The Music Center's Spotlight

Southern California high school students of ALL skill levels are encouraged to apply for FREE to The Music Center’s Spotlight competition! Nationally recognized, Spotlight provides students with both performing arts scholarships and artistic development through expert advice, coaching, auditions and mastery classes taught by professional artists and arts administrators. Apply for this program and get an opportunity for cash scholarships and the chance to hone your artistic skills and gain other life skills such as preparation, courage, critical thinking and perseverance. We award $100,000 in cash scholarships to students each year and also offer personalized feedback, mastery classes with world-renowned artists, performing arts workshops and more!

Categories: Acting, Ballet, Dance, Classical Instrumental, Contemporary Instrumental, Classical Voice and Non-Classical Voice

• Preliminary 1 (First Round) auditions will be online video submissions.
• Preliminary 2 and Semifinal rounds will be live auditions.
• Spotlight Semifinalists and Honorable Mention awardees from the previous year will automatically bypass Preliminary 1 and advance to Preliminary 2 auditions.
• Spotlight Merit Awardees from the previous year will automatically bypass Preliminary 1 but must submit a video in their application.

View Category Rules

By applying to Spotlight, you are eligible for:

• Cash awards up to $5,000
• Written feedback from our distinguished panel of judges
• Mastery classes with world-renowned artists or artistic directors
• College and career preparation
• Live audition experience and coaching
• Grand Prize Finalist performance
• School achievement recognition
• News and social media coverage opportunities
• Online access to The Spotlight Academy

Cash Awards

The Music Center's Spotlight program awards over $100,000 in cash awards annually to Grand Prize Finalists, Semifinalists, Honorable Mentions and Merit awardees.

Fourteen Grand Prize Finalists are chosen; two from each category.