December 22 [10:00 EDT] -- Bjork, Ani DiFranco, Elton John, Busta Rhymes, and the Fugees helped to choose 120 finalists in the inaugural John Lennon song writing contest.

Joan Osbourne, the Indigo Girls, NAS, John Popper, and A Tribe Called Quest were also among the executive committee which chose the young songwriters who will share in more than $200,000 in cash and prizes including studio gear and an advance payment from EMI Publishing.

The contest, which is backed by the estate of John Lennon and is planned as an annual event, will name its grand prize winners and dole out awards next spring, with one winner picking up a $15,000 "Song of the Year" award from Maxell.

The "Song of the Year" will be chosen from among the top tracks already selected in each of 12 categories: rock, world, gospel/inspirational, children's, dance, pop, folk, R&'B, jazz, country, Latin, and hip-hop.

Next year's contest will get under way in the spring, and those interested can find more information on the contest and winners by visiting the official website at http://www.jlsc.com.