2023 IKF KARAOKE CUP RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. Who is eligible to enter:
1.1. Upon entering into the competition, all entrants must be:
a) 21 years of age or over
b) The contestant must represent a country. They must have lived in the country for over 3 years or have citizenship (i.e. a national passport and social security number) of the country they are representing.
c) An amateur performer.
1.2. An amateur is defined as someone who meets the following criteria –
a) Does not have a regular income as a vocalist. A regular income is defined as someone making a living from singing.
b) Does not have a management contract or a recording contract as a singer with a major record label or a music based production.
c) Has independent record releases or has recent independent releases on streaming platforms like Spotify, etc.
d) A participant in a vocal / talent-based television show as long as they were not given any contractual obligations that might be in conflict with participating in the full competition season.
1.3. Employees (as per the definition below) of the following are not eligible to enter the competition.
a) Country partners. If you are the person (or one of the persons) responsible for producing your national competition, you cannot participate as a singer.
b) IKF Karaoke Cup Officials, Judges, or Coaches are not eligible.
c) Employees of participating venues cannot enter at the venue where they work. They can try out for another participating venue team. An employee is anyone whose services are rendered or subcontracted, whether paid or not, by the associated business.
1.4. Direct Family Members (definition below) of employees (per the definition above) cannot enter at a venue where their family works. They may enter the competition by trying out for another participating venue team. Direct Family Members include direct family members, domestic partners whether married or unmarried, fiancées, boyfriends, girlfriends, and anyone who lives in the same household (whether they are related or not).
2. Entry Conditions:
2.1. All entries are subject to the competition’s full Conditions of Entry. If an entrant is unsure of their position, they must contact Karaoke Cup management via www.karaokecup.org. for verification of eligibility;
2.2. Contestants may try out at any participating venue within their City/State/Province during the competition. Once they have won a place on that venue’s team, they may NOT continue to compete for a place on another venue’s team.
2.3. Once a contestant has won a place on a venue team, they will immediately secure their place in the State/Provincial Final Tournament. They may no longer enter the competition again at the venue team level.
2.4. If a contestant is unsuccessful in a venue final making a team, they may try out for any other participating venue team for the duration of State trials.
2.5. Venues may require a minimum attendance of contestants during the venue team trials. It is the entrant’s responsibility to check with their karaoke operator regarding individual venue team trial requirements;
2.6. The organizers reserve the right to disqualify any contestant whose manner, or that of their associates, is disrespectful towards other singers, coordinators, sponsors, and organizers of the event. No correspondence will be entered into.
2.7. Any contestant, family member, or associate who argues the decision of officials may be considered unruly and the contestant may be disqualified from advancing in the competition. Should the argument concerning the official outcome of a final event, and the contestant be awarded a prize, that contestant may be stripped of the prize and such prize awarded to another contestant.
2.8. A State/Provincial representative shall be at every venue to answer any complaints concerning the competition. No representative shall answer a complaint concerning official judge scores or the opinions of the judges or outcomes of any judged event.
2.9. Complaints, not made in person at the event, concerning any breach of rules must be made in writing and sent by email to info@karaokecup.org. A complaint must be filed no later than one week after the tournament or finals in question to be considered for action. Such a complaint should include all relevant facts concerning such a complaint. If the complaint concerns the eligibility of a winning contestant the complaint must include relevant material. Any statements of fact are to be notarized, including statements by witnesses.
3. Entry Requirements:
3.1. All International entrants must be eligible to obtain a passport and Visa (if applicable) to the United States should they make it to a Karaoke Cup National Team.
3.2. All US entrants are responsible for ensuring they are fit for national travel and have no apparent reason for being ineligible to travel. Proof may be required.
3.3. The organizers reserve the right to make the final decision regarding an entrant’s eligibility over and above these conditions of entry. Entrants may be asked to sign legal documents and provide proof of eligibility.
3.4. All issues regarding an entrant’s eligibility must be addressed, clarified, and cleared prior to the start of Tournament season. Proof of claim will be required.
3.5 If you have been removed or prohibited from any of the participating team venue locations within your state/provincial competitions for any reason you will not be able to compete at the State/Provincial Finals Tournament.
4. National Prize Packages:
4.1. USA and Canadian singers selected in their State/Provincial Finals will advance to the International Finals in Seattle, USA.
4.2. One winner from each Karaoke Cup National Finals will win airfare and accommodations to the International Finals in Seattle.
4.3 Prizes for the 2023 IKF Karaoke Cup International Finals will be listed at www.karaokecup.org
4.4. Competitors will be responsible for all costs that are not offered as part of their prize including, but not limited to, travel costs to and from all airports, travel insurance, food & drinks, and any additional travel outside the offered prize package, including but not limited to, any costs incurred during their trip to compete as a National Representative at the 2023 IKF Karaoke Cup International Finals.
4.5. Any additional travelers going with a winning contestant to a Venue, State, National, or International Finals will travel entirely at their own expense.
4.6. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Venue team winners are required to attend their respective Venue and State Finals. State Team Final winners are required to attend the National Finals. National Finals Team winners are required to attend the International Finals. Entrants who do not attend their respective finals will forfeit any prizes not already presented to them.
5. Competition Format:
5.1. Preliminary competitions will be held for various venue teams in participating countries. Variations may occur for certain venue teams including, but not limited to, the number of preliminary competitions conducted, the number of entrants selected at each preliminary competition, and the number of representatives selected for each team. All variations, including but not limited to the number of representatives selected for each venue team to move on, are at the sole discretion of IKF-sanctioned organizers only.
5.2. A select number of winners will make a venue team and be eligible to compete in the State/Provincial Final Tournament for their participating state/province.
5.3. Contestants may sing any song of their choice during the qualifying and venue finals with a maximum time limit of 5:00. No song can exceed 5 minutes. This means a song must be finished by the 5-minute mark, not faded out.
5.4. It is the sole discretion of the State/Provincial General Manager as to how many songs will be performed by each contestant at each Venue team final and State/Provincial Finals.
5.5. It is the State/Provincial General Managers’ decision as to how often songs can be repeated by different contestants in any venue trial or State/Provincial Final and if duplications are allowable. Having reached this level of competition contestants should have a small repertoire of songs at the ready and register their songs early if possible.
5.6. Venues and karaoke operators may conduct their preliminaries and finals in a manner that suits their own venue. At all times they are requested to adhere to the ‘Conditions of Entry’ & Karaoke Cup judging criteria & conduct their qualifying and finals in a fair manner.
5.7. All contestants are responsible for their own travel & accommodation costs to and from all preliminary competitions, venue team finals, & State/Provincial Finals.
5.8. It is the contestant’s responsibility to be present when their name is called for competition regardless of the estimated and posted start or performance time. Contestants who do not appear when their name/number is called will be eliminated from the competition. It is suggested that contestants be available 30 minutes prior to your scheduled competition time. Check with your State/Provincial General Manager for any specific rules.
5.9. Upon completion of performances the contestant is given a brief moment to bow and take audience applause, then must immediately exit the stage. A delay by a contestant to leave the stage area may result in points being deducted from the contestant’s score.
5.10. At Karaoke Cup events, contestants are permitted to use their own commercial karaoke tracks or digital downloads as long as proof of purchase is included for the tracks/downloads. Pirated discs, homemade Tracks, Youtube links and digital formats moved to disc WILL NOT be accepted. No responsibility will be accepted by the organizers for formats not being available in all venue preliminary competitions and at all finals. Please check with your karaoke operator running local trials as to their operating system specifications.
5.11. Reasonable care is taken by KCI, its sponsors, representatives, and the State Finals location/National Finals Location, to provide adequate equipment for all contestants. All contestants will be required to sign an affidavit (KCI Sign-in Sheet) holding KCI, any of its sponsors, representatives, and the State Finals location/National Finals Location harmless should any problem occur as a result of malfunctioning equipment or disc failure during competition.
5.12 Due to time constraints, a song that fails to play, skip in mid-performance, or has any other malfunction does not give the contestant the right to start over or use a different song during the competition. The cause of the malfunction may or may not be taken into consideration for allowing a contestant to continue. A contestant who has performed at least 60 seconds of their song prior to any malfunction may or may not have their performance cut short. In the case of such action, the officials will be instructed to judge the contestant as though the contestant completed the song.
6. Judging Criteria
6.1. Judging will be based on Technical and Artistic marks. See www.karaokecup.org for a full judging criteria breakdown.
6.2 Venues shall provide 3 Judges for Venue Qualifying and Finals and 5 Judges for state finals. Audience participation judging is allowed at the provincial/state finals level of competition using our Fan Choice voting system. Officials may not be employees of the State Finals venue. Officials may not be related to any state finals Contestant.
6.3. The officials’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
6.4 All notices, rule changes, contestant’s advancements, or other pertinent information will be posted on the official website at www.karaokecup.org
6.5 Contestants, their family members, or associates are not allowed to have any contact with any judge during the contest performance periods. Judges on break during a contest period are treated as though they are still judging the contest. Offering bribes of any nature to a judge to help advance a contestant is strictly prohibited. Contestants are not to fraternize with the judges.
7. Karaoke Cup International Finals requirements
7.1. All International Finals competitors will be required to have 6 songs prepared for the Karaoke Cup International Finals. These songs must be submitted in preferred performance order by the set deadline to their National Directors. These songs can be from any category and genre. Song choices are subject to a time limit of 5:00.
7.2. The Champion will be required to adhere to the conditions of entry of the IKF Karaoke Cup. Prize money at international finals may be subject to the local tax laws of the host country.
7.3. The Champion will be required to make themselves available for media requests for the duration of their reign.
8. Indemnity
8.1. By entering this Competition you agree not to hold the Organizers liable for any loss, damage, illness, death, injury, or claim whatsoever and to abide by the conditions of entry. Entries remain the property of the Organizers.
8.2. If applicable, any Cash Prizes awarded will be finalized within 60 days of a Final.
8.3. By entering the competition you agree to your image, sound, and performance from any association of your involvement in the IKF Karaoke Cup being broadcast in any form at any time, both now and in the future while you are performing as an official representative of the IKF Karaoke Cup, and you will not claim any performance rights or fees. Recordings & photographs remain the property of the organizers & photographers.
8.4. Organizers reserve the right to change the International Championship prize package details to suit any unforeseeable changes made by their sponsors.
8.5. The international organizers accept no responsibility for changes in prizes provided by sponsors and reserve the right to change the International Championship prize package details to suit any unforeseeable changes made by sponsors.
8.6. The international organizers accept no responsibility for prizes offered by the venue, state, and national teams.
8.7. The official organizer of the 2023 IKF Karaoke Cup is the International Karaoke Federation. All decisions made by the organizers are final. No correspondence will be entered into.
8.8. The ‘Rules and Regulations’ are subject to change without notice.
