Our goals are:
Promoting culture: To create a platform for Finnish country music and its creators.
Vibrancy: To enliven cultural offerings and provide authentic music.
Quality: To raise the technical and artistic level of the competition through professional sound systems and attractive prizes.
Competition Rules:
1. Work and Genre The song must be clearly recognizable as country music or one of its subgenres. We emphasize storytelling. The work must be previously unpublished and uncopyrighted. The competition entry must include both music and lyrics. Instrumentals only are not accepted. The song must be created by a human. The use of AI in composing or writing lyrics is prohibited.
2. Participation Submit a video or mp3 recording of up to 4 minutes via email to kantribiisi@icloud.com. Demo quality (e.g., mobile phone recording) is sufficient for pre-selection. Include:
- Song title, performer, and the names of all creators.
- Lyrics of the song in PDF format.
- Proof of paid entry fee (€20 per song). Payment can be made in the online store HERE.
3. Schedule
May 1, 2026: Last day to enter.
June 1, 2026: Announcement of finalists (5–6 entries) at hauhianmylly.fi.
June 27, 2026: Finalists must submit a high-quality, radio-ready recording for radio promotion.
July 11, 2026: Final at Hauhia Country Festival. Finalists will perform a set lasting a maximum of 10–15 minutes, which will include the competition song.
4. Rights and Responsibilities The Organizer has the right to archive material for internal use and to use excerpts and lyrics of up to one minute for competition promotion (website, social media, radio, TV). The submitter is responsible for ensuring that they have permission from other musicians appearing on the recording to participate in the competition.
5. Prizes The top three in the competition will be awarded cash and product prizes. In addition, finalists will receive valuable exposure on radio stations and professional feedback from the jury (Ilkka Vainio, Matti Esko, Ninni Poijärvi, Marjo Leinonen, and Tom Coldwater).
