Competitions + Auditions
The National Association of Teachers of Singing celebrates the art of singing through a series of competitions and auditions designed to showcase the talented singers, performers and composers who are the rising stars in the profession. Events are held annually or biennially, some in conjunction with the NATS National Conference and others in conjunction with the NATS Summer or Winter Workshops.
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National Student Auditions
The annual National Student Auditions are an exciting experience where student singers perform and receive written feedback, along with national prize totals of more than $84,000 with additional awards presented at NSA region and chapter auditions!
The NSA includes solo vocal performance categories in Classical Music, Musical Theatre, Commercial Music, and American Negro Spirituals. Most NSA categories are open to children through adults 30 years old or younger, who study voice with a NATS member.
How It Works: In these auditions, which now include international students, the students of NATS members begin by entering one of the 15 region NSA events. A few regions, use chapter auditions to qualify students for their region’s NSA. The top five placing performers in each region’s eligible NSA categories are invited to enter the national preliminary level of auditions via video submissions. Students in NSA auditions receive direct feedback in the form of written comments from panels of experts. Fifteen singers in each of the 34 NSA categories plus the biennial Hall Johnson Spirituals Competition and in alternate years the 3 American Negro Spirituals Categories — ALL advance to the national semifinal auditions. The top three singers from each national semifinal category advance to national finals. The live national semifinal and final auditions will be held in summer 2025, with dates and location TBA.
National NSA Entry Fee: $75 per category of entry (nonrefundable)
- Prizes: Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of the 35 categories total more than $84,000.
- Competition Dates: Online national preliminary audition screening begins second Friday in April, with the national semifinals and finals scheduled in conjunction with the NATS national conference.
- Deadline to Enter National NSA: April 11, 2025 (entry by emailed invitation-only, following region auditions)
Application, repertoire information, and complete rules
National Musical Theatre Competition
The biennial National Musical Theatre Competition is the first national competition for emerging-career performing artists.
How It Works: The biennial National Musical Theatre Competition is seeking the best early-career musical theatre performing artists hoping for a break to advance their careers. To be eligible, applicants must be ages 22-30 on the application's deadline date. Preliminary competition is scheduled in the fall of each odd-numbered year. Applications open in the summer of each odd-numbered year. Approximately 24 singers advance to the semifinal callbacks. Five singers advance from callbacks to finals. Each finalist performs a 15-minute showcase. Both callbacks and final showcases are performed for adjudicator panels of musical theatre industry professionals in early January of even numbered years during the NATS Winter Workshop in New York City. The NMTC winner is scheduled to perform at the upcoming NATS National Conference.
- Entry Fee: $90 (or $75 for students of NATS members). APPLY NOW
- Prizes: The 1st Prize - Florence Birdwell Award is $10,000 in addition to a concert at the next NATS National Conference; 2nd Prize - Linda J. Snyder Prize is awarded more than $2,500; 3rd Prize - Louise Lerch Prize is $1,000; 4th Prize - Bill Hayes Prize is $750. Additional prizes are announced in the Awards Ceremony.
- Competition Dates:
- PRELIMINARY COMPETITION
Live auditions in New York City in October of odd-numbered years
OR
Online Auditions with video submissions due in October of odd-numbered years - SEMIFINAL CALLBACKS AND FINAL SHOWCASES
Early January in New York City as part of the NATS Winter Workshop in even-numbered years.
- PRELIMINARY COMPETITION
- Deadline to Apply: September 1 in odd-numbered years.
*If you are planning to submit for the online preliminary competition, you must complete your application by the September 15 deadline, but you will have approximately 30 days after the deadline to upload your audition videos.
Application, repertoire information and complete rules
NATS Artist Awards
How It Works: The NATSAA competition takes place every other year in conjunction with the NATS Winter Workshop and is open only to NATS members and students of NATS members. Preliminary competitions are held at the region level, with one winner emerging from each of the 15 NATS regions. The 15 semifinalists then gather in early January 2026 at the site of the NATS winter workshop in New York City for the final two rounds of the competition. The winner will then perform at the 59th NATS national conference to be held in San Antonio, Texas, July 3-7, 2026.
- Entry Fee: $75 APPLY NOW
- Prizes: Over $50,000 in cash and other prizes! The winner is awarded more than $13,000 in cash and prizes; the runner-up is awarded more than $6,000 in cash and prizes. Various other prizes and awards are given to participants in the competition.
- Competition Dates: Preliminary region rounds of the competition are scheduled for fall 2025, with the national semifinals and finals scheduled for early January 2026 as part of the 2026 NATS winter workshop in New York City.
- Deadline to Apply: Sept. 8, 2025
Application, Repertoire Requirements, and Complete Rules
Region Preliminary Audition Dates/Locations (TBD)
Art Song Composition Award
The Art Song Composition Award is an annual competition with the purpose of stimulating the creation of quality vocal literature through the cooperation of singer and composer.
How It Works: The competition is open to any composer whose submitted work meets the prescribed requirements and who pays the competition entry fee. The composer of the winning song cycle, group of songs, or extended single song will receive a cash award and a performance of the winning composition at the next scheduled NATS National Conference.
- Entry Fee: Each entry is $30 for professionals; $15 for full-time students
- Prizes: The winner is awarded $2,000 plus expenses to the NATS 59th National Conference in San Antonio, Texas, July 3-7, 2026.
- Competition Dates: Submission deadline for online applications is Dec. 1, 2024, with adjudication to take place in early 2025.
- Deadline to Apply: December 1, 2024
