"CRYSTAL NOTE" COMPETITION RULES
Welcome to the World Music Award “Crystal Note”, the leading platform for identifying young performers of popular music worldwide, whose work best reflects the tastes and preferences of today’s audiences in this musical genre.
Our mission is to organize, through the yearly International Music Competition, a global, worldwide search for gifted musicians of different nationalities and faiths to present their talent to a wide audience.
Our mission is to encourage the creativity, innovation and excellence of talented young people in the field of popular music, to further promote the best of them on all continents to improve cultural understanding and creation of the common ground between different nations.
These Rules define the main goals and objectives of the World Music Award Crystal Note International Music Competition (hereinafter referred to as the Crystal Note Competition or the Competition), the organization and implementation of the contest, the obligations of the parties and the procedure for selecting the Winner.
Section 1:
Basic terms and definitions
THE ARTS & SIENCE ACHIEVEMENT FOUNDATION Inc. corporation, (USA) non-profit organization (IRS US License 501 (c) (3)) and CGG International W.L.L. (Kingdom of Bahrain). The Founders are the copyright owners of the concept, the trademark of the Crystal Note Competition, and all intellectual property produced as part of the project. The Founders perform within the framework of this creative project all organizational functions related to its implementation, television recording, promotion and distribution of the produced content on the territory of any country interested in cooperation.
Organizer.
A legal entity responsible for the organization, promotion and financing of the Competition in the respective year. The Organizer may be a different entity every year and is chosen by the Founder of the Competition. The rights and obligations of the Organizer, as well as the scope of work performed by it, rights to the created intellectual property during the project are regulated by the Contract and/or other legal documents signed by the Organizer and the Founder of the Crystal Note Competition.
“CRYSTAL NOTE”-2026 COMPETITION SCHEDULE
The Competition is held monthly in different countries of the world every 2 months during the year from the moment of its beginning in the first participating country and ends with the Finals in the last participating country. The participating country where the competition concerts are held is determined by the Founders 120 days before the start of the “Crystal Note” Competition and can be changed to another country no later than 3 months before the arrival of the contestants in the chosen country.
“Sea Wave” – unconventional spectators voting system.
To find the most talented and gifted young performers of popular music, and to stimulate the audience to vote and choose the winners of the Crystal Note Competition, in all countries of the Competition and in the Finals, there will be a specially developed system of voting by the audience using call centers of the National Banks of the participating countries.
This voting system, created considering modern forms of communication between people in our society, allows us to take into account existing trends in popular music and its influence on today’s youth. The voting procedure and the system of counting the audience votes “Sea Wave” should be communicated to all organizers of TV-radio and Internet broadcasts, contest concerts and published on the Competition website no later than 3 months before the first audience voting.
Musical Composition (song).
Musical composition means an original musical work with lyrics (song) or without, performed by the Participant (contestant) during his/her performance in front of the audience in the competition concert.
Minus (backing track) and/or instrumental phonogram.
A recording of a piece of music that does not contain a solo vocal part or a solo instrument. On a minus phonogram, the “back vocal” parts are usually recorded. In an instrumental phonogram, any vocal parts are absent.
Participant (contestant).
Vocalists, vocal-instrumental groups (rock bands), vocal ensembles (not more than 8 people), no younger than 18 years old and no older than 35 years old at the time of submission of the Application Form, working in the genre of popular music including: country, folk and rock music, officially admitted to the Competition by the Organizer.
Competition.
A set of mandatory activities to ensure an objective evaluation and selection of the winners of the World Music Award Crystal Note
- Two competition concerts in the participating country, the Participant (contestant) shall perform on stage at each concert one Musical Composition prepared specially for the Competition.
- The Gala concert with the participation of the Competition Winner, winners of World Music Award Crystal Note awards and special prizes, as well as popular performers who headlined the competition concerts during the year.
- Solo performances by internationally renowned performers of popular music lasting at least 60 minutes during audience voting and vote counting at the end of each competition concert.
- Awarding ceremony of the Grand Winner and winners of the Crystal Note Competition awards and special prizes.
- Issue of the Crystal Note Disk with the songs of the winners.
Competition performance is a conceptual staged performance reflecting the culture and/or current trends of the participating country. The staged performance shall include a live performance of the Competition song by one or more performers accompanied by a dance and/or vocal support group and/or musicians, as well as visual and stage effects (in coordination with the Organizer’s producers and staging team).
A video clip about the Participant (contestant) to be presented before the beginning of the competition performance. The video presentation is created by the Participant (contestant) and approved by the Organizer and/or Founders of the Competition
Participant’s (contestant’s) team. A creative team accompanying the Participant (contestant) during his/her stay and performance at the “Crystal Note” Competition. The Contestant’s Team consists of the artists (musicians, dancers, backup singers) involved in the performance. There should not be more than 8 artists on stage during the performance. The Participant’s (contestant’s) team shall not exceed 10 people total.
“CRYSTAL NOTE” COMPETITION VENUE.
A specific participating country out of 12 countries where the competition concerts are held, a specific city therein and an actual concert venue.
THE VENUE OF THE “CRYSTAL NOTE” COMPETITION FINALS.
The participating country, city and concert venue where the Competition Finals, award ceremony of the Grand Winners and other prize- winners will be held and from where the broadcasting and/or video recording of the Competition Finals is conducted. The venue for the Finals is determined only by the Founders and approved in agreement with the Organizer.
COMPETITION LOGO
The World Music Award Crystal Note symbol common for all countries, which is approved by the Founders of the Competition and registered by them in all participating countries as a trademark.
HONORARY COMMITTEE
A group of independent outstanding representatives of the world show business, international specialists in the field of IT technologies, enjoying unquestionable authority among colleagues, invited by the Founders and the Organizer for:
- Approval of the unified voting system for spectators “Sea wave”
- Control over the transparency of the counting of audience votes at all stages of the Competition, during the organization and broadcasting of the World Music Award Crystal Note Competition concerts on all information resources involved in covering the Competition.
- Timely announcement and publication of the final results of the audience vote count in each country after the end of the competition concerts and their broadcasts.
- Observing the procedure of the final counting of spectator votes and signing of the “Crystal Note Competition Spectator Voting Certificate”.
WINNERS OF THE CONTEST
Winners of the Grand Prize, First, Second and Third Prizes are the participants (contestants) who scored the highest number of points during the year of the Crystal Note Competition according to the results of the audience voting. The winners of the Competition are also considered to be the winners of the World Music Award Crystal Note Special Awards and prizes approved by the Founders of the Competition
Section 2:
General Provisions
WORLD MUSIC AWARD “CRYSTAL NOTE” COMPETITION
The INTERNATIONAL MUSIC MARATHON will launch in May 2026 – in Armenia – and continue quarterly through 2026 and 2027, with events hosted in Armenia, the United Kingdom, Turkey, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the United States (in non-chronological order).
THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES
The countries where the World Music Award Crystal Note Competition performances are held during the year, are determined by the Founders 120 days prior to the Competition. They may change annually, as well as during the Competition itself.
THE WORLD MUSIC AWARD “CRYSTAL NOTE” MUSIC MARATHON
is held in the first season 2026/2027 by the Competition Organizer – CGG International W.L.L. –
in the following 12 countries:
- Russia (Moscow)
- Indonesia (Jakarta)
- Armenia (Yerevan)
- Brazil
- United States (Florida)
- Bahrain
The next six (6) countries hosting the Crystal Note Competition in the 2025/2026 season will be announced by the Organizer no earlier than November 20, 2025, but no later than 3 months prior to the competition concerts in those countries.
COMPETITIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE PARTICIPANT (CONTESTANT)
is performed at concerts under a minus and/or instrumental phonogram with the possibility of superimposing no more than 3 (three) live instruments.
THE MAIN CONDITIONS, stages of preparation and conduct of the Crystal Note Competition are provided to the Participants (contestants) within 30 days after receiving a full package of documents from them:
- Application forms, of the established template.
- Agreement on the transfer of rights to third parties for the performance of musical works (songs) in the competition concerts, as well as their broadcasting rights on informational resources involved in the coverage of the Crystal Note Competition Demo phonograms of musical works (songs) to be performed at the Crystal Note Competition
INFORMATION
about the Crystal Note Competition should be posted on the official Competition website www.WMACrystalnote.com
Official correspondence and submission of documents to the Competition shall be made by e-mail:
The headquarters of the Founders and organizers of the “CRYSTAL NOTE” Competition
is located at the address:
CGG International W.L.L. C.R. 180523-1,
Office 33, Building 114, Road 383, Block 316, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
TEL USA: +1 (703) 608-5992
TEL BAHRAIN: +973 3883 2544
The Organizer has the right to DISQUALIFY a Participant (Contestant) at any stage of the Competition if his/her actions or behavior are displaying:
- Non-compliance of the Participant’s (contestant’s) behavior with the principles, Mission and ideology of the Crystal Note Competition
- Indications of violations of the laws of the United States of America, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the particular Country where the competition is held
- Indications of a violation of Florida U.S. law
- Promoting violence
- Discrimination of any kind, including racial discrimination
- Propaganda and promotion of the ideas of the LGBT movement on the stage
Signs of violation of generally accepted moral and ethical norms.
Use of illegitimate and immoral methods of influencing the result of viewers’ voting, any forms of pressure on them.
Section 3:
Primary Responsibilities of the “CRYSTAL NOTE” Competition Organizers:
- Provide entry visa support to the Competition participants, their team members, accredited journalists to enter the country of the Competition.
- The organizer covers the expenses of the participants related to the transportation of the participants to the place of the competition, rehearsals, performances and television shooting of the event, as well as the costs of accommodation and meals.
- The Organizer covers the expenses of the Members of the Honorary Committee related to transportation to the place of the competition, rehearsals, performances and television filming of the event, as well as accommodation and meals.
- Provide transportation of participants from the accommodation hotel to the competition venue and back according to the approved schedule of rehearsals and competition events.
- Provide a stage area equipped with professional equipment, lighting, video and sound equipment for rehearsals and performances.
- Conduct timely draws prior to rehearsals and competition events.
- Provide a global system of independent voting by viewers “Sea Wave”:
– in the hall during the Competition Concerts
– for radio listeners during the broadcast of the Competition Concerts on the co-organizers’ radio stations
– for TV viewers during the broadcasting of the Competition Concerts on the TV channels in the broadcasting countries
– for Internet users while they watch the concert-competition on streaming platforms.
- Provides the Participants (contestants) and broadcasters with all visual and technical characteristics of the stage in the countries where the Competition concerts are held and the format standards for the broadcasting of the Competition Finals, as well as to provide them with consultations if necessary.
- Provide in advance the event plan, script and necessary information to the Participants (contestants) and broadcasters of the the competition events for subsequent translation by commentators into the native language of the broadcasting country.
- To determine and award the Winner of the Competition and all prize winners and special award recipients in accordance with the Certificate of Points as voted on and approved by the Honorary Committee.
Section 4:
Primary Responsibilities of the “CRYSTAL NOTE” Competition Organizers:
- Carefully study these Basic Rules of the “Crystal Note “Competition, all its regulations and rules governing the contest, which will be published on the contest website.
- Participate in all competition and finals concerts to be held throughout the year in 12 countries of the world. A participant (contestant) who fails to attend one of the competition concerts in any of the countries of the Music Marathon for any non-valid reason will be automatically eliminated from the competition.
- Submit the Application Form and the supporting documents within the established deadlines and properly executed, entering only true information in the Application Form.
- Timely, independently and/or with the involvement of specialists, to develop the concept and staging of his/her Competition Performance in accordance with the technical rider of the Competition Hall and the requirements provided by the Organizer.
- Timely provide all necessary audio-video materials requested by the Organizer in the format specified by the Organizer.
- Inform timely the Organizer about any circumstances arising in the preparation and/or during the Competition Events that prevent the Participant (contestant) from fulfilling its obligations.
- Provide information about each member of their Team, which should include no more than 10 people, including the Participant (contestant), stage performers, administrative and production team.
- The Participant (Contestant) must sign and return the following documents to the Organizer no later than 10 days before the start of the Competition performance:
– Agreement on the transfer of rights by the authors of the Competition songs to the Participant (contestant) in the amount sufficient for their performance by the Participant at the Competition concerts in front of the audience, as well as their broadcasting by the Organizer on all the informational resources involved in the coverage of the Competition.
– Agreement with the Participant (contestant) containing the terms and conditions of his/her transfer of rights to the Contest Organizers, and if necessary to third parties, of the exclusive right to use the Contest songs during the Crystal Note Competition.
– Agreement on the terms and conditions of the Contestant’s (Participant’s) participation in the World Music Award Crystal Note, including all consents necessary for the Organizer to conduct and promote the Competition.
- The Participant (Contestant) may be disqualified from participating in the Competition events if the documents specified in p.4.8 above are not provided by him/her or are not received by the Founders or the Organizer.
Section 5:
The contestant(s) shall have the right to:
- Independently select a piece of music and/or song and concert costume to be performed at the Competition events
- When performing on stage under a minus or instrumental phonogram, the Participant (Contestant) has the right to connect no more than 3 (three) instruments, as well as to use screen graphics, the timing of which must correspond to the time of performance of the Competition song. The Organizer shall provide technical requirements for the video file.
- Invite a single accompanying person, who is not a member of the team, who takes care of all his/her own expenses for his/her transportation and stay at the Competition. In this case, the Participant (contestant) must provide the Organizer with information about his/her accompanying person 2 weeks before the start date of the Competition to book his/her accommodation and intracity transportation.
- Receive information about the Competition, depending on the stage in which he/she participates, to the extent and in the manner specified in these Rules.
- Receive prizes and awards in accordance with these Rules, if provided by the Organizer.
- To post and/or publish in the media, on Internet platforms and social networks during the stay at the Crystal Note Competition, any information about their participation in it, their impressions of the competition and the country of stay, after approval of the information posted with the Organizers or Founders of the Competition.
- The Participant (Contestant) shall submit for approval by the Founders of the Competition the Competition songs chosen by him/her independently in accordance with the following criteria:
– The theme of the Competition song should correspond to spiritual and moral human values, be positive in meaning
– The Competition song/production must be popular in the country of the Participant or the country of the Competition. It may be a song from the repertoire of a popular artist, or a song specially written for the Participant (contestant)
– The musical composition/song should be written in the genre of pop or rock music, but may contain ethnic and folk sound elements/sample, reflecting the culture of the participant’s home country
– The duration of the Competition songs performed by the Participant in any language of his/her choice shall be no less than 2 minutes and no more than 3.15 minutes respectively. By way of exception, the Founders may authorize an increase in the timing of a song by 15 seconds.
- Only songs can be performed in Competition whose authors of music and lyrics have given the Participant (contestant) permission to be used by the Organizers and related third parties. Copies of contracts with the authors of music and lyrics must be submitted to the Organizer (see clause 4.8 of these Rules).
- The participant (contestant) is allowed to perform different songs in each country of the Competition marathon, allowing him/her to fully present his/her abilities and talent to the audience.
- In case of winning the Competition, the Performer has the right to sing any song in the gala concert at his/her own will, including a new song that was not performed in the competition concerts but subject of all conditions and limitations defined in these Rules.
The competition performance of the song on stage must be the same during all rehearsals and the event itself.
Section 6:
System for Determining the Winners of the Competition
- The competition is open to performers who already have their own fans, their own repertoire and their own view of music. They do not need to be taught a profession. They are musicians whose dream is to become an IDOL FOR MILLIONS, and participation in the World Music Award Crystal Note International Music Competition Marathon is their chance to increase the number of their followers all over the world.
- Determination of the winner of the World Music Award Crysal Note takes place in an unconventional format for international competitions – the competition is held monthly throughout the year in 12 different countries in turn in front of an international, heterogeneous in age and social status audience.
- For the first time there is no Professional Jury at an International Music Competition. The owner of the Grand Prize of 500,000 US dollars and other winners of monetary awards and prizes of the World Music Award Crysal Note will be determined by “live” voting of the audience at concert venues in 12 countries of the world, as well as by the audience who gave their vote for their favorite performer during TV-radio and Internet broadcasts of the contest.
- The World Music Award Crystal Note uses a toll-free phone system of the Call Center of the National Bank of the country servicing the contest to evaluate the contestants by the audience.
- All spectators’ calls received by the Bank’s Call Center within one hour after the end of the contest concert and/or its broadcast are registered by automatic operators, which ensure universal accessibility and “transparency” of spectator voting.
- The votes collected by each artist over the year will determine the fate of all the World Music Award Crysal Note prizes and awards.
- To ensure and stimulate mass voting by the audience for the contestants, the Founders have established:
– Every 100th (hundredth) call received by the Bank’s Call Center receives a “judge’s fee” of $50 USD.
– Viewers who win the “judges’ fee” once are eligible to continue voting for contestants during the season,
– The spectators who managed to accumulate at least 10 (ten) “judges’ fees” in the season are invited at all expenses paid by the Organizers to the Final Competition Concert, where the winners are determined
The technology and specifics of the audience voting procedure shall be published by the Competition Organizers on the Competition website and communicated to the audience on the eve of tickets for the Competition concerts going on sale.
Section 7:
Awarding the Participants and Winners of the Competition
The total World Music Award Crysal Note Prize Fund in 2025-2026 is $2,000,000 (two million) USD and is made up of the following cash prizes and awards:
GRAND PRIZE
in the amount of $500,000 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND) US dollars, the “Crystal Note Golden Statuette” and the Crystal Note Competition Diploma will be awarded to the performer with the highest number of votes according to the results of the audience voting in 12 countries of the world.
FIRST PRIZE
in the amount of $300,000 (THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND) and a Crystal Note Competition Diploma.
SECOND PRIZE
in the amount of $200,000 (TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND) and a Crystal Note Competition Diploma.
THIRD PRIZE
in the amount of $ 100.000 (ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND) and the Crystal Note Competition diploma.
NOTE:
– By the decision of the Organizers, the First, Second and Third Prizes may be divided between two participants with the same number of points.
– The Founders have the right to award their personal prize to any of the contestants, the amount of which shall not exceed $100.000 US dollars
– Special prize of the Organizer. Release of the Crystal Note disk with the songs of the Competition Winners at one of the leading recording studios in the USA, with the right to record the phonograms of the songs of the Participants (contestants) with famous American musicians.
– The Organizer have the right to invite additionally to record on this disk any 1 (one) contestant who participated in concerts during the year0
Section 8:
Video and Sound Recording.
- The rights to all video and audio materials recorded during all events related to the Competition for further distribution in all countries of the world belong to the Founders of the WORLD MUSIC AWARD “CRYSTAL NOTE”.
- Contestants shall resolve at their own cost and expense all copyright and related rights issues arising from their transfer to the Founders of WORLD MUSIC AWARD “CRYSTAL NOTE”.
- Any claims, demands or lawsuits related to rights for musical works performed by the contestant during the Competition and included in the TV programs and any audio-video products, the Participant (contestant) resolves him/herself and at his/her own expense.
