"Grand Rapids own,
Ralston Bowles was among the final 60 selected from the thousands who entered Country Music Television and The Nashville Songwriters Association 5th Annual Song Competition.This marks the second time in the past 6 months Ralston has received the nod from Nashville having his song "Son of Mine" place first ( winning a baby Martin guitar and having the lyrics published ) in Nov/Dec Issue of American Songwriter Magazine.
The 2004 contest drew about 6,000 entries, according to NSAI marketing director Virginia Davis. The publishing prize, she says, "allows them to get their foot in the door and allows their publisher to work their winning song for a year."
Winners in the 5th Annual CMT/NSAI Song Contest
5th Annual Song Contest Winners
GRAND PRIZE
"That's Where I Call Home" by Keith Taggart (Liverpool, England)
FINALISTS
"New Mexico" - Tod Barrett (Norman, OK)
"Thinking About Me Now" - Julie Durden, Lou Rubino (Atlantic Beach, FL)
"Real Tough" - Scott Hamilton, Paul Jarvis (Bellevue, WA)
"Walk" - West Rondell (Carrollton, OH)
"I Don't Need To See The Ocean" - Will Hopkins, Jeff Middleton (Nashville, TN)
RUNNERS-UP
"Dream Lullaby" - Derrick "Woodie" Watson (Dixon, KY)
"Since Love Don't Come Home" - Jñani, Linda Beasley (New York, NY)
"How Deep It Was" - Slade Crabtree, Cheryl Murdock (Austin, TX)
"What He Don't Know" - Jennifer Mangum, Julie Layne Bloeth (Lake City, CO)
"Rich Man" - Tod Barrett (Norman, OK)
"I Will" - Jennifer Mangum, Sean Kelly, Scott Word (Lake City, CO)
"It Took Your Leaving (To Get Me Going)" - Joshua Lamb, Mitch Lavin (Chapel Hill, NC)
"Aftermath Of You" - Michael Wells (Switzer, WV)
"What Kind Of Heart" - Cheryl Ashton (Hollister, CA)
"Until" - Jarrod Doucet (Hendersonville, TN)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
"Son Of Mine" - Ralston Bowles (Grand Rapids, MI)
"Home" - Eric Paslay (Murfreesboro, TN)
"Heaven's Not That Far Away" - Wayne Baratta, Brady Barnett, Robert Lustgarten (Poughkeepsie, NY)
"For The Better" - Jill Knight (Cambria, CA)
"I'll Only Be Gone A Little While" - Lorna Flowers (Nashville, TN)
"Let's Fall In Love Again" - Lorna Flowers, Shelley Jacobson (Nashville, TN)
"I Still Think About You" - Lorna Flowers, Juan Albarran (Nashville, TN)
"The Bridge" - Ray Martin (Oakbank, Manitoba, CANADA)
"She Comes To Me" - John Landry, Tim Louis (Guelph, Ontario, CANADA)
"I Love That Lie" - Donald Ellsworth Sooy (Ventnor, NJ)
"The 12th Rose" - Germain Brunet (Sudbury, Ontario, CANADA)
"Out Of The Blue" - Robert Hass, Kristin Massey (Miami, FL)
"Tulsa" - Tod Barrett (Norman, OK)
"Miss Oklahoma" - Jackie DiPillo (Franklin, TN)
"Johnny Was The President" - Lance Sims (Sedro-Wooley, WA)
"I Didn’t Think I’d Cry" - Armand Mele, Janice Fitzgerald (Montebello, NY)
"A Girl Like You" - Devon Copley, Alex Wong, Janice Fitzgerald (Brooklyn, NY)
"How Do I Get Over You" - Devon Copley, Alex Wong (Brooklyn, NY)
"Is Anyone Listening" - Frank Quattrone (Springfield, VA)
"Maybe By Topeka" - Connie Mims, Gordon Payne (Woodlands, TX)
"Love Is A Dangerous Thing" - James Smith (Monroeville, PA)
"According To John" - Jim Zgorski (Pleasant View, TN)
"Bigger Than Me" - Amanda Kimmons (Woodstock, GA)
"Letters" - Trish Matthews, Rick Bellaire (Air Station Cape Cod, MA)
"Joshua’s Shoes" - James Martin (Sparta, MO)
"When The Singer Sings The Anthem" - W. Paul Hansen, Gordon Maxwell (Ladner, BC, CANADA)
"I Wouldn’t Be Me" - Paula Appleby (Toronto, Ontario, CANADA)
"Can You Hear Me" - Chris Rusin, John Sampson (Fort Washington, MD)
"Free" - Julie Durden (Atlantic Beach, FL)
"A Man Like That" - John Gambs, Marie McIntyre, Chip Martin (Covington, GA)
"Goodbye Superman" - Debbie Pascarella, John Wesley Coutts, Russell Franceshini (Middletown, NJ)
"Angel Wings" - Eddie Sutphin (Pulaski, VA)
"She Can’t Take Her Memory Away" - James Martin (Sparta, MO)
"Holiday Inn Sign" - Mark Pertain (Acworth, GA)
"Feathers In The Wind" - George Reeves, Lee Ladensack (Cullowee, NC)
"Everyday" - Roy Holdren, Tyler Smith (Bloomington, MN)
"Used To Me" - Sheryl Olguin Paige (Cocoa, FL)
"In My Own Way" - Will Hopkins, Bill Warrington (Nashville, TN)
"If Tears Could Build A Stairway" - Desiree Leemets (Nashville, TN)
"Burnt Ground" - Anna Parish, Jerry Bone (Sage, AR)
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