Commercial Music Regulations

A singer's age category is determined by their age on September 1, the first day of the NSA audition cycle, and remains the same throughout that cycle. An audition cycle begins in September and finishes in July.

• Students may not enter a category if they exceed its maximum age limit.
• Students enrolled in or holding a music degree, as well as students pursuing or having a career in music regardless of whether they prepared for this career with formal education, who are older than the age limit for their level of study may enter that category for comments only or enter an eligible Non-Traditional Student category (non-advancing) according to requirements.
• Students whose age qualifies them for a higher category than their current level of study may choose to enter the higher age-appropriate category competitively.
• NSA categories have no minimum age requirements except the Avocational Adults Category, Non-Traditional Adults Category, and the Hall Johnson Spirituals Competition.

An arrangement is an adaptation of an existing song or composition. It may include a new accompaniment, changes to melody, rhythm, harmony, or form, or even a different musical style.

Eligible NATS member-teachers may compete in NSA auditions through their current teacher but may not self-enter. Those entering singers must also be available to adjudicate one category at the auditions.

Categories are defined by voice type, age range, and length of study.

• All Voices: Children 1, Youth 2, and Spiritual Categories
• Treble Voices: Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto, Unchanged Voices, Countertenor Voices in Categories: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13
• TBB Voices: Tenor, Baritone, Bass Voices in Categories: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14

Children & Youth: 1 & 2 - All Voices. 

For the remaining categories, odd-numbered categories are for treble voices and even-numbered categories are for tenor, baritone and bass voices.

• High School (HS) - 3 & 4
• Lower Post-HS: one–two years Post-HS - 5 & 6
• Upper Post-HS: three-five years Post-HS not in a grad program - 7 & 8
• Advanced: four+ years Post-HS and/or in graduate program - 9-10
• Avocational Adults: 11 & 12
• Non-Traditional Adults: 13 & 14

Any singer may elect to enter a category auditioning for comments only and participate exclusively in a preliminary audition. Adjudicators will not score auditions entered for comments only.

Children, Youth, and High School categories are based on grade level, not years of study.

Post-high school categories are based on a combination of age and the total years of voice study after high school with any teacher, including private study, group lessons, college, university, or conservatory instruction.

• Lower Post-HS: Age 22 or younger; 1st–2nd year of post-high school voice study
• Upper Post-HS: Age 25 or younger; 3rd–5th year of post-high school voice study and not enrolled in a graduate voice program
• Advanced: Age 30 or younger; 6+ years post-HS voice study OR 4+ years post-HS voice study and is or has been enrolled in a graduate program
• Avocational: No age or length-of-study limit
• Non-Traditional: No age or length-of-study limit

Counting a year of study begins on the first day of post-high school voice study. Once a singer begins study during an NSA cycle (September–July), that cycle counts as one full year of study, regardless of whether the singer continues weekly lessons for the entire cycle. Exceptions may be granted only in extraordinary circumstances when the singer is medically unable or formally prohibited from singing for a substantial portion of the cycle. Any exception must be approved by the Auditions Chair.

NATS encourages teachers and singers to select NSA repertoire that reflects its commitment to a welcoming and respectful community for participants and audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Teachers should carefully consider lyric content. To respect copyright, lyrics may only be altered to perform a clean version when a published version does not exist.

Once the qualifying NSA event has concluded, there is no room for any alteration of the repertoire. Those singers who move on to the NSA Qualifying rounds from the region auditions must put forward the very pieces that were submitted, vetted and approved by the chair of the region audition. Any deviation from performing the approved repertoire following the region level, even in part, will render a singer Ineligible to Advance to the next step of the NSA rounds.