National Singer Songwriter Finalists
Singer Songwriter Competition 10 am -12 pm
Over 70 singer-songwriters applied for this competition. The preliminary judges listened to all of the artists and chose their top 12. They will perform from 10-12 in a random order on Saturday, Jan. 31. Michael Stock, Michael Yunis, and Susan Moss will be our final judges for this event. The 3 “top winners” will be announced at 5:15 pm. They will play in a round on Sunday, Feb. 1st.
Congratulations to the 2025 3 winners: Rebecca Berlin, Janet Buehler, and Arielle Silver. They will be returning to the 2026 Festival as featured performers!
London Baileigh
Though born in Washington state, London grew up in Texas from six months old, and her songs reflect that unmistakable Lone Star influence. She began performing at fifteen—first in coffee shops, then on Austin’s iconic 6th Street—and has since shared the stage with artists like W.C. Clark and Pauline Reese.
Her latest release, “Gotta Be Tough,” showcases her powerful writing and vocal strength, earning attention for its honesty and edge. With new music planned for release in 2026, London continues to shape a sound that feels both timeless and fresh, rooted in Americana but driven by her own creative fire.
Meghan Cary
Meghan Cary delivers award-winning original songs with powerful vocals and unshakable stage presence.Called a “storytelling troubadour” by Billboard Magazine, Cary inspires connection and community with music that’s earned comparisons to Melissa Etheridge and Brandi Carlile. Her anthem “River Rock” and 2025 single “Raise Your Voice” rally audiences to hope and action, and her latest album, Sing Louder, debuted in the top 10 on the Folk DJ Chart. John Platt (WFUV) extols, “These times require songs of compassion and commitment. Meghan has several she sings with such infectious joy you can’t resist joining in.”
A favorite at festivals like Falcon Ridge, Black Bear Americana, and Philadelphia Folk Fest, she’s shared stages with Joan Osborne, Chris Smither, Christine Lavin and more. A professional actor, coach, and keynote speaker, Cary empowers artists and audiences to embrace their stories with humor, heart, and courage. Her mantra: “If you don’t know the words…sing louder!”
Heidi Huelskoetter
Heidi Huelskoetter is a seasoned singer-songwriter with deep roots in the Nashville music scene. As a former signed artist and writer at PolyGram Publishing and Radney Foster, Heidi spent six years honing her craft among some of the industry’s finest. Heidi’s music blends Americana, and Country storytelling, creating songs that are melodically moving and lyrically deeply personal.
In addition to her songwriting career, Heidi has dedicated 30 years as a Master Vocal Coach at Jan Smith Studios in Atlanta, GA, mentoring vocalists and songwriters across all genres. This dual role as both artist and mentor reflects her unwavering commitment to the transformative power of music.
Heidi is gearing up to release a long awaited EP in 2025, produced by Grammy Winning Producer, Don McCollister.
Sue Horowitz
With a voice as warm as honey whiskey, and a vibe as confident as a tree with deep roots, Sue Horowitz writes songs about everyday struggles and joys and makes them meaningful and resonant. Her stories in song are poignant, heart-felt, hilarious, rousing, timely and timeless. In addition to her solo career, Sue has joined forces with the rising Ithaca-based band Autumn Sun.
With one foot planted firmly in the spiritual Jewish music world, and the other in the singer-songwriter world, Sue has 15 years of national touring experience, from large festivals to congregations to intimate house concerts. This Ithaca, NY and York Beach, ME artist has 5 albums of original music, and her latest album, “Strings, Wings and Curious Things”, topped the Folk Radio Charts. Sue‘s sound is a blend of Americana and Folk, while also drawing influences from blues and classic rock, making each song unique.
Joseph Leavell
Music has not only been an avocation for Joseph Leavell but has been his companion in each chapter of his life … now totaling 83 chapters. His songwriting has often included pieces of his life experiences … some actual; some imagined; both real. Joseph resides in Addison, Texas. He once lived in Ft. Myers, Florida and was licensed by Lee County Parks and Recreation as a special music provider.
Every July Joseph plays the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival’s community outreach program in Okemah, OK. “Taking music to the people.” Joseph was 2025’s recipient of the Red Dirt Relief Fund’s Blue Diamond Award for his contribution to its programs. The RDRF is a non-profit dedicated to supporting Oklahoma music professionals through crisis relief, preventive care, and financial assistance.
Joseph is looking forward to the 2026 SFFF Songwriting Competition. You come, too, for great music and fun!
Kat Mahoney
Kat Mahoney is a singer-songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky, crafting heartfelt, personal songs that feel like late-night conversations with a close friend. Drawing from her own stories and the rhythms of home, she writes music that’s honest, warm, and a little bit vulnerable—all wrapped in her signature soulful style.
Derrick and Jodi Mears (March to August)
March to August are acoustic storytellers crafting songs that offer meaning, spark thought and invite you to listen a little closer.
Their sound draws comparisons to acclaimed duos like Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Watchhouse, and Shovels & Rope—artists known for compelling songwriting, rich vocal harmonies, and stripped-down acoustic instrumentation. Blending Folk, Americana, and Bluegrass with an intimate, roots-driven style, their music features thought-provoking, heartfelt lyrics, intricate guitar and banjo work, and a rhythmic foundation powered by bass and stomp box—creating a sound that’s both timeless and deeply personal.
Their latest record, Songs Inspired by Witness, received strong reviews and debuted as one of the top 50 albums on the Alternative Country and Folk charts. They tour extensively across the US, bringing their signature storytelling and sound to audiences far and wide.
George Mann
George Mann is a songwriter’s singer who would just as soon share stories and songs from the long history of folk music as sing his own songs! He has produced albums featuring such folk music legends as Utah Phillips, Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton, and national tours of the US and Australia in honor of The Almanac Singers (2013) and Joe Hill (2015). George recently produced a CD of Si Kahn’s songs, “Labor Day,” to honor Si on his 80th birthday. His latest album is “Ghosts of the Old West,” and he completed a five-week tour of Australia in November. He’s also a walking jukebox of popular folk songs and classics from the past 60 years, singing for seniors and veterans’ homes on both coasts. George brings his experience as a union organizer and educator to his concerts– stories and songs about historic events and the struggle for a better life.
Liz Reed
Liz Reed is a Connecticut singer/songwriter from the Hartford area. She performs solo with acoustic guitar at local breweries, wineries, coffehouses and festivals. Liz writes whimsical and soulful songs that explore modern life, social justice and the human condition. She also performs pop songs from the last five or six decades.
Doug Spears
A veteran performing songwriter with a storyteller’s soul, Doug Spears is a fifth generation Florida native whose music is heard on independent radio throughout the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. Accompanied by a pure acoustic, Americana / folk sound and seasoned vocal delivery, his music has drawn frequent comparisons to Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, James Taylor and others. For more than 30 years. Doug’s stories and songs have been welcomed in listening rooms, house concerts and at festival and acoustic music venues across the country. He has won numerous awards for his songwriting, including several appearances as a finalist in the South Florida Folk Festival Songwriters Competition. Doug and his wife, Judy, make their homes on the northeast coast of Florida and in north central West Virginia where they spend the warmer months on the banks of the Cheat River.
Sara Trunzo
Sara Trunzo is an independant singer-songwriter, community organizer (co-founder of Veggies For All and Waldo County Bounty), and creator and host of “Country & Northeastern” on WERU Community Radio. Lonesome Highway said her last record, Cabin Fever Dream, was “loaded with truly touching lyrics and provide[s] a glimpse of an unquestionably talented artist.” Trunzo has collaborated with Darrell Scott and Mary Gauthier, shared stages with the likes of Suzy Bogguss and Carlene Carter, played venues such as The Bluebird, Rockwood Music Hall, and Club Passim. She has been a Joseph A. Fiore fellow, a Music to Life juried artist, and has received honors from Maine Songwriters Association, International Acoustic Music Awards, New England Songwriting Competition, and Tennessee Songwriters Week Competition.
Jacqueline Velazquez
Jacqueline JaxBe Velazquez is a songwriter whose music blends country, folk, inspirational themes, and heartfelt storytelling. Her artistry celebrates family, heritage, and community, inviting audiences into a circle of joy and connection.
This year, Jacqueline earned top finalist honors in the South Florida Folk & Acoustic Music Festival’s National Songwriter Competition with two deeply personal works:
• “You’re Still Our Home” is a moving anthem for her brother Toby and Alzheimer’s awareness, honoring memory, love, and resilience.
• “Let the Music Love Me Back” is inspired by her mother’s caretaking role and her brother’s journey with Alzheimer’s in Memory Care / Hospice care. The song offers comfort to anyone enduring loss, reminding us that love remains and is part of the universe’s plan.
With her genre-fusing sound and empowering message, Jacqueline inspires audiences to celebrate life, love, and the healing power of music. Songwriting began as her way of processing grief and continues as her source of strength.
