This is a list of rules and FAQ for NGUAC2026!
Here is the Submissions Thread, here is the steeple.
Open up the DISCUSSION, and there's all the people.
TLDR at the bottom.
Post your questions, request notifications (@ or PM), and submission related queries in the comments! Additional discussion will take place in the discussion thread (once posted), and @LD-W's Discord!
What is NGUAC?
Only one of the most wholesome, inclusive, and totally bonkers music competitions on Newgrounds -- maybe ever! We gather every year for a three round competition, designed to give new and veteran artists a summer of fun! (and prizes!)
Banner Artist: The one, the only @MindChamber!
What makes NGUAC different from other competitions?
The NG Underdog Audio Competition is not not your usual fan favorite, big shot, professional only affair. Everybody gets a fair shake!
Our first two rounds divide entrants into groups of their peers. That means, whether you've been making music for two weeks or two decades, you're in for a good time!
What's new for 2026?
This year, we're working harder than ever to ensure the wildest, most dog eat dog competition possible. Competitors' fans, reach and skill will be assessed to determine brackets.
Is it a lot of work? Yes, but you're worth it!
And we're not stopping there.
Our lovely judges are especially incentivized to interact with your works! I will be personally gifting One Year NG Supporter Status to the judge who offers the most constructive feedback!
Or equivalent cash value, but you get it!
Tell us what kind of feedback matters to you this year. You will get an answer!
I will be reviewing every single submission, every category, bringing my 20 years of experience to bear. But I'm not alone.
This year's panel is full of Newgrounds greats, all of whom are excited to help out in any way they can.
NGUAC 2026 Panel: @acxle @ADR3-N @ALGOfficial @Cyberduffel/@Cyberduval @G2961 @KI1 @KlausTao @JamesHeart @Lakmest @Midimachine @Nerostratos @SplatterDash @Spondee @TeraVex @TrunotFals @Quarl @Quest @zeroizerozero
And maybe more. (Applications will remain open until the judging period!)
So, let all of your compositional, mixing, and mastering insecurities fly in the comments.
We'd love to hear them, because we're here for you!
Oh, and by the way, for the first time ever, we're offering a total of FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS in CASH PRIZES!
And so much more! That's right. NGUAC is paying cash money to our winners, plus the usual forum signatures, frontpages, and glorious accolades. So you better bring it!
Here's how much you could win in 2026:
- 1st place: $155
- 2nd place: $115
- 3rd place: $90
- 4th place: $55
- 5th place: $45
1st through 3rd place will receive custom forum signatures from @Everratic.
Top 3 receive 1 Year Supporter, courtesy myself.
All winning submissions will receive frontpages!
Cash Prize Contributors: @ADR3-N, @Everratic, @Interloping, and @MindChamber
Be sure to check them out!
These numbers could always increase, should anyone like to donate!
Secure donations may be made via DM to @TomFulp, or myself via ko-fi and PM!
How to enter?
To submit a track for tryouts, go to the Audio Forum. (I will update this with a proper link tomorrow!)
Find the NGUAC2026 - Submission Thread, click “respond to this topic”, and post a link to your track!
BUT FIRST, READ THIS:
- You may only enter ONCE as a solo artist OR team.
You may not collaborate with more than one team.
You also may not enter solo, then join a team.
All members must contribute to pieces submitted.
You can’t submit a collab as your tryout piece, if not everyone is competing.
Team size is unlimited. However, your submission should not resemble a compilation album! No submissions beyond 8 minutes.
Hiring someone to sing or play an instrument is fine.
You must compose and produce ALL other elements.
Non-teammates may NOT improvise.
- Follow the NG Audio guidelines. Copyrighted samples are prohibited. Use of generative AI is grounds for disqualification.
AI voice changers are okay for transforming a vocal or piano MIDI into another instrument.
AI composition of samples/demos is not allowed.
- Don’t overuse presets or stock loops. Songs that use full-length acapellas or pre-made drum loops - even if they’re not copyrighted - will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Covers, arrangements, remixes, remakes, and mash-ups are acceptable for the tryout round only, not the knock-out or final rounds.
- Post your entries to NEWGROUNDS. No submissions from Soundcloud, Bandcamp, etc. will be accepted!
However, you may share your entries to other sites, submit it to other contests, include it on your album, etc.
- Submit a piece of MUSIC. No comedy pieces, sound effect reels, or voice acting.
All genres are accepted. However, be advised that avant-garde “noise” music may receive lower scores than songs more “palatable” to the general public.
Songs on the extreme end of this scale may be disqualified on the basis of being “painful to listen to”, per NG Audio Guidelines.
- Only submit ONE song. You may change your submission at any time before the judging period commences, but not after.
Note:
- AFTER the submission deadline, please don’t replace or delete the audio file in Newgrounds' Project System until the following round starts.
- You can submit a song to the NGUAC that you had previously submitted to another contest on Newgrounds, like the NGADM. Just make sure to follow the rules for both contests.
What happens after tryouts?
The contest has 3 distinct rounds (tryouts, a knock-out round, and finals), each consisting of a submission phase of roughly 2 weeks, when the contestants make and upload their tracks, and a judging phase of 4-9 days, when the judges score those tracks.
Some contestants are eliminated after each round, and once you're eliminated you can't get back in (unlike the NGADM, there are no substitutions for people who drop out).
The last two rounds are tougher than tryouts, for a couple of reasons. First, PARTICIPANTS MUST WAIT to start working on their tracks until the corresponding forum thread is posted.
You also can’t create samples for the purpose of using them in a Knock-out or Final round piece before that round begins.
Covers, arrangements, VIPs, mash-ups, remakes, and remixes ARE NOT ALLOWED after Tryouts!
All submission phases close at 23:59 (11:59 p.m.) Eastern Daylight Time on the final date of each phase (see the schedule below). Submission phases open as soon as the forum thread for that round is posted.
Full contest schedule:
How will my song be scored/judged?
The judges score participants out of 10 by considering a variety of parameters. These vary by judge. Scores are averaged to determine who advances to future rounds.
Generally, the top 50% of competitors from each group are accepted into the Knock-out Round from Tryouts, and the top 25% are accepted into the Final Round from the Knock-out Round.
Most rounds, a given judge won’t score all of the competitors; we’ll divide it up by group.
Late submissions to any round will be accepted until 24 hours after the deadline with a “tax” on your score, according to the following:
Hours late = percentage off final score
<1 = 5%
1-3 = 10%
3-6 = 15%
6-24 = 20%
>24 = 100%
If you’re, say, EXACTLY 3 hours late, your submission will fall in the “3-6 hours” category.
DO NOT BE LATE. IT'S NOT WORTH IT!
How do the contest groups work?
After the tryout submission phase, participants are grouped evenly based on fan totals, reach, and skill level. These groupings help ensure that the best of the “Underdogs” advance as far as possible. It’s kinda the premise of the entire competition.
To be clear, the groupings are NOT an indicator of how good you are at making music. Often, Underdogs have fewer fans because they’re relatively new to the site, and All Stars have more fans for non-music reasons.
But overall, fans are probably the best, reasonably simple way of determining who might have a similar experience level, and accounting for skill level helps to shuffle the roster in a fair and balanced manner, in case of drop outs and other disparities.
If you are entering as a team or band from offsite, your fan totals elsewhere will be assessed in lieu of your relatively young NG account.
Also, team fan totals are added together (i.e., if one member has 20 fans and one has 60, and the All Stars each have 80+ fans, the team will compete in the All Stars group).
What happens if I win the contest?
Prizes will include forum signatures for the top 3 finishers boasting of their success in the competition, and your Final Round track will get posted on the front page of the Audio Portal the week after the competition. I’ll also personally give a year-long supporter status to the top 3 finishers. The top 5 will receive the aforementioned $575 in cash prizes!
TL;DR: DEFINITELY DON’T DO THESE THINGS
- Submit a piece to the Knock-out or Final Round that you worked on before the round started
- Submit a collaboration as your tryout piece when you’re not on a team
- Update your track in the project system during the judging phase
- Submit your track after the deadline
- Use copyrighted or stolen content
Thank you in advance for following the rules. Good luck and (most importantly) have fun! :D
