Rules

Since the beginning of the Hit Like A Girl contest in 2012, our goal has been to create a fun, fair, and safe environment to celebrate, elevate, cultivate and activate girls, women, female-identifying and non-binary drummers. Here is a quick run-down of recent adjustments to our contest rules and procedures.

  • All entries will be graded by a preliminary panel of leading drum educators. Information on these outstanding instructors can be found in the “Preliminary” tab here.
  • Each week during the 6-week contest period, the 10 top-rated entries in each age group from the preliminary round will participate in "Weekly Contests" and be judged by a panel of educators. The top 3 entries in each age group will be identified as “Weekly Winners”, receive prizes and move on to the final round. For more information and a list of Weekly judges, click here.
  • In addition to the Weekly Winners from each age group, up to 7 “Wild Card” entries will be chosen from all remaining entries by HLAG Directors and Advisors and included in the final round where they will be judged by top professional drummers from around the world.
  • Contestants from the 13-17, 18-39 and 40+ age groups can also participate in the Popular Voting contest. The 5 entries in each age group that receive the most votes at the end of the 2-week online voting period will receive special prizes. Popular Voting winners will not be included in the final round unless they are also selected as a weekly winner or wild card.
  • Contestants in the <13 age group are not eligible to participate in Popular voting.
  • All eligible HLAG 2023 drumset contestants can also participate in this year's Mini-Contests where additional judging and prizes are offered. Details and eligibility requirements can be found in the “Special Contests” menu on the www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com homepage.
  • Additional entries from all age groups will be selected by HLAG Directors, Advisors and Sponsors and awarded educational and promotional opportunities, including scholarships, lessons and marketing support.

Age Divisions

There are 4 age divisions in the Drumset  contest. The age of a contestant is determined by her most recent birthday prior to the start of the contest (March 1, 2022).

The Drumset age groups are:

<13

13-17

18-39

40+

Contest Eligibility

Eligibility

Hit Like A Girl is open to girls, women, female-identifying and non-binary individuals. There are no restrictions on age, style or instrumentation.

Champions (grand prize winners) of previous Hit Like A Girl contests are not eligible to participate in the contest in the same age group in which they won. However, previous finalists and entrants may participate.

Individuals must be a qualified entrant to participate in the Contest. A “Qualified Entrant” is defined as one who:

a) does not earn more than $30,000 adjusted gross per year as a professional musician, based on the prior tax year.

b) is not a party to any professional endorsement or entertainment contracts that, in the Sponsor’s determination, conflict with the spirit of the contest.

For purposes of clarity, the term “professional musician” does not include teaching music or giving music lessons. Income derived from teaching-related activities is not counted in determination of a contestant’s status.

Exclusions

The Contest is void where prohibited by law. Employees of sponsors and media supporters and each of their affiliated companies, parents, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees and their immediate families or family members are not eligible to participate in this contest. Any person employed by or interning with Hit Like A Girl Contest at any time from March 1, 2023 through the conclusion of the Contest will be considered an “Employee” and is not eligible to enter.

The Contest

Our goal is to encourage more girls, women, female-identifying and non-binary individuals to participate by creating opportunities, benefits and rewards for all players. We therefore have several types of contests, several types of prizes and several types of winners within Hit Like A Girl.

Scoring
The HLAG Drumset Evaluation Sheet was developed by leading educators and scores entries on Groove, Sound, Technique, Musicality & Interpretation, Presentation, Showmanship & Effect and Story.

Participation Rewards
Everyone who enters HLAG can receive a certificate of participation upon request.

NEW! Mini-Contests
This year, Hit Like A Girl and its sponsors will present several "Mini-Contests" where Drumset and Beatmaking contestants have additional opportunities to receive prizes, recognition and exposure:
- "Moises.AI"

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

Weekly Winners
“Weekly Winners" in each age division of the drumset category will be chosen during each week of the contest. These winners will be determined by an esteemed team of judges. "Weekly Winners" will be announced weekly beginning March 13, 2023. Weekly Winners automatically move on to the final round.

Regional Contests
For 2023, 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 only 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. In general, a contestant’s regional status will not affect their status in the main contest.  Please note that entrants residing in China are not eligible to directly enter the international contest.

Public Voting
Beginning April 12, 2023 a “Vote Now” button will be added to each contestant’s page on the website. Entries in the under 13 age group are not eligible for Public Voting. By registering and signing-in using their HLAG profile, any person may vote for as many of the contestant videos as desired but only one vote per person per contestant per day is allowed. Any contestant or individual who violates these rules may be disqualified.

After carefully monitoring the voting logs, all votes are verified, certified, updated and posted daily. The logs show a variety of information, including account name, email address, IP address and time stamp. Any fraudulent voting, whether committed by the contestant or another person, whether related or unrelated to the contestant, will be considered grounds for penalties and/or disqualification.

The public voting period will close on April 25, 2023 at 11:59 PM PDT with the top 5 entries in each age division receiving special recognition and prizes.

Celebrity Judging
Drumset: Up to 25 Finalists in each age division of the Drumset category will be announced on or about April 28, 2023. Celebrity judging will occur from April 28 to May 11, 2023. One Champion and two Runners-Up will be selected in each age division by a panel of 10 to 12 celebrity judges. These winners receive category-appropriate prizes and performance opportunities (at the discretion of HLAG management).

Special Awards
Special Award recipients are selected by representatives of a range of media and educational sponsors based on talent, geography and/or need.

Winner Announcements & Notifications

The 2023 Hit Like A Girl Champions and other winners will be notified via email and announced on the Hit Like A Girl website on May 15, 2023.

*Note: dates and rules subject to change without notice.