Finding the Right Category in 2026/2027 Season
Finding the right NSA category starts with the singer, not the repertoire. First determine where the singer falls based on grade level or years of post-high-school voice study, along with age and educational status. Once the singer’s level is established, the teacher can select the appropriate Classical, Commercial Music, Musical Theatre, or Spirituals repertoire pathway and review the requirements for that category.
For singers through Grade 12, grade level is the starting point; for post-high-school singers, placement is based on a combination of years of voice study, age, and educational status. Age is determined as of September 1 and remains fixed for the entire NSA season.
Start with the singer.
Determine the singer’s level first; then choose the repertoire category.
Singer Level |
Study Requirement |
Age / Grade Requirement |
Category Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Children |
Any length of study |
Age 11 or younger; through Grade 5 |
1 |
|
Youth |
Any length of study |
Age 14 or younger; through Grade 8 |
2 |
|
High School |
Any length of study |
High-school student; age 19 or younger |
3 & 4 |
|
Lower Post-High School |
1–2 years post-HS voice study |
Age 22 or younger |
5 & 6 |
|
Upper Post-High School |
3–5 years post-HS voice study; not enrolled in a graduate voice program |
Age 25 or younger |
7 & 8 |
|
Advanced |
6+ years post-HS voice study OR 4+ years post-HS voice study and is or has been enrolled in a graduate program |
Age 30 or younger |
9 & 10 |
|
Adult Avocational |
No study limit |
Age 18+; neither pursuing nor holding a music degree and not working as a professional musician |
11 & 12 |
|
Non-Traditional Student |
No study limit |
Any age; pursuing or holding a music degree, or pursuing or having a professional music career, but age or level of study falls outside other categories |
13 & 14 |
The Easiest Way to Determine Placement
- Is the singer still in school through Grade 12?
Use grade first: Children → Youth → High School. Years of voice study do not determine placement for these singers. - Has the singer finished high school?
Use years of post-high-school voice study + age + educational status: 1–2 years → Lower Post-HS; 3–5 years → Upper Post-HS; post-baccalaureate + 4 or more years → Advanced. - Does the adult singer fall outside the traditional student progression?
Adult Avocational: age 18+, no study limit, not pursuing/holding a music degree, and not working as a professional musician. Non-Traditional Student: Any age; pursuing or holding a music degree, or pursuing or having a professional music career, but age or level of study falls outside other categories.
Two Rules Teachers Need to Know
- Age is established on September 1. The singer remains in that category for the entire NSA cycle even if a birthday occurs during the year.
- Post-high-school study begins counting on the first day of post-high-school voice study. Years are counted as years rather than semesters. Study with multiple teachers or in independent studios, classes, group lessons, colleges, universities, or conservatories contributes to that calculation.
The Framework in One Line
GRADE → YEARS OF POST-HS STUDY → AGE → EDUCATIONAL STATUS → REPERTOIRE
First determine WHO the singer is and WHERE they are in their study. Then determine WHAT they will sing.
Important Distinction
Classical, Commercial Music, and Musical Theatre do not determine the singer’s level. They are repertoire pathways within the appropriate singer level. A singer may enter more than one repertoire category when the applicable requirements are met. All genres of voice study apply to the singer's total length of study for all categories. Singers pursuing or having a degree or professional career in music should enter the same numerical category for all genres they enter within the same audition cycle and may not enter the Adult Avocational category nor a category with a lower level of study for genres in which they may have less experience.
Spirituals Categories
The American Negro Spiritual categories and Hall Johnson Spirituals Competition operate on a separate biennial national cycle, part of the Classical Division, and are best explained on this webpage.
