Mieka Pauley, a 27 year-old singer-songwriter from Cambridge, Mass., was named the grand prize winner in The New York Songwriters Circle’s 2008 Songwriting Contest.  Pauley, whose musical style combines elements of soul, blues, rock, acoustic and alternative, performed a stripped-down acoustic version of “All the Same Mistakes” during live finals held before a panel of music industry judges and fans, Nov. 5 and 6, at The Bitter End in Manhattan’s West Village.

After studying classical voice and piano as a child, Pauley broadened her musical horizons, bought a guitar during high school, and busked around Harvard Square street corners while a student at Harvard University.  Since graduating in 2002, she has performed at clubs and festivals across the country, playing an average of 150 live shows a year. Pauley, whom Northeast Performer called “a version of Sarah McLachlan with a switchblade in her shoe,” also was the top winner in the 2004 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase and won the inaugural 2005 Starbucks/NEMO Emerging Artist Competition. 

As the top winner in The New York Songwriters Circle contest, Pauley earned $5,000 and various performance opportunities, among other prizes.  Runners-up Gillian Grassie, a contemporary harpist an singer-songwriter from Philadelphia, PA (“Silken String’),  and John Schmitt, a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, NY (“Ophelia”), received $3,000 and $1,500, respectively, plus additional prizes.  Other finalists included Chris Ayer, Marc D. Conklin, Jen Foster, Rachel Garlin, Seth Glier, Caleb Harley, Hillary Johnson, Ruut and Under The Elephant.

All 12 finalists, along with 2008 International Award winner Analie Bruun and Young Writer Award winner Sarah Solovy ,also will have their music serviced to all the judges and contest sponsors and will be invited to perform with the Circle at a later date.

Using the renowned “Writers in the Round” nights at Nashville’s Bluebird Café as its model, The New York Songwriters Circle hosts bi-monthly shows at The Bitter End that have attracted both up-and-coming artists and music industry executives.