The exciting experience of chapter NATS Student Auditions, where singers perform and receive written feedback, is now an annual regional and national competition with total prizes of over $80,000 at the national level!
Northwestern Region Timeline
September 1, 2024-February 1, 2025 - Chapters rounds of NSA (live or online).
January 30, 2025 - Regional registration opens (for Chapters finalists' video submissions to the Regional round. Regional entry fee is $20).
February 27, 2025 - Regional registration closes. (All Chapters' auditions should be concluded by that date in order to submit on time to the Region).
March 3-17, 2025 - Regional adjudications taking place. (All teachers submitting students must take part in adjudications).
End of March - Tallying of results.
April 11, 2025 - Deadline for Region to submit Top5 in each category to the National rounds of NSA.
Northwestern Region NSA Coordinator
For general questions relating to the competition, please check www.nats.org.
For questions regarding your Chapter or Region NSA, please contact our Region NSA Coordinator, Beverly Park, The National Coordinator Mark McQuade is also available if any other questions/concerns.
NSA at a glance - How it works
NATS Student Auditions begin with a preliminary round, in which students sing for a panel of adjudicators and perhaps a small audience. Preliminary auditions advance to quarterfinals then semifinals as needed. All National Student Auditions culminate in Finals. Finalists audition again, often for a larger public audience of everyone present. Many chapters and regions offer prizes for to students placing in their categories as well as additional awards.
- Chapter Auditions
- In some regions, chapter auditions are standalone events that do not advance to the region or national levels. Other regions hold progressive auditions in which students must begin at the chapter level and only the top students in each eligible category advance to region auditions.
- Region Auditions
- To participate in the national level of these auditions, students of NATS members must qualify by entering only ONE region's NSA and placing in their region's auditions. The top 5 singers from each region's NSA-eligible categories advance to the national online preliminaries.
- National Preliminary Auditions
- Each singer who advances from a region audition must apply and submit videos of their performances for adjudication by a panel of international judges in the national preliminaries.
- National Semifinals and Finals
- 15 singers from each of 34 categories plus the Hall Johnson Spirituals Competition during conference years and the 3 American Negro Spirituals Categories in non-conference years — ALL advance to the national semifinals.
- The top 3 singers in each national semifinal category audition in the national finals.
- The NSA national semifinals and finals are typically held in late June or early July in conjunction with either a NATS biennial national conference or summer workshop.
- National NSA Entry Fee: $75 per category (nonrefundable)
- Prizes: Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will total more than $84,000.
- Competition Dates: Online national screening begins the second Friday in April, with the national semifinals and finals scheduled June 26-28, 2025, (Thursday through Saturday), hosted at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Deadline to Enter: April 11, 2025 (Entry is by emailed invitation-only, following regional auditions)
Helpful NSA Links
Reach out to YOUR Chapter for help!