Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest

2025 Winner

Jared Hard
Song: Any of Us

Check out the 2025 Contest Finalists below

Congrats to the 2025 winner, Jared Hard!

Out of more than 80 song entires, three contest finalists were selected based on lyrics, melody, originality, form and musicality by a panel of judges including renowned songwriters and industry professionals. The judges’ scores combined with online voting yielded Jared Hard as both the Overall Contest Winner and the People’s Choice. He will receive a $1000 cash prize, a day of recording at Tulsa’s history Church Studio, and a spot in the Bob Childers’ Gypsy Cafe lineup. Contest finalist, RR Williams, will also perform at Gypsy Cafe.

“Any of Us” by Jared Hard, Tulsa-based singer songwriter. Growing up across the Midwest and finally settling in Oklahoma, Hard was fated to create songs that are stained with red dirt and resonate with the stories of heartland. He has played across the country in venues ranging from truck beds to churches, laundry mats to living rooms, back alleys to The Bluebird Cafe.

“I Don’t Go There Anymore” by Jeremy Studdard, country artist from Oklahoma City. With a sound forged by classic country and red dirt, Jeremy Studdard connects with real people. His songs are about back roads, all nighters, love lost then found, and enjoying a shot of whiskey after a long day.

“Some People” by RR Williams, singer songwriter from Tulsa. Michael Williams has been a constant presence in Tulsa Oklahoma’s underground music scene. Playing in punk and metal bands starting in high school including 30 Called Arson with longtime friend John Moreland, and The Agony Scene who achieved international acclaim and helped shape the sound of early 2000’s metalcore. Then returning to his punk rock and roll roots with John Moreland And The Black Gold Band/ Dust Bowl Souls as a bass player and resuming vocal duties in the blistering fast Ramones worshiping Merlin Mason. Years of solo acoustic sets and songwriting culminated in a self recorded EP “ The Going Stays Tough” in 2020 and since Michael Williams is the most common name on the planet he decided to name the project after his late father Reginald Roy Williams as a tribute to his memory.

Now in its eighth year, the Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest was free to enter and open to unsigned and emerging Oklahoma songwriters in all genres.

The Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest highlights LaFave’s legacy of mentorship and musical discovery that have become hallmarks of the Gypsy Café festival. Previous winners of the contest include Ken Pomeroy’s “Sidewalk Song” (2018), Dallas Parker aka Faux Draco’s “Abilities” (2019), Joe Baxter’s “Romeo’s Girl” (2020), Ahna Jennings’ “Hope & Gasoline” (2021), Branjae’s “Free Facts” (2022), Brent Giddens’ “Shades of Texas (2023) and Eric Hunker’s “When it all Ends” (2024).