Jackson Grimm has immersed himself in traditional Appalachian music, from studying with Wayne Erbsen and Kevin Kehrberg and Warren Wilson College to enlisting Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and storyteller Josh Goforth as the producer on his album. Onstage at the LEAF Performance & Songwriter Competition, on Saturday, May 10, Jackson’s songs contained elements of old-time and bluegrass — but were also wholly original and fresh; surprising yet relatable. It was his authenticity, polish, and stage presence that ultimately nabbed Jackson the win.
“I am incredibly honored to be selected as the winner of this year’s NewSong Competition,” Jackson says. “There were many talented songwriters on that stage throughout the night and we had an attentive and full crowd up there at the barn stage.”
“It honestly felt like one of the most natural feeling performances I have had,” Jackson added. “Something about the time and the people and the place enabled those songs to simply flow out of me on that stage. I can’t wait to come back to LEAF in the Fall!”
As part of his LEAF Competition win, Jackson advances as one of only eight finalists at the annual, international NewSong Competition, to be held in Asheville in November. He will also return to the Fall LEAF Festival, held October 16-19, 2025, as a featured, paid performer.
Award-round runners up:
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Linda Dunnavant (Nashville, Tennessee)
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Jay Brown (Black Mountain, North Carolina)
Participating finalists:
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Andy Shaw (Columbus, Ohio)
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Jenna Desmond aka Babe Club (Charleston, South Carolina)
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Benjamin Burke (Washington, DC)
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Finn O’Sullivan (Longmont, Colorado)
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Jackson Harden (Concord, North Carolina)
Judges for the event, culled from Asheville, N.C.’s music industry professionals, included producer and engineer Jason Merritt, songwriter and songwriting instructor Jane Kramer, and talent buyer / event producer Sam Katz (Charlie Traveler Presents).
