The following is a list of the songwriting contest winners from 1986 through 2024.

The lyrics, when available, are linked from the song name. If you would like the lyrics to your song linked, please send them to us, and we will post them.

OVFF Songwriting Contest Winners

2024
Theme: Ministry of Disinformation
1st Place:	The Ministry of Disinformation by Justin Hartley
2nd Place:	Working for the Ministry of Disinformation by Franklin Gunkelmann
3rd Place:	Department of Transparency by Paul Kwinn
Audience Choice	It’s Propaganda by Bill Roper

2024
Iron Filker: Filked Around and Found Out…
1st Place:	Good Morning Filker by Douglas Davidson
2nd Place:	Filked Around and Fell in Love by Beth Kinderman
3rd Place:	Filking Around by Char McKay
Audience Choice	Filked Around and Fell in Love by Beth Kinderman

2023
Theme: We are Family
1st Place:	You Can’t Pick Your Family by Daniel Kelly
2nd Place:	Meet the Fam by Paul Kwinn
3rd Place:	—
Audience Choice	Take Care of My Human by Gabrielle Gold

2023
Iron Filker: DJINNI-OLOGY
1st Place:	Fire & Air by Beth Kinderman
2nd Place:	Terms and Conditions Apply by Naomi Hinchen
3rd Place:	PhDJD by Randy Hoffman
Audience Choice	PhDJD by Randy Hoffman

2022
Theme: The Cat’s Meow
1st Place:	Memo Re: Communication by Paul Kwinn
2nd Place:	The Forging of Gleipnir by Douglas Davidson
3rd Place:	My Cat’s Meow by Beth Kinderman
Audience Choice	Cat With No Name by Dave Stagner

2022
Iron Filker: What could pawsibly go wrong?
1st Place:	Cat Warning Label by Beth Kinderman
2nd Place:	The Irish Physicist’s Song by Mike Stein
3rd Place:	Dream of a Thousand Cats by Naomi Hinchin
Audience Choice	Cat Warning Label by Beth Kinderman

2021
Theme: Future So Bright
1st Place:	Optimism Song by Luke Bretscher
2nd Place:	Not If But When by Gabrielle Gold
3rd Place:	Betelgeuse by Michael Stein
Audience Choice	As We Run Toward Our Future by Cecilia Eng

2021
Iron Filker: KABOOM!
1st Place:	Exploding Whales by Dave Stagner
2nd Place:	Pressure by Beth Kinderman
3rd Place:	There Was Supposed to be a Kaboom by Douglas Davidson
Audience Choice	Pressure by Beth Kinderman

2020
Theme: My Corona
1st Place:	Raise your Voice in Chorus by Douglas Davidson
2nd Place:	Spikey Ball of Death by Paul Kwinn
3rd Place:	Don’t Forget to Wash Your Hands by Dana Katz-Buchshtav
Audience Choice	Spikey Ball of Death by Paul Kwinn

Due to COVID-19; there was no Iron Filker Contest in 2020

2019
Theme: Music is the Universal Language
1st Place:	CISUM by Claudia Mellenthin
2nd Place:	Long Before by Cat Greenberg
3rd Place:	Music is the Universal Language by John McDaid
Audience Choice	El Muro (the Wall) by Rhiannon’s Lark

2019
Iron Filker: Lost in Translation
1st Place:	Lost in Translation by Rhiannon’s Lark
2nd Place:	Subtitle by Elizabeth by Cat Greenberg
3rd Place:	The Ghost is Ready but the Meat is Soft by Andrew Ross
Audience Choice	Lost in Translation by Rhiannon’s Lark

2018
Theme: Psychedelic
1st Place:	The Storm Sublime by Dave Stagner
2nd Place:	Cat Without a Grin by Brett Glass
3rd Place:	Deep Dream by Gabrielle Gold
Audience Choice	The Best Part of Science by Tim Griffin

2018
Iron Filker: Mad Catter
1st Place:	Uraba Lugens by Elizabeth Greenberg
2nd Place:	Mad by Andrew Ross
3rd Place:	Cat in the Hat by Brett Glass
Audience Choice	Mad by Andrew Ross

2017
Theme: Something Wicked This Way Comes
1st Place:	Something Wicked This Way Comes by John McDaid
2nd Place:	Wicked Sings by Leslie Hudson
3rd Place:	A Wicked Something by Paul Kwinn (tie) What Rough Beast by Cat Faber (tie)
Audience Choice	Wicked Sings by Leslie Hudson

2017
Iron Filker: Welcome To My Nightmare
1st Place:	Time (Welcome To My Nightmare) by John McDaid
2nd Place:	Caveat Emptor by Naomi Rivkis
3rd Place:	Steps by Kerri-Ellen Kelly
Audience Choice	Caveat Emptor by Naomi Rivkis

2016
Theme: Dr. … I Presume
1st Place:	Presumption of Doubt by Randy Hoffman
2nd Place:	Clan Macrimmon by Gary Hanak
3rd Place:	Muses by Cat Greenberg
Audience Choice	Presumption of Doubt by Randy Hoffman

2016
Iron Filker: George of the Jungle
1st Place:	George by Andrew Ross
2nd Place:
3rd Place:
Audience Choice	George by Andrew Ross

2015
Theme: Time After Time
1st Place:	It’s Only Love by Beth Kinderman
2nd Place:	I Built a Time Machine by Eric Distad
3rd Place:	Time After Time by Gary Hanak
Audience Choice:	I Built a Time Machine by Eric Distad

2015
Iron Filker: It’s About Time
1st Place:	World Wide Wait by Brett Glass
2nd Place:	It’s About Time by Beth Kinderman
3rd Place:	It’s About Time by Cathy McManamon
Audience Choice:	Oops by Dave Stagner

2014
Theme: A Sticky Situation
1st Place:	A Song of Stick Pins by Eric Distad
2nd Place:	Sticky Situation by Gary Hanak(tie)
2nd Place:	Stuck on You by Bill & Gretchen Roper (tie)
Audience Choice	Sticky Science Situations by Sandra & Bari Greenberg / Sandra Greenberg & Gary Hanak

2014
Iron Filker: I’m Sorry
1st Place:	I’m Sorry by Sandra Greenberg
2nd Place:	Rasputin’s Lament by Crystal Wolfe & Chris Canary
3rd Place:	Sam’s Yer Uncle by Andrew Ross
Audience Choice	I’m Sorry by Sandra Greenberg

2013
Theme: Once Upon A Time
1st Place:	Climbing the Mountain by Cat Faber
2nd Place:	Snow White, Red Road by Lizzie Crowe/Eric Coleman
3rd Place:	Slightly Evil Waltz by Peter Alway
Audience Choice:	Climbing the Mountain by Cat Faber

2013
Iron Filker: Fractured Fairytales
1st Place:	The Brothers Cheeryble by Andrew Ross
2nd Place:	Bloodstains & Ballgowns by Charming McGillicutty
3rd Place:	The Death of the Perpretrator by W. Randy Hoffman
Audience Choice:	The Brothers Cheeryble by Andrew Ross

2012
Theme: Come Fly With Me
1st Place:	Come Flying With Me by Cat Faber
2nd Place:	Fly With Me by Gabrielle Gold
3rd Place:	Oz by Bill Roper
Audience Choice	We Dared to Dream by Gary Hanak

2012
Iron Filker: Gravity Sucks
1st Place:	Turn Off the Gravity by Glen Raphael
2nd Place:	The Real Culprit by Jen Midkiff
3rd Place:	The Burden of the Serious Artist by Randy Hoffman
Audience Choice	The Real Culprit by Jen Midkiff

2011
Theme: Ringmaster
1st Place:	Valent Shell by Tim Griffin
2nd Place:	Title fight by Mel Tatum, Dene Foye
3rd Place:	Carnivale of the Damned by Crystal Wolf
Audience Choice:	Carnivale of the Damned by Crystal Wolf

2011
Iron Filker: I Survived Doomsday
1st Place:	Poor Paddy’s Surviving Doomsday by Andrew Ross
Audience Choice:	Changing My God to Vader by Scott Leonard

2010
Theme: It’s Not Rocket Science
1st Place:	True to a 16th by Cat Faber
2nd Place:	Fire, Fire, Fire by Tim Griffin
3rd Place:	Formula for Life by Dene Foye & Mel Tatum
Audience Choice	True to a 16th by Cat Faber
Honorable Mentions	It Ain’t Rocket Science by Michael Stein Cable Car to the Sky by Bill Roper Overthinkin’ It by Paul Kwinn

2010
Iron Filker: Brains
1st Place:	Only Enough Blood For One by Dawnya Thiss
2nd Place:	Mind Control by Maureen O’Brien
3rd Place:	The Shelves Around the Lab by Morva Bowman & Allan Pollard
Audience Choice	The Shelves Around the Lab by Morva Bowman & Allan Pollard

2009
Theme: Reach For The Stars
1st Place:	Reach for the Stars by Randy Hoffman
2nd Place:	I’ve Got to Go by Dene Foye
3rd Place:	Reach for the Stars by Mel Tatum (tie) Believer by Naomi Pardue (tie)
Audience Choice:	I’ve Got to Go by Dene Foye
Honorable Mention:	NASA’s Engineers by Moshe ‘Z’

2009
Iron Filker: Starstruck
1st Place:	Starstruck by Peter Alway
Audience Choice:	Still Star Struck by Cindy Turner
Honorable Mention:	In Reference to Your Claim by Mike Stein
*Due to the reduced number of entries for Iron Filker, only 1st place, Audience Choice, and Honorable Mention were selected.*

2008
Theme: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to …
1st Place:	A Funny Thing by Cat Faber
2nd Place:	Going Down to Quizno’s by Blind Lemming Chiffon
3rd Place:	Lincoln Park Putzes by Randy Hoffman
Audience Choice	A Funny Thing by Cat Faber

2008
Iron Filker: Mirror Mirror
1st Place:	I’m Talking ‘Bout the Dog in the Mirror by Blind Lemming Chiffon
2nd Place:	Final Reflections by Randy Hoffman
3rd Place:	As You See by Pocket Naomi
Audience Choice	I’m Talking ‘Bout the Dog in the Mirror by Blind Lemming Chiffon

2007
Theme: No Sh, There I Was…**
1st Place:	No Shit by Cat Faber
2nd Place:	There I Was by Dorotha Biernesser
3rd Place:	Oh Shit by Brooke Lunderville

2007
Iron Filker: I Love A Beret
1st Place:	Raspberry Beret by Eloise Mason
2nd Place:	Vive la Difference by Mike Stein
3rd Place:	I Love a Beret by Maureen O’Brien
Audience Choice:	I Love a Beret by Maureen O’Brien

2006
Theme: Too Tired To…
1st Place:	Too Tired to Sing by Arroxane “Tamisan” Ullman
2nd Place:	Bedtime Stories by Phillip Mills
3rd Place:	Take Me by Carolyn Brown
Audience Choice:	Tired Old War (The Band Played “Rainy day Woman”) by Blind Lemming Chiffon

2006
Iron Filker: Get It Off Your Chest
1st Place:	Stay the Frak Away by Randy Hoffman
2nd Place:	(Title Unknown) by Blind Lemming Chiffon

2005
Theme: Shipwrecked
1st Place:	Inward Bound by Paul Kwinn
2nd Place:	Shipwreck Beer Lyrics by Karen Epstein
3rd Place:	Shipwrecked Lyrics by Carolyn Brown
Honorable Mention:	Polystyrene Shipwright by Peter Alway

2005
Theme: Three Hour Tour
1st Place:	Lucky Scum by Ed Chamberlain
2nd Place:	Three Hours at Interaction by Blind Lemming Chiffon

2004
Theme: Riddle Me This
1st Place:	Nemesis by Naomi Rivkis & Katy Droege
2nd Place:	Feynman’s Coffee by Jordan Mann
3rd Place:	Q&A by Paul Kwinn

There
was only one songwriting contest in 2004.

2003
Theme: Once In A Blue Moon
1st Place:	Night Shift by Blake Hodgetts
2nd Place:	Blue Moon Blues by Pete Grubbs
3rd Place:	Blue Moon Saloon by Renee Alper
Honorable Mention:	ASH Productions

2003
Theme: Six Degrees of Separation
1st Place:	Moontage by Cat Faber
2nd Place:	Dreamers by Carolyn Brown
3rd Place:	Mongol Post by Eloise Mason

2002
Theme: This Is A Schtick Up
1st Place:	Schtick Happens by Renee Alper
2nd Place:	Commercial Interlude by Solomon Davidoff
3rd Place:	David and Diana and the Summer of Love by Susan Urban
4th Place:	Pandora’s Inbox by Randy Hoffman

2002
Theme: For Our Children
1st Place:	Basketball by Jordan Mann
2nd Place:	Close Your Eyes by Daniel Glasser
3rd Place:	Inherit the Heavens by Frank Parker

2001
Theme: …Just Wanna Have Fun
1st Place:	Lag by Randy Hoffman
2nd Place:	Gaming by Seanan McGuire
3rd Place:	Deer John Letter by Renee Alper

2001
Theme: I’m Sorry, Dave
1st Place:	Untitled by Robert Stockton
2nd Place:	Davey, Davey by Joseph Abbott
3rd Place:	The Ballad of 9-1-1 by Ray Phoenix

2000
Theme: License To Drive
1st Place:	Driving Force by Renee Alper
2nd Place:	You Take Your Life In Your Hands by Randy Hoffman
3rd Place:	Joyride by Paul Kwinn (tie)
3rd Place:	Dora by Susan Urban (tie)

2000
Theme: Sweet Sixteen and Never Been…
1st Place:	Miri by Ray Phoenix
2nd Place:	Cacie, We Hardly Knew Ye by Rennie Levine
3rd Place:	Missed Opportunities by Solomon Davidoff

1999
Theme: Lies & Deceptions
1st Place:	Skin by Taunya Gren
2nd Place:	Lyin’ Billy Bob by Renee Alper
3rd Place:	In & Out by Paul Kwinn

1999
Theme: It’s Not My Fault
1st Place:	The Mechanic’s Story by Mark Bernstein
2nd Place:	Not My Fault by Maureen O’Brien
3rd Place:	National Ruffians Alliance by Mike Diggs

1998
Theme: Dreams
1st Place:	Outward Dream by Judith Hayman
2nd Place:	Tear It Down by Renee Alper
3rd Place:	Wish Upon A Star by Diana Huey and Steve Macdonald

1998
Theme: TV Theme Songs
1st Place:	Ode to the Sci Fi Channel by Rennie Levine
2nd Place:	Crypt Keeper’s Song by Ed Chamberlain
3rd Place:	Love Theme from MSY2K by Tom Smith
Honorable Mention:	Just Different by Deirdre Murphy

1997
Theme: Superstition
1st Place:	Rules of Engagement by Randy Hoffman
2nd Place:	Tale of the Dragon by Scott Snyder (tie)
2nd Place:	Dutchman by Steve Macdonald (tie)
3rd Place:	Anne Marie St. Claire by Susan Urban

1997
Theme: Monster Mash
1st Place:	Kentucky Monster Mash by Mark Bernstein
2nd Place:	Cut Velvet by Joel Polowin
3rd Place:	Alien by Israel Pacheco

1996
Theme: First Contact
1st Place	Rishathra by Ookla the Mok
2nd Place:	In My Garden by Ed Chamberlain
3rd Place :	Nuts by Paul Kwinn

1996
Theme: Songs You Can Sing in the Shower
1st Place:	Bath of the Valkyries by Blade
2nd Place:	All Washed Up by Rennie Levine
3rd Place:	Cranes Over Hiroshima: 1st Draft by Alan Thiesen

1995
Theme: Anti-Ose
1st Place:	Stop Singing Ose or I’ll Kill You by Paul Kwinn
2nd Place:	Eternity’s Polka by Michael Longcor
3rd Place:	Nintendo by Graham Leathers

1995
Theme: Show Tunes
1st Place:	Join The Klan by Scott Courtney
2nd Place:	Now by Mark Bernstein
3rd Place:	If I Were A Rich Fan by Renee Alper
Honorable Mention:	The Moon by Maureen O’Brien

1994
Theme: The Best Song Tom Smith Never Wrote
1st Place:	Operation Ohio Storm by Paul Kwinn
1st Place:	Thoracic Park by Renee Alper
1st Place:	When I Grow Up I Want to be Michael Longcor by Mark Osier

1993
Theme: Mythical Beasts
1st Place:	Cold Butcher by Steve Macdonald

1992
Theme: Love Songs
1st Place:	Eternity’s Waltz by Michael Longcor (tie)
1st Place:	I Would Walk With You by Cynthia McQuillin (tie)

1991
Theme: Heroes & Heroines
1st Place:	Reed Turner, Novel Hero by Renee Alper

1990
Theme: Aliens
1st Place:	Face Hugger by Tom Smith

1989
Theme: Best Drinking Song
1st Place:	I Can’t Party As Hearty by Michael Longcor (tie)
1st Place:	307 Ale by Tom Smith (tie)

1988
Theme: Ad Astra (To the Stars)
1st Place:	Lightsailor by Barry Childs-Helton

1987
Theme: Best Scary Song
1st Place:	Hellraiser by Tom Smith

1986
Theme: Things That Go Bump In the Night
1st Place:	Doppleganger by Kathy Mar