STARS OF THE ALBION
Grand Prix 2026

DISCIPLINES

MUSIC
Singing (classical, contemporary, musical theatre).
Soloists and ensembles up to 12 people and choirs.
Instrumental playing (classical, folk, jazz).
Soloists, ensembles up to 12 people.
Composition (solo & group).

VISUAL ARTS
Performance in Fine Art, photography, short documentary films.

Age category: Children from 6 y.o. & adults, no age limit  

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

1st Online Round: 10 January 2026
Live Round (live): 24-26 April 2026
Live auditions and contest will be held in London, UK.

AWARDS & DIPLOMAS

    Based on the ratings put forward by the jury on a 10-point scale, the Org. Committee determines the winners of the first, second and third places, as well as the Grand Prix of the Competition.

• £1000 in total Grand Prix – 4 monetary prizes of £250 each per Discipline or 1 monetary prize at the discretion of the jury.
• I place – Golden trophy and Diploma.
• II place – Silver trophy and Diploma.
• III place – Bronze trophy and Diploma.
• I place Diploma of Participation.
• II place Diploma of Participation.
• III place Diploma of Participation.
• Certificate.

STAR AWARDS

- A special “Star Lyre” award for the best performance of music by Sergey Prokofiev dedicated to the 135^th anniversary of the composer. 
- Concert prizes (performances throughout the year) are awarded to the national Grand Prix winner and laureates of the 1st and 2nd places. 
- Special Diploma and award for the best artistic work.                              
- “Audience Prize” / “Jury Prize” for the best performance / work.
- A “Young Future Talent of Stars of the Albion” Diploma for the youngest contestant.
- Diploma of appreciation to teachers and directors.
- Diploma of participant for every contestant.

   Every discipline is subdivided between age categories. Based on the jury recommendation, the Organisers reserve the right not to award any places in a category.
The programme of the final Gala Show will be based on recommendations by members of the adjudication panel. The jury’s decision is a final one and should not be disputed. 

TECHNICAL & REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

A free choice of repertoire within the required total duration limit. Each contestant should perform two contrasting compositions. It is compulsory for Singers to include one of the songs in English. The second song can be performed on any language of the world. A written translation should be provided to the jury prior to performance if a song is to be performed in any language other than English.
All compositions should be performed from memory and in the original language. You can resubmit same compositions for the 1^st and 2^nd rounds.
It is important that all the recordings should be of the highest possible quality and in a landscape format only.
For the 1^st round (at the time of submission of the application form) please provide us with the YouTube link to your performances. For the 2^nd round each participant will be required to submit a perfect quality video recording by WeTransfer or Google Drive.
Requirements for maximum total duration of compositions performed: 

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE: Amateur category up to 7.5 minutes, Professional category up to 15 minutes in total.

It is desirable but not compulsory to present a balanced program consisting of contrasting pieces. As there will be a separate prize for the best performance of S. Prokofiev, candidates are encouraged to participate in this additional nomination for the prize.

SINGING: 7 minutes
Notes for offline auditions:

• • Participants using the backing track must provide a high-quality instrumental accompaniment on a USB flash drive. Also, the backing tracks must be sent to the organizers in MP3 format at most 2.5 weeks before the start of the competition.
• • Each sound recording must be on a separate medium with the name of the work, the author of the music, the text, the name of the ensemble or the name of the artist, as well as the duration of the work.
• Vocalists are not allowed to perform with the “plus”.

COMPOSITION AND VIDEO PRODUCTION’s theme is “We are the World, We are Together”.  

Each participant should present a video recording of two compositions of their own choice. Any genre/style, can be instrumental/ vocal. If written to a lyrics, please submit also a general translation of the song in English. Total duration is up to 10 minutes.

VIDEO PRODUCTION: short clips, maximum 3 minutes duration each clip.

Works to be submitted together with the registration form:

• The video file should not exceed 2-3 GB.
• The video file can be sent in one of the formats: AVI, MPG, WMV, MOV.

VISUAL ARTS’ theme is “We are the World, We are Together”

- Performance in Fine Art, Photography
- Artistic embroidery, macrame decoration
- Decorative and applied arts and crafts
- Painting (oil, watercolor, gouache, pastel, mixed technique)
- Drawing (graphics)

All the images that you will be submitting are images of original artwork created by yourself or are the artwork created by an artist who authorized you to submit the images on his/her behalf and should be sent in a JPG format. We will have the right to publish and retain images of your artwork selected by the jurors on our website and other advertising channels to promote future competitions and your artwork.

A maximum of 6 images, a minimum of 3.
Based on digital images sent to us with the following specifications:

• Each image must be at least 72 dpi and 200 KB.
• The shortest side of the image must be at least 338 pixels. 
• All entries must be JPG format.
• Each image should not exceed 5MB and should be smaller than 7500 x 7500 pixels.
• Each piece can be no larger than 75 x 85 inches (192 x 218 centimetres). 

SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM theme is “We are the World, We are Together”. A maximum of 4 minutes in total. 

Works to be submitted together with the registration form:

EVALUATION CRITERIA

SINGING
• Artistic interpretation, expression.
• Performance technique, purity of intonation, pronunciation, articulation.
• Choice of works, level of difficulty.
• Stage presentation, acting, production, costumes.

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
• Artistic interpretation, concept, architectonics.
• Performance technique, instrument control, purity of intonation (for strings and winds).
• Choice of repertoire, level of difficulty.
• Stage presence, costumes.

COMPOSITION AND VIDEO PRODUCTION
• Concept, form, architectonics, stylistic technique, instrumentation / arrangement.
• Performance technique and stage presence, stage presence, costumes.
• Production design, editing, sound.
• Emotional impact on the audience, expressive tools and design (the presence of sound, effects, the use of scenery, light, costumes).

PHOTOGRAPHY
• Concept, originality, composition.
• Technique, work with light, design, style.
• Expressiveness, impact on the audience.
• Costumes, decorations.

VISUAL ARTS
• Composition, concept, originality.
• Technique, style, work with color, work with a line, editing and production.
• Expressiveness, impact on the audience.
• Presentation

SHORT FILMS
• Concept, screenplay, content of work, complexity.
• Production design, editing, sound.
• Emotional impact on the audience, expressive tools and design (the presence of sound, effects, the use of scenery, light, costumes).
• Best actor / actress, ensemble cast.

FEES

Fees for Soloists: 

1st Online Round £60, early bird discount £30 if paid before 1 December 2025

2nd Live Round £180 , early bird discount  £140 if paid before 1 February 2026

Fees for Ensembles up to 4 people: £40 per person 

Ensembles of 5 people and more: £25 per person

£85 (visa support letter and assistance)

Accommodation: from £850 per person in 4* hotel for 3 nights in Central London with breakfast.

СONTACTS

Organiser
“Musica Nova”
International Music Academy
www.musicanova.org.uk

Tel: +44 (0)7832341745 | WhatsApp, Telegram: +44 7765 845489                       

Official competition website: www.starsofthealbion.org.uk
E-mail: starsofthealbion@gmail.com

CEO: Ms. Evgenia Jakubowski (nee Terentieva)
President of the World Association of Performing Arts United Kingdom Section (WAPA)
Winner of a “Queen’s Award” from the British Council (UK)
Laureate of international piano, singing, composition competitions
Laureate of the Gold Franz Kafka Medal (Czech Republic)
Concert musician: singer, pianist, composer, educator
DipGSMD, HonLGSM (UK), MA St. Petersburg Conservatoire (Russia)