Country music fans have opportunities to win big and small from some of the most well-known genre websites and organizations. Prizes from these sweeps range from CDs and tickets to concerts from both traditional and modern country musicians to trips to see famous country stars and new vehicles. For those of you with an artistic bent, there are chances to enter contests with your songwriting talent.

Academy of Country Music Awards: The ACM Awards has some incredible promotional sweepstakes. The most recent grand prize was a RAM 1500 truck. Visit the sweeps page at the awards site for more info here: http://www.cbs.com/shows/academy_of_country_music/sweepstakes.

Country Music Television: Some of the sweepstakes I've seen featured at the CMT website include a chance to win a trip to CMT Crossroads and trips to Nashville to meet country stars and the Country College Town Sweepstakes. Find the latest opportunities at http://www.cmt.com/community/sweepstakes/.

Grand Ole Opry: The historic Grand Ole Opry has served as a platform for generations of musicians. It's no stranger to giving away generous prizes including trips to Nashville to meet beloved stars. Learn more at Opry.com.

Great American Country: Great American Country is part of the HGTV family. This station focuses not only on music but the country lifestyle. There are chances to win big cash prizes and more. See the latest sweeps at gactv.com/gac/sweepstakes.

Music Festivals: Country music festivals not only have new and seasoned country artists, but there are plenty of contests to choose from. Find an event near you at MusicFestivalJunkies.com.

Song Contests: If you think you've got what it takes to write the next big country hit, then these contests may be a good start. Some of these competitions require an entrance fee and your entry may be judged by several people, including popular artists. Those with a purely sweepstaking mindset may not like the idea of paying a fee to enter a contest, but this is common with these types of competitions. Be sure to read the official rules for any contest you enter to make sure this is something you really want to do. Here are a few of the top songwriting competitions.

• Chris Austin Songwriting Contest - http://www.merlefest.org/ChrisAustinSongwritingContest/


• Country Showdown - https://www.countryshowdown.com/showdown.php


• International Songwriting Competition 2014 - http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/


• Music City Song Contest - http://www.visitmusiccity.com/songwriter/submitsong


• NSAI Songwriting Contest - presented through CMT http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/

More Tips to Win

Check your favorite country artists' website and social networking pages for giveaways and contests. Your local country radio stations will have ticket giveaways and more.

Have fun and good luck!