2027 Contest Applications Now Open!
Dates: February 3-7, 2027
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Application / Video Submission Deadline: November 3, 2026
Eligibility Requirements
Age divisions:
U18 (Junior): All singers 18 and under at the time of the Midwinter event.
U26 (Varsity): All singers 26 and under at the time of the International event.
Quartets with any member age 19 or older must compete in the Varsity division.
Age 18 creates flexibility—quartets with all 18-year-olds may choose Junior or Varsity depending on the event.
Examples:
18–16–16–15 → Junior or Varsity
19–17–17–15 → Varsity
18–18–18–18 → Junior or Varsity
25–23–23–14 → Varsity
25–25–25–26 → Not eligible for Next Gen (must compete open).
Open to all genders (men’s, women’s, and mixed quartets).
No membership required in BHS or an affiliate organization.
An individual may only participate in one junior quartet per year.
Quartets eligible for both Junior and Varsity may only register for one contest per year.
How the contest is judged
Judging Criteria
- Each quartet will perform one barbershop contestable song (see the Contest Judging Handbook.)
- Each quartet will receive a score in three categories (Singing, Music, and Performance, according to BHS Contest Rules - see the Contest Judging Handbook.)
- All participating groups will be awarded a rating based on the overall score from the judging panel.
Rating Criteria
- Good: <13 (<61% on BHS 100 point scale)
- Excellent: 13 to <17 (61 to <68% on BHS 100 point scale)
- Outstanding: 17 to <21 (68 to <75 on BHS 100 point scale)
- Superior: >21 (>75 on BHS 100 point scale)