On Thursday, May 1, the Classic City Rotary Club will host the 9th annual Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards Show at 7 p.m. at the 40 Watt Club.
Since 2016 the award, named after the late Athens songwriter Vic Chesnutt, has “rewarded honesty and bravery in songwriting in the Athens area.” Past winners have spanned genres, including artists such as rapper Trvy, Mariah Parker’s alias Linqua Franqa and last year’s winner, folk artist Clover County.
Clover County, whose real name is AG Schiano, will kick off this year’s awards show with a performance of her original music. Schiano has been on tour across the United States since last year, releasing her debut EP Porch Lights in November of 2024.
Out of a large pool of talented nominated songwriters, five finalists were chosen whose work stood out for its lyrical complexity and overall quality. Each finalist will receive $250 from Classic City Rotary, with the winner receiving $1,500 as well as recording studio time, a photoshoot with Jason Thrasher and a promotional package from Team Clermont valued at $5000.
Get to know the finalists and the inspiration behind their nominated tracks below:
Anthony Taylor Jr. is a recording artist and Athens native whose dynamic hip hop has come to define his career as Ant Da Ripper. At 36, Taylor has been a long-standing pillar of the local hip-hop community, even establishing his own record label and recording studio.
As an artist, Taylor aims to uplift, inspire and support up-and-coming voices, bring hip-hop culture to the youth and create a platform for the next generation.
Taylor’s nominated song, “Dust Your Crown off King,” is “a powerful anthem that celebrates the strength and resilience of Black males worldwide, inspiring them to overcome adversity and claim their rightful place,” Taylor said. “Despite facing challenges, we can rise above and shine. It’s time to dust our crowns off!”
Inspired by the likes of Dua Lipa, Griff and Kelsea Ballerini, Athens’ Gaby Delliponti is on a mission to bring modern pop music to the Classic City. Delliponti’s nominated song, “Picture Perfect,” perfectly captures the simultaneous angst and excitement of being a 20-something in the 2020s with catchy hooks, a deep, marching bassline and witty and evocative lyricism.
“Your twenties are already such an exciting yet confusing moment in time as you’re trying to navigate the world on your own, and now there is this added layer of social media showing off everyone’s highs,” Delliponti said of the inspiration behind “Picture Perfect.”
The song takes a bit of a comical angle on the whole situation of watching your friends on social media move away, get married, have kids and a home. Delliponti said that, ultimately, writing the song helped her to realize that everyone is on their own timeline, and that she’d much rather be writing music with friends than planning a wedding.
Tyler Mabry and Harlow Phillips form the Athens duo hey, nothing, combining folk, emo and alternative rock with a vulnerable lyrical sentiment and beautifully yearning harmonies. The duo has been making music together since they met at age 11 and have since amassed a large following across the nation. Striving to create music true to their own experiences, they hope to connect and resonate with music enthusiasts that span generations.
Their nominated song, “Maine,” was “written in a moment of uncertainty and fear.” It deals with addiction, grief, sadness and acceptance. “We were 18 years old, freshly out of high school, and had just finished our first tour. At the same time, someone we cared about very deeply was dealing with addiction,” the duo said. Recorded in an off-grid cabin in the middle of Maine, the song is already one of their most popular.
Athens native Lane Marie has been bringing her unique brand of indie pop to the community since her debut EP release in 2019, following the unexpected loss of her father. Lane Marie draws from her roots as a classically trained musician while leaning into alternative pop production. Her honest songwriting and complex instrumentation is inspired by the likes of Brooke Fraser, Maggie Rogers and Madison Cunningham.
“When Will You See,” the nominated song, “is an open letter to someone close to me who has often blamed themselves for other people’s poor decisions. This song is for my fellow burden bearers.” It’s meant to encourage anyone stuck in a pattern of spiraling unhealthy habits that there’s a way out.
Lane Marie said that, although she usually builds her songs as melodies first, adding lyrics later, “When Will You See” came to her as melody and lyrics hand in hand, “flowing out together.”
Ritika is a South Asian songwriter from Georgia creating alternative folk music with “umph.” After committing to writing a song a day in 2020, she began to amass a following as she followed her dream to become a session songwriter. Her songs are immersive and textured, and unflinchingly unique.
Ritika’s nominated song, “Sweet Bitter,” tackles the aftermath of the end of a friendship and the emotions that go along with that—denial, bargaining, depression and eventually acceptance. “The song is structured as a stream of consciousness,” she said, “broken into four sections, to reflect the unpredictable ways we process grief and healing.”
WHAT: Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards
WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 7 p.m.
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
HOW MUCH: $20
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