Singer/songwriter, musician and producer Shawn Byrne has scored the Grand Prize for the 2020 American Songwriter Lyric Contest. The winning lyric, “Love Was Just A Word,” won 1st place in the July/August bi-monthly contest. Each year, all six bi-monthly contest winners (coinciding with each print issue) are re-evaluated, and a single Grand Prize winner is chosen. Byrne’s prize package includes a round-trip flight to Nashville (since Byrne is based in Nashville, he says he’ll likely redeem his flight next year to play some shows in Texas) and two nights stay at the Union Station Hotel (Autograph Collection), in addition to a one-song, full band demo recording session at OmniSound Studios and last but not least, a “Dream Co-Write” with hit songwriter Dallas Davidson.
“I am beyond humbled to be this year’s Grand Prize Winner of the American Songwriter Lyric Contest,” says Byrne. “There’s a bumper sticker I’ve been seeing for years around Nashville that simply says ‘It All Starts With A Song’ and right now I certainly feel that is true. Thank you again for this incredible opportunity.”
All you music publishers out there looking to pick up a talented new staff writer, take heed; there are plenty more standout tunes where this one came from in the Byrne song catalog. Lucky for us, “Love Was Just A Word” is not only a stellar lyric, but a timeless song as well (see video below). To get to know Byrne a little better and to find out more about his career journey, click here.
• Read the the winning lyrics for “Love Was Just A Word” HERE.
• Revisit our Q&A with Shawn HERE (originally ran in the July/August issue coinciding with his 1st place contest finish).
• Revisit the 2020 Judges Panel HERE.
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