriter Competition

402 BNA Dr. Suite 400Nashville, TN 37217

ODDS OF WINNING DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES RECEIVED. PROMOTERSARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST, LATE, DAMAGED OR MISHANDLED ENTRIES.

2. THERE ARE NO SPECIAL ADVANTAGES IN THE CONTEST JUDGING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHOOPT TO SUBMIT THEIR ENTRY WITH A CRITIQUE. ALL ENTRIES WILL BE JUDGED SOLELY ONSUBMITTED LYRICS AND ACCOMPANYING AUDIO.

3. DELIVERABLES: CRITIQUES - INDIVIDUALS SELECTING THIS OPTION WILL RECEIVE ACRITIQUE OF HIS/HER SUBMITTED ENTRY BY ONE (1) OF THE OFFICIAL CONTEST JUDGES.ALL CRITIQUES WILL BE DELIVERED WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE THEWINNERS OF THE CONTEST ARE ANNOUNCED.

4. ELIGIBILITY: EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, ANDIMMEDIATE FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS OF SALEM PUBLISHING, INC., d/b/a THESINGING NEWS AND REACH SATELLITE NETWORK, INC., d/b/a SINGING NEWS RADIONETWORK (COLLECTIVELY “PROMOTERS”); CROSSROADS, INC., AND CHRIS WHITE MUSICPUBLISHING, THE TALLEYS, THE KINGSMEN QUARTET, THE ERWINS, STOWTOWN MUSICGROUP (COLLECTIVELY “FEATURED ARTISTS”), ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THECONTEST.

5. THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO NON-PROFESSIONAL SOUTHERN GOSPEL SONGWRITERS. A “NONPROFESSIONAL SONGWRITER” IS DEFINED AS A SONGWRITER THAT HAS NEVER HAD ANORIGINAL SONG ON THE SINGING NEWS TOP 80 CHARTS AND WHO IS NOT UNDER ANEXCLUSIVE SONGWRITING OR PUBLISHING CONTRACT.

6. THERE WILL BE THREE (3) GRAND PRIZE WINNERS AND FIVE (5) RUNNER UP PRIZEWINNERS. THE WINNERS WILL BE SELECTED FROM AMONG ALL ELIGIBLE ENTRIES RECEIVEDBY THE ENTRY DEADLINE BY A PANEL OF JUDGES SELECTED BY PROMOTERS. ENTRANTSNEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN.

7. THE WINNERS WILL OFFICIALLY BE ANNOUNCED ON SINGINGNEWSRADIO.COM AND THESINGING NEWS RADIO NETWORK BY NOVEMBER 14, 2016 AT 8 AM CST AND NOTIFIED BY E-MAIL OR TELEPHONE NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 14, 2016 AT 2:00 PM CST. THE WINNERSMUST COMPLETE AN AFFIDAVIT OF ELIGIBILITY AND LIABILITY AND, WHERE LAWFUL, APUBLICITY RELEASE. IF PROMOTERS DO NOT RECEIVE THE AFFIDAVIT AND RELEASE WITHINTWO (2) WEEKS OF NOTIFICATION, THE PRIZE MAY BE FORFEITED AND AN ALTERNATEWINNER MAY BE SELECTED. EXCEPT WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW, BY SIGNING THEAFFIDAVIT AND RELEASE, THE WINNER GRANTS PERMISSION TO THE USE OF HIS/HER/ITSNAME, LIKENESS, PICTURE, PORTRAIT, HOMETOWN, SERVICE MARK, VOICE,BIOGRAPHICAL/OTHER INFORMATION, AND STATEMENTS FOR ADVERTISING ANDPROMOTIONAL PURPOSES FOR THIS AND OTHER PROMOTIONS BY SINGING NEWS WITHOUTADDITIONAL COMPENSATION.

8. GRAND PRIZES: THERE WILL BE THREE (3) GRAND PRIZES. EACH GRAND PRIZE INCLUDES:

! THE WINNING ENTRY TO BE RECORDED BY EITHER THE ERWINS, THE KINGSMENQUARTET OR THE TALLEYS ("FEATURED ARTISTS"). THE WINNING ENTRY MAY BESUBJECT TO CHANGE AND/OR RE-WRITE. IN THIS CASE, THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER ANDFEATURED ARTIST(S) WILL COLLABORATE ON A RE-WRITE TO BE RECORDED. THEWINNING ENTRY, OR THE RE-WRITE, TO BE RECORDED BY FEATURED ARTISTS ANDAVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION WITHIN TWO (2) YEARS FROM DATE THEWINNERS OF THE CONTEST ARE ANNOUNCED;

! THE WINNER WILL ALSO BE:

a. FEATURED IN A STORY IN THE SINGING NEWS MAGAZINE;

b. FEATURED IN AN ON-AIR INTERVIEW WITH THE SINGING NEWS RADIONETWORK; AND

c. FEATURED IN A BANNER AD ON WWW.SINGINGNEWSRADIO.COM ANDWWW.SINGINGNEWS.COM

! PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE TRACK WITH PROFESSIONAL DEMO RECORDED INNASHVILLE, TN BY NASHVILLE SESSION MUSICIANS AND VOCALISTS.

9. RUNNER-UP CONSOLATION PRIZES:THERE WILL BE (5) RUNNER-UP CONSOLATION PRIZES. EACH RUNNER-UP CONSOLATIONPRIZE INCLUDES:

! THE WINNER FEATURED IN A STORY IN THE SINGING NEWS MAGAZINE;

! A FREE ONE (1) YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE SINGING NEWS MAGAZINE; AND

! PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE TRACK WITH PROFESSIONAL DEMO RECORDED INNASHVILLE, TN BY NASHVILLE SESSION MUSICIANS AND VOCALISTS.

10. NO TRANSFER, SUBSTITUTION, OR CASH EQUIVALENT WILL BE GIVEN FOR THE GRANDPRIZE, OR THE RUNNER UP CONSOLATION PRIZES PROVIDED. HOWEVER, PROMOTERS MAY,AT ITS SOLE DISCRETION, SUBSTITUTE A PRIZE OF EQUAL OR GREATER VALUE. PROMOTERSARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST, LATE, DAMAGED OR MISHANDLED ENTRIES.

11. BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, EACH ENTRANT AGREES TO ABIDE BY AND BE BOUNDBY ALL OF THESE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES AND THE DECISIONS OF GENERAL MANAGER OFTHE PROMOTERS (“CONTEST JUDGE”). ALL DECISIONS REGARDING THE CONTESTINCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SELECTING THE WINNER, WILL BE MADE BY THE“CONTEST JUDGE”, WHOSE DECISIONS SHALL BE FINAL. THE CONTEST JUDGE MAYPROHIBIT AN ENTRANT FROM PARTICIPATING IN THIS CONTEST, IN HIS/HER SOLEDISCRETION, IF, IN THE OPINION OF THE CONTEST JUDGE, THE ENTRANT FAILS TO ABIDEBY THESE RULES, OR OTHERWISE ACTS (I) IN A NON-PROFESSIONAL OR INAPPROPRIATEMANNER, (II) WITH AN INTENT TO ANNOY, ABUSE, THREATEN, OR HARASS ANY OHERENTRANT, JUDGE, OR PROMOTERS, OR (III) IN ANY OTHER DISRUPTIVE MANNER. THEWINNER IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES.ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

12. TO FIND OUT THE WINNERS OF THE CONTEST, LOOK FOR THE WINNERS NAMES AND SONGTITLES TO BE POSTED AT WWW.SINGINGNEWS.COM AND WWW.SINGINGNEWSRADIO.COMONCE THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED UPON THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONTEST.