With $76,000 in the prize purse, the songs entered into "Da Bahamian Ting" Song Competition will have to be tight if artists expect to be in the money, and as a result organizers have extended the deadline for artists to make their submissions.
The competition deadline has been extended to Friday, February 17. The competition launched in December 2016.
Songs to be entered must be of a Bahamian genre -- rake 'n' scrape, Goombay or Junkanoo and approximately three minutes in duration.
"As a professional musician, I know you need more time to plan things properly," said Rick Carey, coordinator in the Heritage and Culture Department of the Ministry of Tourism. "There are going to be those people who need the extra time to refine their songs."
Ten finalists will be selected from the submissions and the winner will be named at the Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival in Georgetown, Exuma March 9-11.
The overall winner will walk away with $25,000 and will be selected by the public.
Second place takes home a $20,000 purse; third place walks away with $15,000; a $10,000 award will go to fourth place; and fifth through 10th place winners will take home $1,000 each.
Carey said he hopes to see the next rising star of Bahamian music.
"I'm very excited about what the younger generation comes up with," he said.
Even though the deadline has been extended, Carey said they have seen scores of entrants, as Bahamians have been busy composing new and exciting songs for submission into the competition.
"We are really surprised by the response. It's been amazing. We have had interest and submissions from a lot of professional and amateur musicians, songwriters, bands and school choirs. It's not just people in Nassau either, we've had folks call from the Exumas, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama too," said Carey.
Contestants must submit their songs to the Ministry of Tourism.
Application forms and competition rules are available at the Ministry of Tourism, fourth floor, British Colonial Business Centre, #1 Bay Street, and all Family Island tourism offices. Submission forms and contest rules can also be found on the Ministry of Tourism's website at TourismToday.com. For more information call 302-2000 or email dabahamianting@bahamas.com.

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