Since 2014, hundreds of talented Gigstarter artists and DJs producers compete to win the prestigious award of Artist and DJ of the Year along with amazing prices and more visibility. As 2020 seems particular due to the COVID-19, we organize an online corona-proof edition. But still two incredible prizes remain for this international competition: a cheque of 1000 euros for the winning artist and a cheque of 500 euros for the winning DJ. Are you ready for it?
Corona-proof edition
We usually organize a physical event in the heart of Amsterdam with artists travelling from European countries to perform live in a venue. Given the sanitary situation, we decided to keep on preparing this yearly competition bu this time a digital one. This Friday, the participation period starts for a week and we will end with the final online event on December 10th.
Aftermovie Gigstarter Artist of the Year final 2019Rules of the competition
What is the Gigstarter competition?
The Gigstarter competition is divided in two categories: Artist of the Year (bands, duos, solo artists) and the second category with the DJ of the Year 2020. The process is exactly the same for each category.
Different steps of the 2020 competition:
Subscription period: Artists can subscribe for the competition from October 16th until October 23rd 2020.
Preselection step: a jury makes a shortlist out of all the artists that entered the contest. The shortlist will be announced on November 2nd 2020.
Voting period: From November 2nd to November 19th at 12am, fans and followers can vote for their favourite artists from the shortlist. To vote, people should go to the Gigstarter profile of the artist or DJ they support.
Top 3 finalists: In each category, the first 3 artists who received the most votes, will have to record a ten-minute performance video and send it to the Gigstarter team before December 3rd. The external jury will choose the two winners among the 3 finalists of each category.
Final, online event: The top 3 finalists of each category will be invited to the online event on December 10th when the winners will be announced and interviewed. Their recorded performances will also be broadcasted. This livestream will be accessible for everyone.
What are the prizes?
The winner, chosen by the expert jury, holds the title of Gigstarter Artist of the Year 2020. The Artist Of The Year will win a 1000 euros cheque and the DJ Of The Year 2020 will win a 500 euros cheque.
Which artists can participate?
Every artist who has a public profile on Gigstarter and who has the possibility to record a live video with his/her own original music for 10 minutes maximum, can participate in the competition. Artists of the Year finalists from previous years are excluded from the competition.
I have a profile on Gigstarter, how can I participate?
1.Login on your Gigstarter profile and go to your dashboard
2.Click on the participation button on your dashboard to be involved in the competition
3.Share your participation to the rest of the world.
Participation period: from October 16th to October 23th
I participated, what is the next step?
Among all the participants, the jury will determine according to the musical quality around 10 artists and 10 DJs for the shortlist. This shortlist can contain artists with different musical backgrounds and/or genres.
I am preselected, what’s next?
Well done, you are in the shortlist! Now, the voting can start!
Share your Gigstarter profile to as many friends, fans as possible to get the most votes.
Voting period: From November 2nd to November 19th at midday
How can people vote?
People can vote for their favorite artists, from November 2nd, through a link on the Gigstarter profile of competing artists. You will need to login with Facebook to identify yourself (this way we know that every user is unique and helps us detect fraud). We will only use your voters' email addresses to send a single invitation for the Artist of the Year final.
Until when can people vote?
Everyone can vote from November 2nd till November 19th at midday. On this date, the top 3 finalists of each category will be announced.
How many times is it possible to vote?
People can vote only one time on every artist. For instance, you can vote once for every contestant. If we suspect any form of fraud, we have the right to remove those votes.
Votes are over. I am one of the top 3 finalists, what’s next ?
From November 19th, you will have until December 3rd at midday to send to the Gigstarter team your ten-minute live video. Only your own songs are allowed, no covers, even for DJs. Be really careful on the sound and video quality, you can also record it from a cool venue if it is allowed. The jury has the right to disqualify any finalists if the rules were not respected. The jury will take into account the quality of sound, video and creativity.
Once the Gigstarter team receives your video, it will be transferred to the jury who will make a decision and announce the winners during the final.
When does the Final take place?
The online final of the competition will take place on December 10th at 7pm. The livestream would consist in:
- Stream of a 60-minute concert: a ten-minute recorded performance of every finalist
- Live interviews in English
- Live Announcement of the Artist & DJ of the Year
Everyone is more than welcome to support their act and discover the winners: friends, fans, family, everyone. Follow us on Facebook to stay tuned about the latest news of the competition.
Will finalists receive a compensation?
Gigstarter can not provide any monetary compensation for the participants.
Which artists won last year?
The jury decided that the Belgian ska band The Happy Suspended was elected Gigstarter Artist of the Year 2019 and DJ Savio Damiano, DJ of the Year 2019. We are proud to have such talented acts on our platform!
The Happy Suspended & DJ Savio Damiano, Artist & DJ of the Year 2019
Are you an Artist?
And you don't have a Gigstarter profile? Create a complete profile on Gigstarter for free, wait for the team's approval and get involved in the 2020 competition:
Create profile
If you have any questions regarding the competition, feel free to write to solene@gigstarter.nl !
