Hit Like A Girl 2023 is the twelfth annual international contest for female drummers. Its purpose is to showcase and encourage drumming and lifelong musicianship for girls, women, female-identifying and non-binary individuals, regardless of age, playing level or geographic location. The event is produced by Hit Like A Girl, Inc. and made possible by the generous support of artists, individuals and companies in the music and music products industries.

The Hit Like A Girl Contest was conceived in 2011 by drum industry veteran David Levine, Founder/Publisher of Tom Tom Magazine Mindy Abovitz Monk, and Phil Hood and Andy Doerschuk, the founders of DRUM! Magazine. These executives felt that females were underserved and under-represented in the drumming community.

Over the years the contest has attracted thousands of contestants from dozens of countries. It has generated tens of millions of impressions and fans around the world and it has raised the visibility of female drummers, percussionists and beat makers.

Special thanks to the 2023 Hit Like A Girl Management Team for donating their time and talent, including: David Levine (Executive Director), Elli Teague (Assistant Director), Louise King (Director), Diane Downs (Director), Arianna Monge (Director), Karen Wolf (Educational Coordinator) and Emma Dawson (Social Media Coordinator) along with our many Ambassadors and interns from around the world.

General Guidelines

Read the complete contest rules and policies for more details.

Evaluation Criteria

 Drumset entries will be scored by a distinguished panel of top professional drummers and educators according to the following criteria. To download a copy of the HLAG Judging form click here.

Contest Entry Checklist

1. Performance video uploaded online.

This year, drumset videos posted on YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are eligible. YouTube and Vimeo platforms are preferred. Post your video/audio and copy the URL (link) so you can paste it into your contest entry form. See the correct URL formatting directions on the Entry Registration pages.

2. A brief bio telling your story.

Include information about when and why you started drumming, who your heroes are, notes about your entry and anything else you’d like to share with the judges and your fans.

Feel free to also include details about how you're making an "IMPACT" on the world through your drumming as well as your activities that support human rights, gender equality, the environment or other social issues.

3. A recent photo of yourself behind the kit.

Your photo will appear with your entry and may also be used for promotion in print, electronic and social media. Professional photos are not required but high-quality, high-resolution images are appreciated.

Need more help?
Find out more about how to enter and review the contest rules.

Multiple Ways To Win!

1. Weekly Contests

Each week during the six week entry period a team of judges will select 3 outstanding entry from each age group to automatically move on to the final round. The Weekly Winners will be announced each week beginning March 13, 2023.

The Weekly contests are cumulative, meaning that the all current contest entries are eligible to be selected as a Weekly Winner, not just those entries registered during a specific week. For example, the Week Three winners will be selected from all video entries registered during weeks one, two and three.

2. Mini Contests

This year, Hit Like A Girl and its sponsors will present several "Mini-Contests" in which contestants have additional opportunities to receive prizes, exposure and recognition. This year's Mini-Contests are:
- "Moises Mini-Contest

These contests have specific requirements which are detailed in the Special Contests sections of this website. Participation in one or more of the mini-contests does not affect a contestant's participation or eligibility in the main, weekly, regional or public contests.

3. Public Voting

During the public voting period, online voting is open to entries and contestants in the 13-17, 18-39 and 40+ age groups. Friends, fans and family can each vote once per person per video per day. In order to vote a person must create a profile and be signed-in through the HLAG website. The top 5 entries in each age division with the most votes will receive special prizes.

4. Wild Card Selection

A limited number of entries selected by Hit Like A Girl will be added to the Finalists as Wild Cards. These entries will be chosen by the Hit Like A Girl Directors based on the contestants' drumming skills and presentation.

5. Celebrity Judging

The Finalists will be judged by a panel of some of the world's top female and male drummers during the Celebrity Judging period. The Champions and Runners-Up will be determined using the standardized HLAG score sheet.

6. Regional Contests

For 2023, Hit Like A Girl regional contests will take place in China, France, UK, Turkey, Latin America and Southeast Asia. HLAG Contestants who reside in one of these countries/regions will automatically be entered in the regional contest when they register for the main contest. All Chinese entries will be judged separately from the main contest and the selected winners will be accepted as Finalists in the main contest.

Local judges will score the entries and special prizes will be awarded to the regional winners. A contestant’s regional status will not affect their status in the main contest.

And The Winner Is…

The 2023 Hit Like A Girl Champions, winners and special award recipients will be announced on the Hit Like A Girl website and social media pages on May 21, 2023.

*Note: Dates shown are subject to change.