UK Choir of the Year Eligibility

• UK Based Choirs

  • Any adult amateur choir based in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland may apply.

• Amateur Choirs

  • This competition is open to amateur choirs only.

  • For the purposes of UK Choir of the Year, an amateur choir is defined as one in which no members — except the conductor, musical director and accompanist — are paid to participate in the ensemble.

  • Choirs may still be paid for performances, provided singers are not salaried or regularly paid as members of the group.

  • Choirs containing multiple singers who identify as professional singers, or who earn a significant proportion of their income from professional singing work elsewhere, may not be eligible.

  • Choirs that identify as “semi-professional” are not eligible to apply.

  • Both auditioned and non-auditioned choirs are welcome.

  • Choirs must be established ensembles and not ad hoc groups formed solely for the competition.

  • The final decision regarding eligibility and amateur status rests with UK Choir of the Year. If you are unsure whether your choir qualifies, please contact us before applying, as application fees are non-refundable.

• Adult Choirs

  • All singers must be aged 18 or over on 1 September 2026.

  • University, conservatoire, academy and drama school choirs are welcome to apply. However, to ensure a balanced competition, there will be a limit on the number of such choirs progressing to the Category Finals.

• Types of choirs

  • All types of choirs are welcome, including mixed choirs, men’s choirs, women’s choirs, upper-voice choirs, a cappella groups and accompanied choirs.

  • All musical genres are welcome, including (but not limited to) classical, gospel, pop, jazz, folk, musical theatre, barbershop and traditional-language repertoire.

  • Choirs may apply for both the Classical and Contemporary categories if appropriate. However separate applications and application fees are required for each category.

  • A choir may only be selected as a finalist in one category. Where a choir is considered strong enough for finalist selection in more than one category, the competition will determine the most appropriate category for that choir.

  • Community choirs with a highly selective or competitive audition process must apply for the Classical or Contemporary categories.

  • Community choirs using light-touch auditions, for example for vocal placement or balance, may still apply for the Community category.

  • If you are unsure which category is most appropriate for your choir, please contact us before applying, as application fees are non-refundable.

• Choir Size

  • Choirs must consist of between 12 and 80 singers.

  • This limit may increase to 100 singers depending on final staging and venue capacity at Milton Court Concert Hall. Choirs wishing to exceed 80 singers should contact us before applying.

  • The number of singers performing in the live finals should remain broadly consistent with the audition video.

All judging, eligibility and progression decisions by UK Choir of the Year are final and not subject to appeal.