After two days of workshops with famed North American music industry insiders, 15 local musicians will be ready, on Sunday night, to show us what they cooked up this weekend.

The annual MusicNL/Bell Media Songwriting Challenge kicks off today and runs until Sunday. The two-day event will culminate in “Songs Unsung”: A songwriters’ circle showcasing new songs by participants of the MusicNL Bell Media Songwriting Challenge. This will take place at the Jag Hotel on Sunday August 14 at 8pm.

The annual Songwriting  Challenge is an opportunity for songwriters across the province to hone their skills via a series of engaging workshops and panels with renowned industry professionals.

For the 2016 edition of the MusicNL/Bell Media Songwriting  Challenge, MusicNL welcomes LA-based Songwriter/Producer/Musician Justin Gray, who has worked with Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Amy Winehouse. Producer/Songwriter Karen Kosowski, co-writer of Alee’s “Only The Strong Survive” was also invited. She recently scored her first Top 20 AC hit in Canada with Emma-Lee’s “Worst Enemy.”

Also participating in the activities will be Jason Jordan, Vice President A&R for Hollywood Records/Disney Music Group and founder of punk rock label Watermark Records, as well as Lauriana Zuluaga, a music industry veteran and former producer specializing in supervising and licensing.

Past participants of the Songwriting Challenge have benefited greatly from the experience. St. John’s singer-songwriter Kellie Loder called the 2015 edition “life-changing,” and says it allowed her to realize her own potential as a songwriter. Loder went on to record with Gray in Los Angeles.

Matt Dines  (RocketRocketShip, Lookalike), also participated in the 2015 Songwriting Circle, and said “Last year’s event opened doors for myself as a writer and producer to work with world class talent from across North America, and helped me challenge myself in ways I may not have otherwise.”

Sunday evening’s Songs Unsung event will include performances by veteran songwriters like Chris Kirby and Joel Thomas Hynes and the up-and-coming talent of Rachel Cousins, the 2016 Statoil Newfound Talent Contest runner-up.

A variety of styles from singer-songwriter Kellie Loder to the country stylings of Blair Lane will be on offer. This event allows the public to hear performances of never-before-heard songs created during the Challenge, which will showcase fifteen songwriters from across the province who created new music during workshops with these renowned industry professionals.