Contest News
Competition gives amateur Dallas musicians a crack at the big time
Amateur musicians in Dallas hoping to go pro are getting a shot with an annual audition coming up in October.
Called DFW Icon, it's a vocal competition for youth and original songwriters founded in 2015 by Jonathan George, Dallas native and winner of Ed McMahon's Next Big Star.
DFW Icon is now owned and run by J Angel Foundation, whose mission is to provide opportunities to musicians and introduce them to the industry. But George will serve as one of this year's judges along with a panel of music industry experts.
The 2022 awards will take place at Gilley's Dallas on November 12. The deadline to enter is October 10. To register, contestants must upload a YouTube-hosted video at dfwicon.com; the registration fee is $25.
Preliminary rounds of judging are entirely online, with selections made from the YouTube performances.
Finals take place in person at Gilley's, with 10 finalists chosen from four age categories who perform to pre-recorded tracks of their choice.
All entries will be available to view at #DFWIcon2022 community on YouTube. You can second-guess the judges! Winners get trophies and industry opportunities, and the grand prize winner gets $1,000.
Five DFW Icon contestants have gone on to compete on American Idol, including Dallas singer-songwriter Harper Grace, who was a finalist on American Idol and is currently on tour with rapper Nelly.
"I've spent over 20 years building authentic, rockstar brands for budding musical talents and it's great to return to my hometown to help discover the next generation of artists," George says.
