MOVA Arts Festival Announces Songwriter Winners

GUNTERSVILLE –Songwriters from across the globe descended upon Guntersville for the annual songwriters' competition Sept. 17 - 19. Making it to the finals performed before all the judges were several Huntsville and Madison residesnt. All finalists received certificates and will be automatically considered for Mountain Valley Arts Council's Lakeside Summer Concerts bookings. Winners included the following songwriters.

From Alabama: Thomas Magnus, Arab; Chuck Puckett, Decatur; Charles Cantrell, Gadsden; Marie Henderson, Geraldine; Gary Liederbach, Guntersville; Matt Morrow, Guntersville; Darren Camp, Huntsville; Donny Grace, Huntsville; Peggy Medley, Huntsville; Aaron Helton, Madison; Mark Stephen Warren, Madison; Terry Goldsby, New Market; Susan Manning, Ragland; Don Henderson, Toney; Debbie Bond, Tuscaloosa; and Leon Venerable; Woodville.

From out of state and international: Bryan Clark, Los Angeles, Calif.; Sue Schnitzer, Boulder, Colo.; Lauren Kingsley Reed, Kennesaw, Ga.; Jim Juergens, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Ron Fields, Overland Park, Kan.; Fred Atkins, Bastrop, La.; Hart Steen, Olla, La.; Chris Turner, Torremolinos, Malaga, Spain; Brian O'Neil, Grass Lake, Mich.; Cynthia Abbate, Ocean Springs, Miss.; Antje Duvekot, Brooklyn, N.Y.: Rod Webber, N Massapequa, N.Y.; Jason Heald, Roseburg, Ore.; Edward Brown, Dunlap, Tenn.; Andy Crefeld, Hermitage, Tenn.; Greg Mitchell, Fayetteville, Tenn.; Ellen Olhsson, Nashville, Tenn.; Angela McKinney, Pulaski, Tenn.; Marilyn Rucker, Austin, Texas.

Here are the winners:

Best of Show - Antje Duvekot from Brooklyn, N.Y. She received $1,500 and eight hours of recording time at Straight Up Sound in Nashville, Tenn.

MOVAriety:
First Place - Marilyn Rucker, Austin, Texas
Second Place - Jason Heald, Roseburg, Oregon
Third Place - Sue Schnitzer, Boulder, Colorado
People's Choice - Sue Schnitzer

Jazz, Blues, Instrumental
First Place - Marilyn Rucker, Austin, Texas
Second Place - Jason Heald, Roseburg, Oregon
Third Place - Debbie Bond, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
People's Choice - Louis Beeler, Huntersville, N.C.

Folk, Bluegrass sponsored by The Fret Shop in Huntsville
First Place - Edward Brown, Dunlap, Tennessee
Second Place - Aaron Helton, Madison, Alabama
Third Place - Angela McKinney, Pulaski, Tennessee People's Choice - Aaron Helton

Inspirational, Spiritual, Gospel
First and Second Place - Peggy Medley, Huntsville, Alabama
Third Place - Marie Henderson, Geraldine, Alabama
People's Choice - Carolyn Jackson, Vicksburg, Mississippi

Acoustic Alternative
First Place - Antje Duvekot, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Second Place - Matt Morrow, Guntersville, Alabama
Third Place - Bryan Clark, Los Angeles, California
People's Choice - Matt Morrow

Rock, Soft Rock sponsored by Fun 92.7
First Place - Ellen Olhsson, Nashville, Tennessee
Second Place - Andy Crefeld, Hermitage, Tennessee
Third Place - Chris Turner, Spain
People's Choice - Andy Crefeld and Darren Camp (tie)

Country sponsored by Robbins Music Center in Huntsville
First and Third Place - Greg Mitchell, Fayetteville, Tennessee
Second Place - Terry Goldsby, New Market, Alabama
People's Choice - Jonathan Rosenblum, Huntsville, Alabama

Lyrics Only
First and Second Place - Susan Manning, Ragland, Alabama
Third Place - Marie Henderson, Geraldine, Alabama

First place winners received $300, second place $200 and third place $100. Judges' honorable mentions were also given to Charles Cantrell and Fred Atkins. Organizations also gave awards. The Panoply Arts Festival in Huntsville awarded two performances to Edward Brown and Matt Morrow. The Songwriters' Guild of America awarded a spot in its performance night at the Bluebird Café in Nashville to Antje Duvekot. The Songwriters' Guild also awarded a runner up position to Ellen Olhsson for the performance night at the Bluebird Café.

Dot Moore of Guntersville received the 2004 Bill Bates Award for her contributions to the arts in Alabama. Moore is the founder of the Whole Backstage. Jamie Sledge, chairman of the Alabama State Council on the Arts, presented the award. Johnny Brewer, president of the Whole Backstage Board, presented her with a scrapbook containing letters from past cast members, students, and theater patrons.

The MOVA Arts Festival is presented by the Mountain Valley Arts Council with financial support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Kappler, City of Guntersville, Covenant Cove, Hampton Inn, and many more businesses and individuals. Judges for 2004 were Gordy Collins, Kim Copeland, Brian Evans, Russell Gulley, Casey Kelly, Janet McLaughlin, Jim Parker, Susan Tucker and Pat Upton.