We're thrilled to announce the Official 2026 Semi-Finalists for the Wide Open Country Song Contest! Congratulations to all of the talented songwriters featured below for making it this far in the contest.
In the weeks ahead, we'll be revealing our Top 25 Finalists and celebrating our Overall and Category Winners. Stay tuned for what's coming next!
Please note: Semi-Finalists are listed alphabetically by song title.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"A Perfect Country Song" by Justin Edwards
"A WEEK TO CRY" by Josie Sal and Baker Grissom, Kelli Johnson
"Anything But Me" by TEDD SWORMSTEDT and Callie Young
"Back Home Boys" by Ally Cribb
"Bar Fight" by Hunter Spicer and Alyssa Freeman, Lindsey Moore
"Belmont" by Annie Keating
"Bitter then Better" by Alexandra James
"Bloodstream" by Maura Streppa and Jesse Dozzi, Sadie Campbell
"Blue Collar Work" by Cord Bradley
"Boots on the Ground" by Caleb Mitchell and Tess Shannon
"Break My Heart Like Bread" by Mona Lucine
"Country Girls Do It Better" by Erin Stoll and Styles Haury
"Country Runs Deep" by D.J. Rittenhouse and Mikey Canoy
"Country See Country Do" by Paige King Johnson and Pete Sallis, Todd Pachey
"Crazy Ways" by Tom Hoyt
"Don't Call Me Darlin'" by Abbey Pierce and Eric Spahn, Josh Noren
"Dressin' Up A Hard Time" by David Talley
"Empty Chair" by Tom Dixon
"Finally Gave You What You Wanted" by Jessie Wilson and Baker Grissom, Jarrett Hartness
"From the Start" by Ashley Felton
"Front Porch Dreams" by Matthew Stemme
"Front Porch Forever" by Benjamin Irvine
"Girl Truck" by Jeannine Carney and David Tashjian
"Girls Shouldn't Cry Over Boys" by Alexis Stone
"God Must Know" by Kacy Moon and Andy Tongren, Jackson Hoffman, Ryder Stuart
"Good Day To Go Blonde" by Mary Sarah and Abbey Rowe
"Hacia La Noche" by DEADMAN
"Hang Your Weary Heart On Me" by Road Pony
"Hard Luck Man" by Mike Clifford
"Humble Pie" by FLAVIA
"I Can't Get Over You" by Tristan Roberson and Steven Dean
"I Don't Think About You" by stephen carey and Aby Gutierrez, Kate Malone
"It's a country thing" by Scott Saturday
"Kentucky Never Seemed So Blue" by Weary Ramblers and Kathryn Severing Fox, Chad Elliott
"Kitchen Table Famous" by Carin Fradin and Michelle Canning
"Knock on Marble" by James Malcolm Band
"Lie To Me" by The Olson Bros Band and Isaac Olson, Aaron Patrick
"Living's a Loan" by Matt Wolf
"Long Way Home" by Aaron Boultinghouse
"Lucky Number Five" by Colton Wills
"Meteorite" by Holly Hollows and DNNNY and Grady Land
"Mind Your Own Backyard" by Krystal King and Stefanie Joyce
"Misery and me" by Vincent trocchia
"Moments" by Aidan Burke
"My Friend" by Robbie Sender
"My Man, My Woman" by Blank Page and Avery Grace
"Nashville Calling" by James Aitken
"Never Been to Heaven" by Jackson Cannon
"Never Comin' Home to Me" by Jimmy Wright Jr
"New Friends" by Jarad Bagshaw
"Nobody's Fool" by Erika Mae and Lauren McLamb, Chris Rafetto
"On a Southern Wind" by Iyla Elise
"On My Radio" by Grason Reu
"One Time" by Summerlyn Powers and Matt Koziol
"Pays To Be Poor" by Hannah Franklin and Thorne Wiggs
"Peace Of Mind" by Aidan Burke
"Poison Rain" by Nanseera
"Pull My Strings" by Dawson Cole and Will Rambeaux, Sherrié Austin
"Reasons" by Mary Sarah and Nate Kenyon, Abbey Rowe
"Redemption Arc" by Siobhan Cotchin
"Roll On, Rose" by Weary Ramblers and Kathryn Severing Fox, Chad Elliott
"Running Out of G.A.S." by Jessie Wilson and David Dorn
"See You Around" by Charlie Weld and Luca Alexandru, Macy Brassell, Kate Brink, Lilah Sesling
"Shame on Me" by Alexandra Huey
"Someday" by Chris Castle and Joshua Devaney
"Something About Her Lately" by Matt Caldwell and Wes Hightower, Jimmy Ritchey
"Southern Pace" by Carly Burruss and Dee Briggs
"Stay Wild" by Candice Long
"Stop Time" by Kent Dustin
"That Diamond Dream" by Charlie Diamond
"The Dirt Remembers" by Matthew Mata and Jason Blaine, Benji Cowart
"The Good News" by The Gray Brothers
"The Lonely Hearted Man" by DEADMAN
"Things You Carry" by Hannah Murphy
"This House Is Yours" by Lafferty
"Thousand Tears" by Weary Ramblers and Kathryn Severing Fox, Chad Elliott
"To The Bottom" by Kyle Blessing
"Toodaloo" by Ruby Lily and Devan Reed Yanik, Jennifer Stone Yanik
"Where I'm From" by Tommy Richardson
"Wherever You're Not" by Lyndsey Crawford and Mia Iaderosa
"Who Wouldn't Wanna Be A Cowboy" by Preston Coly and Graham Bramblett
"Why (Revisited)" by Nathan Leazer
"Why?" by Chloe Gill
"Wish I Didn't" by Spencer Burns
"Wish you would've stayed" by Dustin steen
"Woman Like You" by Dallas Pryor
"World Comes Alive" by Trent Richardson
"You're Still Here" by Seth Hall
"'Til the Sun Comes Back" by Andrew Worley
