The Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards, named for the prolific and internationally renowned Athens musician, has worked to recognize and amplify the creative talents of Athens-area songwriters for the past 10 years. The event continues to spotlight the diverse voices of the local music community that exemplify skillful and thoughtful storytelling, and this year the ceremony will be an elevated affair. On Thursday, Apr. 23, the Classic City Rotary will present the 10th annual awards show at the Morton Theatre with doors at 6:30 p.m.
Over the years nominees have represented a variety of musical genres, styles and backgrounds. Past winners have included Ritika (2025), Clover County (2024), Trevor “Trvy” Wiggins (2023), Elijah Johnston (2022), Cassie Chantel and WesdaRuler featuring Louie Larceny (2021), and Jim Willingham (2020). In commemoration of this milestone year, Echo Base is releasing a 10-song compilation album on vinyl featuring all of the award-winning songs.
Each year the nominations are made by the community based on a recorded work released in the prior year. This year’s judges—Alfred Banks, Aaron Dowdy, Jay Gonzalez, Vanessa Briscoe Hay and Jim White—reviewed a pool of 64 nominations. Each of the five finalists receive $250, while the top winner will earn $1,500, plus studio recording time from Amplify at Nuçi’s Space, a photo shoot from Jason Thrasher and a Team Clermont promotional package valued at $5,000.
The 2026 finalists are Julia Barfield, Andrea DeMarcus, Freeman Leverett, Michael Joe White and Your Ex’s Pets (Jackie Hales). Moving to Athens to attend UGA, Barfield’s music reflects on the sounds and experiences of her hometown in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains. Upright bassist, vocalist and songwriter DeMarcus has performed with many musicians in and around Athens, but is most notably one of the founding members of Cicada Rhythm. A student and lover of international music, Leverett’s music seeks to express the feelings of beauty of our shared existence in the face of hardship. While White’s music is deeply rooted in the folk world, his love of punk rock and new wave music creates an interesting diversity in his songs. Hales leads a lineup of changing collaborators behind the band Your Ex’s Pets that plays an equally morphing collection of songs featuring vocal harmonies, layered instrumentation and careful dynamics.
The event will begin with a special acoustic performance by Futurebirds, followed by all five finalists sharing their nominated songs. Below, finalists elaborate on the inspiration behind their nominated track:
Julia Barfield, ‘Altavista, VA’
“’Altavista, VA’ is a song that existed in many different iterations before its final form. I must have written the first sometime during 2020/2021 when I was a teenager trying to make sense of some difficult losses that all happened in rapid succession. I wrote it with some snapshot memories of the people I lost in mind. It can mean whatever the listener decides it means, but to me, it’s about the love that we carry with us well after a loved one has gone away. I also still haven’t made up my mind as to whether or not I believe in ghosts.”
Andrea DeMarcus, ‘For the Journey’
“’For The Journey’ and its haunting melody came out of a desperation to know the answers to life’s persistent questions. I find these questions to be largely rhetorical, prompts, absurd in their ever morphing, pleading, teasing nature. Within the context of the song, the listener is free to insert their own musings freely, to the twinkling of 12-string guitar, the swell of strings and a powerful chorus in seven that ends in the ever-reaching human cry for meaning. ‘For the Journey’ remains one of the hardest songs to perform live for us because the magic we created in the studio is sublimely a group masterpiece, and to have it honored by this nomination fills my heart.”
Freeman Leverett, ‘I Wanna Go There’
“For me, writing is more discovery than creation. As the song developed, it gave this feeling of rejuvenated hope and determination—a trust that something beautiful is out there [or in here] and the choice to walk toward it with others. I tried to follow that feeling without pinning it down too much, so that people can find that something for themselves and let it grow over time.”
Michael Joe White, ‘Garage’
“The origins of ‘Garage’ started out innocently enough with just a funny opening line. As usual I knew to get out of the way of the story flow. The elements of hopelessness and codependency were a sobering twist, but very honest and welcome. I always love the humor/sadness tug-of-war because in the end they are just cousins.”
Your Ex’s Pets, ‘U Yes U’
“I tend to refer to ‘U Yes U’ as our ‘guitar song.’ It began with a jam in an old friend’s basement in 2021, when I stumbled upon the riff that repeats throughout the song. I’m usually so focused on anticipating the big guitar solo ending that I don’t think much about the rest of what makes the song work. In writing the lyrics, I tried to convey the intensity and highs and lows of infatuation in a way that followed the dynamics of the music beneath. I’m proud of how its pieces ended up fitting together, and thankful someone found it worthy of nominating.”
WHO: Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards
WHEN: Thursday, Apr. 23, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Morton Theatre
HOW MUCH: $35
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