Terms and Conditions

Last updated: June 16, 2026

Special Venue LLC ("Special Venue") Special Venue Music Awards  International Competitions are open to independent solo musicians,  artists, singers, and ensembles of all ages, nationalities, and  countries. Applicants must not be signed to a major record label or its  affiliates or subsidiaries. For any applicant under 18, a parent or  legal guardian must complete, endorse, and submit the application on the  applicant's behalf and agree to these Terms and the Privacy Policy.

Required submission materials: the completed online application form,  YouTube video URL(s), and the applicable fee. Video auditions need not  be professionally produced but should fairly represent the applicant's  abilities. No changes of repertoire are allowed after the application is  submitted, except via an authorized Repertoire Change Request where  offered. Multiple category entries require separate forms and fees.  Certificates of Recognition are granted to performing winners only,  after the Winners Concert.

All application materials, including the online Application Form and  fee payment, must be submitted by the date indicated on the respective  Competition page.

(a) Total pricing. All prices displayed for our  competitions and concerts are the total price you will pay, inclusive of  all mandatory fees, except for government taxes and any actual  third-party shipping charges, which (if any) are itemized before  checkout. We do not add mandatory service, processing, or payment-method  fees after the displayed price.

(b) Non-refundable, with exceptions. Application and  participation fees are non-refundable except as required by law and as  stated in this Section. Fees are non-refundable where the services have  been made available to you, including where you choose not to attend or  participate.

(c) Refund on Special Venue cancellation. If Special  Venue cancels an event and does not offer a reschedule, substitute  event, or equivalent participation, we will refund the fees paid for the  undelivered services. Where an event is materially curtailed by force  majeure (including natural disaster, government order, or public-health  closure), Special Venue may, in its reasonable discretion, reschedule,  substitute, or refund all or part of the fees for undelivered services.  Special Venue is not responsible for participants' incidental costs  (such as travel or accommodation).

Music, songs, or costumes that the panel of judges considers inappropriate for performance due to content may be disqualified.

Competition results are emailed to applicants. Online recognition is  for performing winners only. Awards are determined by the judging panel  using Special Venue's internal scoring and ranking system; any "ranking"  we publish reflects Special Venue's own program and is not an  independent or official world ranking. Multiple applicants may be  invited as prize winners. Judges' decisions are final. Special Venue  does not provide individual feedback or disclose exact scores.

(a) Separate participation fee (disclosed before audition). Selection as a prize winner is an invitation to participate, and  participation in the Winners Concert requires a separate participation  fee that includes required professional photography/videography.  Participation fees vary by competition and location and are shown in  full, as a total inclusive of any mandatory fees, on the relevant  Competition page and before you submit payment. The audition fee does  not include recital participation. Winners who do not complete  participation will not be listed as performing winners.

(b) What the fees include. The Concert and Media  Fees include an admission ticket for the participant and piano  accompanist (if needed), the Winner's Certificate, a Trophy, and  professional photography/videography of the participant's stage  performance, together with the personal license described in Section  VIII. The piano accompanist's service is not included.

(c) Refunds. Concert and Media Fees are non-refundable except as provided in Section IV(c).

(a) Ownership. Special Venue owns all copyright in  the audio, video, and photographic recordings of competition and concert  performances that Special Venue or its contractors create ("Event  Media"). This Section concerns Event Media only and does not affect  Section XII (rights in the musical works themselves).

(b) Participant license-back. In consideration of  the Media Fee, Special Venue grants each participant a personal,  non-exclusive, non-transferable license to view and privately share  their own Event Media for personal, non-commercial purposes (for  example, with family and teachers). Participants may post short excerpts  on personal social media only with Special Venue's prior written  consent or in accordance with Special Venue's published sharing  guidelines. Public broadcast, commercial use, and redistribution are not  permitted.

(c) Name and likeness. Each participant (and, for  minors, the parent or legal guardian on their behalf) grants Special  Venue the right to use the participant's name, image, likeness, voice,  and performance for administering the competition and for promotion of  the competition and its programs, including the competition website,  archival display, and short-form social-media clips, in any media now  known or later developed, without additional compensation. This does not  authorize stand-alone commercial product sales of a participant's  performance.

By entering, an applicant releases and holds Special Venue harmless  from any and all liability for injuries, loss, or damage of any kind to  the entrant or any other person — including personal injury, death, or  property damage — resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly,  from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any Award, participation  in the Competition and/or Concert, any breach of the Competition Rules,  or any Award-related activity. For minors, the parent or legal guardian  agrees to this Section on the applicant's behalf.

Special Venue assumes no responsibility or liability for lost, late,  unintelligible/illegible, falsified, damaged, misdirected, or incomplete  entries, notifications, responses, replies, or releases, or for any  computer, online, software, telephone, hardware, or technical  malfunctions, website errors, transmission failures, or competition  disruptions beyond its reasonable control. Nothing in these Terms limits  any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

By participating, each participant agrees to be bound by the Special  Venue Policy and the specific Competition Rules, as amended. Special  Venue may disqualify participants who violate the rules, tamper with the  process, or behave inappropriately. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO  DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE SPECIAL VENUE WEBSITE OR ANY RELATED WEBSITE, OR  TO UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF SPECIAL VENUE, MAY VIOLATE  CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS.

Applicants retain all ownership and intellectual-property rights in  any original musical work(s) they compose and submit. Special Venue  claims no ownership of the underlying musical works. This Section does  not apply to Event Media (recordings, video, and photographs), which are  governed by Section VIII.

Special Venue's collection and use of personal information —  including information about minors — is described in the Privacy Policy  set out below on this page, which forms part of these Terms. By applying  (and, for minors, by the parent or legal guardian applying on the  minor's behalf), you consent to that Privacy Policy.

Special Venue reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to  terminate the Competition in whole or in part, and/or to modify, amend,  or suspend the Competition and/or the Competition Rules, at any time and  for any reason without prior notice. If such action results in  undelivered paid services, Section IV(c) (refunds) applies.

These Terms and Policies are governed by the laws of the State of  California. If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, that  determination does not affect the validity or enforceability of any  other provision, and the provision will be reformed to the maximum  extent permitted by law.

In the event of any discrepancy between these Terms and any other  Competition-related or Concert-related materials, these Terms prevail,  govern, and control.

By entering, an applicant represents (individually or, for an  ensemble, jointly; and for minors, through a parent or legal guardian)  that they have read and consent to these Terms, the Competition Rules,  and the Privacy Policy.