Applications for The Music Center’s Spotlight Youth Competition are now open. Participating high school students will receive more than $100,000 in performing arts scholarships and free artistic development from professionals.

Application deadline is Oct. 16.

Rules for applicants, you must:

Be a Southern California high school student who attends a public, private, online, or home school. Your home base must be in one of these counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Riverside, Kern, or San Bernardino.

You must be an enrolled high school student as of Dec. 31, 2023. You may not be enrolled as a full time college student.

Dance and Ballet students, check the category rules page for out of state residency exceptions.

Apply to one or more of these categories: Acting, Ballet, Dance, Classical Voice, Non-Classical Voice, Classical Instrumental, or Contemporary Instrumental Music. You can apply to as many categories as you want.

New this year is the Contemporary Instrumental category. The Contemporary Instrumental category replaces the Jazz Instrumental Category. Jazz Instrumental will become one of two subcategories: Jazz Instrumental and Popular & Rock Instrumental. The subcategory of Popular/Rock Instrumental includes Popular, Rock, Folk Rock, R&B/Urban, and Latin/Salsa/Samba. You may apply in only one of these subcategories; you may apply with more than one instrument in your chosen subcategory. See Contemporary Instrumental program rules for more information.

Read all the important information listed in the application.

Complete the online application by Oct. 16. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Prepare and upload your audition video. Check out this video on filming a great audition.

By applying to Spotlight you are eligible for:

Written feedback from our distinguished panel of judges.

Mastery classes with world-renowned artists.

Live audition experience and coaching.

Grand Prize Finale performance.

College and career preparation.

Cash awards.

School achievement recognition.

News and social media coverage possibilities.

For more information and to apply visit https://app.getacceptd.com/musiccenter.