⇣ HONORABLE MENTIONS  ⇣

2023



NOTE: + = Deserves special recognition

A double-plus (++) means the song was seriously considered as a finalist.

Songs are alphabetized by title in each category. Your name may be mentioned in multiple places; do a page search for your last name or song title.

CHRISTIAN

++ Broken Sunday • Veli-Matti Murtovaara

++ Home in my Heart • Hilton Severson

++ This Heart • Hilton Severson

+ All My Desire • Jon Seccombe

+ Are You A Sinner? • Jeffrey Scott Leavitt

+ Ave Maria Hail The Virgin • Philip Marks Sr., Annie Marie Marks, Manfred Dreilich

+ Bells Are Ringing • Jon Seccombe

+ Carefully Crafted Demo • Kierra Gray

+ Christianity Ain't A Movement Of Hippies • Vivian Gendernalik

+ For Better or Worse • Michael Rowe, Alyssa Rowe, Jeremiah Simms

+ Forgive Me • Girlie Vasallo

+ Gethsemane • Richard Moulton

+ I Will Give Thanks • Jon Seccombe

+ I'll Be on the Front Row • Jeffrey Neal Wickham

+ My Mind's A Monsta • Michael Rowe

+ Not One Thing • Hilton Severson

+ Tell Me Why • Devon LeBlue

+ The Food Of Saints • Vivian Gendernalik

+ Turn • Samantha Paish

+ Wings of Mercy • Paul Avanti Iannuzzelli

Apple Of My Eye • EBENLO

Awesome Lord • Dave Bates

Born For Me • Kevin Radwell

Come In And Meet The People • Daniel E. Vines

Faithfully • Angela Small

Grace From Heaven • Philip Marks Sr., Annie Marie Marks, Manfred Dreilich, Johan Nilson

Happy Accident • Michael Rowe

I Will Glory In Jesus • Jon Seccombe

I Will Obey • T. Leigh Taylor

Isaiah 53 • Jon Seccombe

I'm Happy • Michael Rowe, Stephanie Slaybaugh

Jesus Lord • Philip Marks Sr., Annie Marie Marks, Manfred Dreilich, Johan Nilson

Nails Of Grace • Luke Denver

Now Is The Time • Jon Seccombe

Our Highest Hallelujah • John Denmon, Eva Jo Wilson

Safe Passage • Paul Helou

Single Purpose • T. Leigh Taylor

Something To Hold On To • Madeline Carnesi

Storm Stiller • Jill and Bryson VanCleve

Thank God • Kalila Shields

Today's Christmas • Setmund Leung Kam Biu

Treasures • Alex O'Brien, Paul Francis Whitfield

With His Peace • Philip Marks Sr., Annie Marie Marks, Manfred Dreilich, Johan Nilson

You Can Count On Jesus • Daniel E. Vines

You're Everything to Me • Steve Harrison, Jim Talent


COUNTRY

++ Whiskey Remembers • Courtney Russell, Quinn Russell, Kim Thomas

+ Case Just In Case • Jonathan Dash

+ Armageddon • Stephen Amos

+ Back Of My Hand • Jonathan Dash

+ Before You Judge These Boots • Luke Denver

+ Eclipse • Amanda Driscoll

+ I Do, Then I Don't • Michael "Max” McGee, Jeff Oxford

+ In My Hands • Jessie Che

+ In Or Out • Ricki E. Bellos, Jim Purtell, Jim Hendrick

+ Never Been To Venice • R.J. Redline

+ Other Side Of Forever • Doug King

+ She's Meant To Be • Wiley Siler

+ Stung • Kathyjo Varco, Vincent Varco

+ The Easy And The Hard Way • Stephen Amos

+ Question Of The Century • Daniel J. Horton

+ Well • Grover Anderson

3 Names • Jonathan Bennett

A Country Song to Me • Steven Christopher Oliver

A Fifth on the Fourth • Allan Corby

A Town Called Back in the Day • Claude Weldon Hitt

Ain't Make It Home • Oscar Salinas Torres

The Best Of Us • Kim Thomas, David Snyder, Josh Branch

Broken Neon Light • Lindsay Hamminga

Catfish • Jennifer Alvarado

Churches and Bars • Bryson & Jill VanCleve

Don't Tell Me • Craig Hendricks

Driving My Love Home To You • Ian Gomersall, D. Kalos

Everything Changes • Stephen Amos

Falling Up • Stephen Amos

Flowers Are Not Free • Claude Weldon Hitt

Freezing Outside • John Mitchell

Goldfish • Charley Ramsay

Halftime • Tim Clarrey

Hankering After Fame • Martin Davies

He Was A Patsy • Jim Purtell

I Come With Strings Attached • Alan Barrington, Glenn Shelby

I'm Just A Humble Country Boy • Eric Leyland

It Will Never Be Today Again • Keith Smith Shannon

Life Is Good • Steven Christopher Oliver

Like This Girl • Claudia Mikail

Living Every Moment • Glenn Valles

Manning • Christopher Rehm

My Guitar's Got a Memory • Stephen Amos

My Miracle • Patton Childers II

Never Did • Tim Clarrey

No Smoking Allowed • Jim Crissman

One More Day • John Ferullo

Pay No Attention • Vincent Guzzetta

Problems Disappear • Brendan Purcell

Ready Fire Aim • Jonathan Bennett

Rosie's Moonlight Tavern • Bob Love and Alan Mueller

Rubber Galoshes • Dawn Schumilas

Survivin' Love's Wreckage • Dawn Schumilas

That'd Be Me • Stephen Amos

This Highway Running Through My Town • Curt Joa

Time • Justin Turk

Unless • Jeff Epic

We Were Over • Samantha Paish

When Towns Cry • Lindsay Hamminga

Whiskey & Wine • Denis Hackett

Wish You Were Here • Dawn Nagle

Without My Everything • Scott Alan Savoy


INSTRUMENTAL

++ Abschied • Malte Vief

++ Midnight Mush • Veli-Matti Murtovaara

++ Nachruf • Malte Vief

++ Remember When • Catherine Duc

++ Strike a Chord in Your Heart • Sakura Hinata

+ Bat Sheva (The Daughter of 7seven) • Tomer George Cohen

+ Cerrado Cigano • Vincent James De Rasmi

+ Darling, Will You Dance With Me? • Katie Hardyman

+ Friday Night Chant • Tomer George Cohen

+ Lift Off • Ronald Smith

+ Ritual for Purification • Bruixa Nishimura

+ Sereno • Guilherme Arantes

+ Still The Rain • Kristel-Lynn Birkholtz

+ Symphony On Tha Street • Thomas Kaye

+ The Apocalypse • Sakura Hinata

+ The Rise and Fall of Empires • Thomas Kaye

+ Theme of The Seven Gods • Bruixa Nishimura

+ Trail Ride • Lorraine Watson, Brett Hansen

+ Us • Dianna Arthur

+ Wistful Dance • Michael S. England

+ Wonderment • Dianna Arthur

A Night In Roca • Jon Hedges

Absolutely Charming • Miles Hoyle

Again • Dianna Arthur

Babbette The Mysterious • Michael K. Bain

Bittersweet • Lorraine Watson, Brett Hansen

Boi da Resiliência • Vincent James De Rasmi

Boi Transmute • Vincent James De Rasmi

Can't Let Go • David MacDonald

Dance With Spirits • Ian Martyn

Darkling • Darren Michael Boyd

I Will Make Everything All Right • Darlene S. Jackson

I Will Survive • Darlene S. Jackson

I'll Always Love You • Darlene S. Jackson

Kings and Queens • Thomas Kaye

Manhattan Waltz • Terence Thomas

Mark On Me • Shelley Stolaroff Segal

Now and Zen • Lisa Baker, Lorraine Watson, Brett Hansen

Now or Never • Thomas Kaye

Onward • Dianna Arthur

Peaceful Valley • Lorraine Watson, Brett Hansen, Lisa Baker

Poverty Of The Soul • Mark Iagulli

Rise • Thomas Kaye

Jazzkeller • Kurt Sessler

Sunset Cruise • Joe Matera

The Awakening • Dustin Patrick

The Seven Gods Walk Among Us • Bruixa Nishimura

When The Moon Beckons • Michael Crowther

POP

++ E.N.E.R.GY • Hans-Peter de Zeeuw, Bernadette Dengler

++ Everything • Lynn Carey Saylor

++ Heaven Hated • Colin Hallahan

++ Thunder • Eva Margolies, Julian Cassia

+ Arise • Lindsay Hamminga

+ Blue Dress • Frankie Gray

+ Broken • Paul Jonah, Carrie Bussen, Frances-Mary Cecilia Cossey

+  Clear to Me • Kathleen O'Sullivan, Delaney Guyer, Kenny Youch

+ Not Every Dream is Jaded • Jade Defrancia

+ Now That I Left • Kalila Shields

+ Old N' Wise • Frankie Gray

+ One of Those Kind • Ashley Rae

+ Playin' • Nataan

+ Random Lover • Damon K. Clark

+ Relation Ship • Michael "Max" McGee, Scott E. Miller

+ Ritual Madness • Kathleen O'Sullivan, Delaney Guyer, Kenny Youch

+ See You Again • Jade Defrancia

+ Stone Cold Killer • Kathleen O'Sullivan, Delaney Guyer, Kenny Youch

+ Theodora • Frankie Raye

+ Tongue Tied • Paul Paresa, Dave Smith

+ Worth Living For • Paul Jonah •

+ Your Songbird • Stefanie Tom, Tina Fang

Alive • Matthew Lardieri

Birdsong • Hansen Berrett

Bridget • Megan Dwyer

Business Flight • Luke Denver

Certified • Kayla Alencia Hart

Cherish • Yuchen Xi

Cotton Candy • Jesse Klick

Danger • Justin Turk

El mundo sigue igual • Germán Nogueira

F-Train • Shui Fier

Falling Out Of Love • Shirin Shirinli

Feral Child • Tess Posner, Cari Cole, Ni/Co

Flash • Debbie Bible, Meagan Allen, Karen Kiley

Footprints On The Beach • Veli-Matti Murtovaara

Gone • Monique Sherrell Brown

Herbology • Mystic Aytch

Hold Me Tight • Kenny Hayes

How You Dance • Flynn Dickinson

Hustle Don't Quit • Jordan Bauer

I Ain't Dead Yet • Philip Hawkins

I Gotta Little Crush On You • Robert Marino

I Love You More • Robert Marino

I Won't Forget • Matthew Lardieri

I'll Come Back for You • Jeremy Nelson

I'm Gonna Love You • Jackson Bateman

I'm Not Gonna Be Your Friend • Denas Karnauskas

Just a Song • Michael Sion

Just Enough • MaryAnn Partnow

Kiss The Ground Kind Of Day • EBENLO

Love I Never Wanted • Sarah Rose Shawcross

Love Like That • Candace Naudé

Moving Through Ruin • Avra Salters

Nasty • Frankie Gray •

Never Again • Steve Harrison, Jim Talent

Nobody's Business • Kalila Shields

One Year Anniversary • Eva Gwen Gallander

Pardon Me (What) • Bob Richardson

Paris Always Will Have You • Tony DeSare

Plastic Flowers • Aerin Amelia Eberts

Pretty Silk Dress • Zahava Bost

Remedy • Paul Jonah, Carrie Bussen, Frances-Mary Cecilia Cossey

Rewind • Dani Figueroa

Rivers • Adam Safta

Rush • Thomas Fay

Samurai • Kayla Alencia Hart

Save Me A Seat • Meagan Allen, Debbie Bible, Josie Bisto, Karen Kiley

Sea Horizon • Richard Zhu

See the Light • Kayla Alencia Hart

Self • Liuyan Liu, Luyi Wang

Six Feet Under • MaryAnn Partnow

Somebody to Love • Peter Papp

Something To Hold On To • Madeline Carnesi

Somewhere Further Down The Road • Garry Perkins

Soon Enough • Hansen Berrett, Ron Berrett

Stand Your Ground • Henry Karpus

Summer Comes And Summer Goes • Ed Schief

Summer is Ending • Sascha Muehlbach

Texas Snow • Caelin Tralongo

That Line • Catelynn Johannes

This Love Is Our Love • Kenny Hayes

Time Heals I Can't • Aaron Keeports

Tinder Blues • Steve Harrison, Jim Talent

Trust Myself • Clarissa Diokno

Tux Effect • Frankie Gray

Unbelievable • Denas Karnauskas

Visions • Jade Defrancia, Nicci Funicelli

Walk West • Minna

Wasn't I Enough? • Davide Tosto

When I Say • Monique Sherrell Brown

You Do • Shirin Shirinli

You Don't Know Me • Malaika Wainwright

Shivashka • Eugene ZenBerry


HARD ROCK/ALT-ROCK

++ Burn Easy • Justin Turk

++ Gotta Lot Of Enemies • R.J. Redline

++ Juicy Julia • Hector Rivas

+ (Wake Up) Full Moon • Vik Kovacs

+ Anatomy Of The Wire • Violet Pet

+ Fall Behind • Vik Kovacs

+ Halls of Amenti • Justin Turk

+ Me For You • Leyla Guzman

+ Morphine • n0trixx

+ Nothing Numbs a Heartbreak • Eli Jaxon

+ The Colors Fade • Joseph Krebaum

All We Have Is Now • Bradley Pouleson

Butterfly • Genie Park

Demigod • Brazil Malik

Do I Exist • n0trixx

Don't Remember What Was Her Name • RanDair Porter

Everyday, All The Time • Violet Pet

Feels Like Dystopia • Michael Hudon

Holy Holy Holy • Greg Sadd

I'm Stupid • Brigitte Eve

Kamikaze • Joseph Krebaum

Katie • Stuart Bedford

Love Alchemy • Jay Kennedy, Josh Thomas

Medusa, Misunderstood • James Mathews

Night of the Wolf • Mitch Beattie, Kenny Sawyer

Not Me • Paper Ashtray

On The Buses • Philip MacConnell

One Two Three • Anna Rudolph

Playing With Fire • Jacob Kaasgaard

Red Banner, No Quarter • Martin H. Samuel, Charles Shomo, Rick Livingstone, Ray Benson

Summer • David MacDonald

This Is My Gun • Athauntes

Time's Up • XNK, Lina Cooper

Tired Of Waiting • Vik Kovacs

Truth in Lies • Justin Turk


SOFT ROCK

++  Filaments • Carl Dickens

++  It Takes a Long Time to Wait • Joel Ansett

++ Small Town Wheels • Joe Sikelianos

++ Take Me Back to Blanding • Serena Alexander

++ The Art of Letting Go • Kaelyn Neal

++ Transistor Radio and Me • Bob Davoli

+ A House for the Fairies • Kaelyn Neal

+ Aching Lungs • Poppy Holmes

+ After All This Time • Michèle Anne Bachmann, Phil Küffer, Sandro Marretta

+ Away From Here • Sarah Treanor

+ Bleed • Hazel Chia

+ Cat Dad • Dixon Darling

+ Coming Home • Jeannie Novak

+ Cruel Waste of Time • Ricki E. Bellos, Jim Purtell

+ Duality • Gordon Robertson, Stuart England

+ Empathy • Jeff Epic

+ Feathers • Katharina Baetz Rubin

+ Foot In Mouth • Frankie Raye

+ Foreva • Dam Stasi, Kaylee de Klerk

+ Ghosts • Jessie Che

+ Give Up Your Ghosts • Andrea Corsaro

+ Going Home • Paul Jonah

+ Happy Sad • Alan Barrington

+ Hazel Meteorites • Rhea Isabella

+ Hope of Now • Kenny Hayes

+ If She • Janice Gerard

+ It's Called Art • Ashley Esper

+ Jealous Type • Belle McKee

+ Kiss You • Doug Templeton

+ Lost for Now • Joel Ansett, Dan DeCristofaro

+ Love Yourself • Peter Papp

+ Lullaby At The Crossing • Kaelyn Neal

SOFT ROCK (continued)

+ Molly's Rainbow • Katie Hardyman

+ My Oh My • Justin Turk

+ OK Fine • Ashley Esper

+ On the Bright Side • Joe Sikelianos

+ Our Hearts Bend • Michael "Max" McGee, Angel Pontier, Mervin "Butch" Paulson

+ Out Of Nowhere • Nico Rizzuto, Rodney Stansfield, Gail Wasserman

+ Pale Vanilla Moon • Bill Dake

+ Passion • Justin Turk

+ Peace of Mind • CocoLarosa

+ Pretty Like Her Credit Cards • Dixon Darling

+ Ready For Love • Guilherme Arantes, Nelson Motta

+ Rebecca Lucille • Lara Eastburn

+ Roadkill • Alex Sheinkin

+ Round and Round We Go • Sarah Treanor

+ Separate Ways • Jessie Mae Doriga, Matt Herbst

+ Shapeshifter • Simeon Courtie

+ Soare cu dinţi • Kathleen McClellan

+ Stay • Mary Ann Young

+ Still My Best Friend • Jonathan Dash

+ Stray Dog • Charlotte Puckett

+ Sunlight • d'Z, Vivian Veronique

+ That Old Car • Sam Frazer

+ There's No Use In Complaining • Justin Turk

+ They Don't Message Me Anymore • Doug Templeton

+ Torches • Debbie Bible, Meagan Allen, Karen Kiley

+ When The Candles Are Mine • Sophia Moore, Rob Seals

100 Years • James Piper

A Letter I Will Not Send • Michelle Verstraaten

A Place Not Forgotten • Patton Childers II

A Town Called Back in the Day • Claude Weldon Hitt

Advice • Stefanie Schultze

After the Afterlife • Mike Borok

After The Dust Bowl • Bob Davoli

Angel • Dominic Lavers, Sebastian Lavers

Bad Enough • Jeff Epic

Bakers Dozen • Modern Andy

Better As Strangers • Katie James, Winter Wilson

Black and Blue • Peter Arnett

Blank Pages • Bob Davoli

Brightest Ghost • James Keeley

Brown Line • Yining Zhang

Brown Trout • Phil Coomer

Bull in a China Shop • Ashley Rae

Busted Blackbird • Charles Benjamin Foushee

Butterfly Song • Peter Bradford

Carefree • April Keez

Changes (Leaves in the Wind) • Alivia Nelson

Citadels • Asaph Lerburn

Closer • Stefanie Schultze

Cold Snow • Philip MacConnell

Conflicted • Kathleen McClellan

Consolation Prize • Alex Sheinkin

Cost Me You • Dixon Darling

Daddy Had Another Bad Day • Bob Davoli

Daisies • Shui Fier

Dangerous • John Kennedy

Devil • Ricki E. Bellos

Directions To Heaven • Charles Bunting

Don't Be So Sad, Sweetie • Hsiao Wei

Don't You Let The Darkness Drag You Down • Bob Davoli

Drive You Home • Nick Teale

Dying of the Light • Shui Fier

Eloise • Duncan Coker

Empty Frame • Joseph Wickersham

Endless Road • Stefano Manotti

Even Though Autumn's In Your Eyes • Bob Davoli

Fallen King Of the Cool • Bob Davoli

Find Yourself • Bill Dake

Finding Autumn • Randy Parks

Firehorse • Angela Small

First & Main • Eli Jaxon

Flag Of Red • Belle McKee

Flowers Are Not Free • Claude Weldon Hitt

Flying Saucers • Alivia Nelson

Forgive Easily • Peter Papp

Get Me • Tina LaRosa

Guadalupe • Phil Coomer

Happier Than I've Ever Been • Alex Sheinkin

Helpless Hands • Isaac Soren

Hero's Grace • Patton Childers II

Hostage • Mo McMorrow

How Could I Know? • Don Coyne

How Many • Derek Lichtner

I Don't Support It • Ra-218

I Embrace • Katharina Baetz Rubin

I Look In The Mirror • Eric Weiner

I Never Sleep When It Thunders • Andrea Corsaro

I'm A Stranger • Ashley Esper

I'm Gonna Marie Kondo You • Ellerieh Lin

I'm No Cinderella • Mo McMorrow

Imposter • Michael Ian Newton

In My Arms • Shui Fier

Innocents on the Run • David Kuncicky

Inside Joke • Sophia Moore, Rob Seals

Intuition • Peter Papp

It's Gonna Be Alright • Tim Kelly, Kurt Schreitmueller

Just You and Me • Lindsay Hamminga

Libby Come Back • Shauna Hicks

Life Is Wonderful • Djalma Chaves

Lifetime • Shir Czopp, Maria Naylon, Spencer Rabin

Long Winter's Night • Lon Conklin

Looking Back • David Janus

Looking for Bliss • Giulia Millanta, Gabriel Rhodes

Lost at Sea • James Mathews

Love Song • Bradley Pouleson

Loved Once • Shir Czopp, Stephen Ordonez, James Colla

Manhattan • Shui Fier

Me Now Free • Haley Webster, Craig Brown

Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues • Bob Davoli

My Secret One • Kenny Hayes

My Supermarket Friend • Curt Joa

Night Sky • Elizabeth Cuite

No Kings Here (The Crossing) • Gary Laitman

Not My Time • Sarah Treanor

Nothing Good Comes Easy • Nataan, Chey Vincent

Nothing Without You • James Delsono

One Woman Army • Debbie Bible, Meagan Allen

Open Dream • Annie Moscow

Open Heart • Rob Buclaw

Ray of Sunshine • Ian Alistair Gosbee

Resurrected Tonight • THUNDERCLAP!

Scorned • Tyrone Jones

Sea Of Dreams • Gordon Robertson

Seven Years • Shui Fier

Shelter From The Storm • Serena Alexander

Sidelines of Life • Cynthia Brando

So It's Not Me • Ellerieh Lin

Soften the Blue • Florent Sivell

Somewhere Up In Fayetteville • Eric Blossman

Song for Dad • Richard Hawkes

Song for Jean • Kevin Sheehan, Jim Mayer

Space In Between • Bill Dake

Stay • Joselyn Wilkinson, Don Barrozo

Still Sitting Backstage • Bob Davoll

Take A Bow • Kristel-Lynn Birkholtz

Tangled In Translation • Charley Ramsay

Tar Rock Ode • Jon Manners, Tim Manners

Testimony • Lara Eastburn

That's When It Hit Me • James Mathews

The Dance Never Ends • Roy Williams, Karen Gregory

The Fountain • Tanya Taylor

The Hallway • Danaé Valverde

The New World (I'm Living In) • Damian Grzegorczyk

The Offer • Stefanie Schultze

The One Who Got Away • Cynthia Brando

The Real Thing • Jeannie Novak

The Soft Ride • Matthew Donovan

The Train • Tanya Taylor

Things To Say • Damian Grzegorczyk

Thousand Million Things • Marina Ananyevskaya

'Till Daddy Comes Home • Brett Peter Linn

Time To Fly • Jeannie Novak

Time Travelin' • Bill Dake

Timepiece • Jeannie Novak

Tipperary • Emina Dedic

Too Close To Heaven • Lamont Hillier

True Meaning • Morgan Smith

Turn It Loose • Anna Rudolph

Until The World Is Well • Jonathan Bennett

View from Heaven • James Mathews

Whispers • Shui Fier

With A Light Heart • Suzanne Kinsella

With You In My Life • Dennis Sidoti

Worlds Away • Alex Sheinkin