Your Path to NSA
Region Auditions | Preliminaries | Semifinals | Finals | National Entry Timeline | National Entry Fee | Pianists | Hotel/Travel
The annual NSA cycle begins on September 1st and ends on July 31st, although the actual qualifying chapter or region audition may take place in the Fall or in the Spring. NATS has 15 regions and over 80+ chapters. Learn more about the chapters and regions.
Region Auditions
- NSA starts at the region level. Some regions use chapter auditions as qualifying rounds, but only the region results can qualify a singer for NSA.
- Only singers placing 1st-5th in their region’s nationally-eligible categories advance to the National Preliminaries, and only with qualifying scores: two scores of 90 or higher, or an average score of 90 or higher in the regional preliminary round. Singers tied for 1st-5th also advance.
- The songs you submit at the national level must be the SAME songs you performed at your region audition.
National Preliminaries
Singers who qualified by placing 1st through 5th in their region's NSA will receive an invitation to the National Preliminary (video) Round in April, sent to the email address their teacher entered for their region audition registration. To enter, you must:
- Coordinate with your teacher to complete the online registration and pay the national fee
- Submit one unlisted video for each required song
- Perform the same repertoire you entered at the region auditions
- Follow all the video submission rules
- Deadline to submit videos is 2nd Friday in April (4-9-27)
Approximately 15 singers per category advance to the National Semifinals. There are currently 34 categories.
National Semifinals
Semifinals happen at the NATS National Conference (even years) or during the Summer Workshop/AuditionCon (odd years). Semifinals and Finals all happen over the same few days at the same general location typically in June, although they have happened in early July some years.
- You perform songs from your regional entry
- You choose your first song
- Adjudicators pick the rest, within your category's time limit
- Three singers per category advance to the Finals
National Finals
- Each finalist performs one song from their list
- Adjudicators rank the finalists independently
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards are given in each category
- Every finalist receives a certificate and a monetary prize
National Entry Timeline
- March 30: Deadline for regions to complete region auditions and make results available in AuditionNow
- First week of April: National registration opens for singers who qualified for NSA through their region audition
- 2nd Friday in April: Deadline for national registration, fees, and the Preliminary Round videos
- Early May: Preliminary adjudication finished
- Mid-May: Semifinalists notified
- June/July: National Semifinals /Finals - In-Person Event
National Entry Fee
- $95 per category entered (Classical, Musical Theatre, etc.)
- Covers the Qualifying (Preliminaries), Semifinals, and Finals
- Separate from chapter or region fees
- Nonrefundable
- $25 technology fee for Commercial Music (CM) entries
Collaborative Pianists Fee
- You may bring your own or request a staff pianist
- Staff pianists for Semifinals cost an extra fee (depending on category the total can be $20 to $80 per student per category. Note that the collaborative pianist fee covers both semifinals and finals.)
- Short rehearsals are provided before Semifinals
- Finalists using staff pianists get a short rehearsal or sound check before Finals
- Students bringing their own pianists are NOT guaranteed a space, piano, or timeslot for rehearsals at this time
Hotel / Travel
There is not a lot of lead time between finding out you advance to the Semifinals in-person and the date the event actually starts. We recommend exploring your travel and lodging options well before you know whether you make it to the Semifinals in-person.
The in-person 2027 NSA Semifinals/Finals will take place at University of Colorado Boulder from June 26-28, 2027. Stay tuned for hotel recommendations.
