6-Week "March Madness"- Style DS vs. DS Bracket

By Jessel Thomas First Posted: Oct 11, 2021 09:30 PM EDT

UpStaged and NCPA are selecting the best college DJs from 107 HBCUs, 357 Division I, and hundreds of "Cinderella" schools to compete in the Biggest Virtual College DJ Competition Ever. Entrants compete to become the 2021 NCPA College DJ National Champion. $10K in cash prizes will be split among winning DJs and their chosen environmental & social justice charities.

Contest Mechanics

DJs will be judged on skills, music selection, overall sound and energy, performance creativity, and direct engagement with the audience across various musical styles and genres. Fans will vote digitally on DJ videos displayed via the UpStaged website, with the Finals presented as a livestream event. DJs eligible to compete are (A) currently enrolled students or (B) 2020/2021 graduates (giving those who lost performance time during the past year and a half of the pandemic additional opportunities to compete, just like the NCAA gave college athletes).

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Winning DJs receive prize money totaling $5,000+, with Copolo providing matching donations to each DJ's social justice charity of choice in this bracket-style college performing arts competition (modeled after the NCAA's "March Madness"). Tournament rounds feature a head-to-head, 3-minute-video vs. 3-minute-video structure. Winners are determined by a combination of fan voting (up to 3 rounds) and celebrity judging (quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals).

Key Points:

● Biggest Virtual College DJ Championship Ever - Find out more!

● DJs Compete for Social/Environmental Justice Charities (ranging from the NAACP to the Red Cross)

● Sponsored by International Travel Agency Copolo & Renowned Music Manufacturer Roland

● Title Sponsor Copolo, a cutting-edge sustainability-focused travel agency, will match DJ winnings with donations to selected Environmental/Social Justice Charities. Roland provides top-of-the-line DJ equipment.

● Prior UpStaged Championships Receive Acclaim - NCPA College A Cappella Championships featured on NPR's Morning Edition: 4 Teams Head Into Finals Of Collegiate A Cappella Championship: NPR. Spectacular Lincoln Center "Step and the City" NCPA Step Championships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vt7IQXdurI.

● Unprecedented "March Madness"-Style Bracketed Format in the Performing Arts: From "Cue 32" to "Spinning 16," "Rave 8" Regional Champions, and "Fast Track Four" to a National Champion and NCPA DJ All-Americans.

● Celebrity DJ Judges - Including DJ Immortal (Reigning 2020 DMC U.S. Champion), Grammy Award-Winning DJ Babey Drew, and acclaimed DJ Twins Angel & Dren.

● First 100 Eligible DJ Entrants Get Roland Headphones - The first 100 eligible DJs to register and submit videos receive Roland earbuds, a $100+ value. Winners of subsequent rounds receive additional equipment.

Our Star-Studded Celebrity Judges and Host