Naomi Taylor from Pearl, MS has been named the 2023 Mississippi Songwriter of the Year.
Taylor was one of fifteen finalists to perform Saturday night at the historic Ellis Theater in downtown Philadelphia, where the contest was held.
Taylor won the 2023 Songwriter of the Year Competition with the song “Roots.”
Muscle Shoals musician/historian and local “Shoals” icon Johnny Belew served as a judge for the contest for the sixth year in a row.
“Boswell Media does a such a great job each year with this competition,” Belew said. “From Derek Norsworthy to Chapel Hart, the best acts in Mississippi are always on display at this event.”
Also returning as a judge this year was Geoerge Cumbest with the Mississippi Songwriters’ Alliance. A new addition to the judging staff this year was Buck Alman, director of Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music.
As the 2023 Mississippi Songwriter of the Year, Taylor will travel to Muscle Shoals for a Q&A session with various accomplished songwriters and producers, a $1,000 recording allowance for a recording session, and a two-night stay at the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa.
She will also have a music video shot and produced by the Mississippi State University Department of Communications.
Scott Fieber was selected as the Woodstock Furniture People’s Choice Award winner.
“The music and songwriting talent in Mississippi is second to none,” said Boswell Media General Manager Melissa Boswell Townsend. “We look forward to showcasing that talent for years to come here at the Ellis Theater and Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music.”
For more information on the Mississippi Songwriter of the Year, visit MSSongWriterOfTheYear.com.
Mississippi Songwriter of the Year Winners
2023: Naomi Taylor
2022: Zechariah Lloyd
2021: Brandon Green
2020: Chapel Hart
2019: Wayward Jones
2018: Derek Norsworthy
2017: Josh Jolly
