LYRICS
Round One — 2026

The Great British Lyric Contest

By Verse-Chorus and SongwriterLink
Round One Theme: Home — Complete

The UK's only dedicated competition for lyric writers.
Round One is over. Round Two is coming — theme to be announced.

Meet the Winners
Round Two coming soon — new theme to be announced. Stay tuned.
01 Write lyrics on the theme: Home
02 Submit online for £15
03 Judged by industry professionals
04 Win prizes & recognition
Round One — 2026

We Have Our Winners!

Round One is complete and what a contest it was. The response was amazing — the standard of lyrics submitted on the theme of Home was truly outstanding.

Our three winners have now been selected and are being contacted directly. Every entrant will also receive a personal email from us — thank you for being part of something special.

We're already planning Round Two and we'd love to see you back. Keep an eye on the website for details.

“

The words are the song. Everything else is decoration.

Entries Now closed — thank you!
Shortlist 6 outstanding lyrics
Winners 🏆 Selected!
WINNERS
🏆
Round One — 2026

Round One Complete

Our three winners have been chosen from an exceptional field of entries. Congratulations to everyone who took part — your words made this contest what it is.

3 Winners
6 Finalists
1 Theme: Home
HOME
Round One Theme

Home

Home is the most universal word in the English language. A childhood bedroom. A country left behind. A person who makes you feel safe. A place you can never return to. Write anything — as long as it's true to you.

"Where do you go when nowhere feels like home?"
"The smell of home is different for everyone."
"You can't go home again — but what if you could?"
What You Can Win

Prizes & Recognition

Winner
  • £500 Cash prize
  • Featured on the GBLC website
  • Featured on the Verse-Chorus website
  • Certificate of excellence
2nd Place
  • £200 Cash prize
  • Featured on the GBLC website
  • Featured on the Verse-Chorus website
  • Certificate of excellence
3rd Place
  • £100 Cash prize
  • Featured on the GBLC website
  • Featured on the Verse-Chorus website
  • Certificate of excellence
How You'll Be Judged

The Judging Criteria

25% Originality

A fresh take, an unexpected angle, a voice that's entirely your own.

25% Emotional Impact

Does it move the reader? Does it make them feel something real?

25% Craft & Language

Word choice, imagery, metaphor — the quality of writing itself.

15% Structure & Flow

How the lyric moves — rhythm, pacing, and singability.

10% Thematic Relevance

How thoughtfully and creatively the theme is interpreted.

Questions

Frequently Asked

No. This is a lyrics-only contest. You simply paste your written lyrics into the submission form. No audio file, no recording, no music required.
Yes. The Great British Lyric Contest is UK-based but open to writers worldwide. All entries must be in English.
Yes. Each entry costs £15, and you may submit as many as you like. Each lyric is judged independently.
Absolutely. You retain full copyright to your work at all times. By entering, you grant GBLC a non-exclusive licence to publish your lyrics for promotional purposes only.
Entries must be original, unpublished work not previously placed with a publisher or commercially released. The lyrics don't need to have been written during the contest window.
No. All entries must be entirely the original work of the human entrant. AI-generated or AI-assisted lyrics will be disqualified.
Round One — 2026

Meet the Winners

1st
Tasha R Chemel
Tasha R Chemel “Phantom Limb”
2nd
Pollianna Cox
Pollianna Cox “Until I See You Again”
3rd
Saverio Pepe
Saverio Pepe “From London, That's All”
Read their lyrics & stories