About the Contest

In 2007, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. announced an inaugural Elvis tribute artist contest event that was a search for the “best representation of the legacy of Elvis Presley.” Twenty-four of the best ETAs from around the world, who had each won a preliminary round of the competition, traveled to Memphis during Elvis Week 2007 to compete, with Shawn Klush of Pennsylvania winning the first-ever ultimate title.  

In response to the excitement generated by the 2007 contest, Elvis Presley Enterprises brought the contest back in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 with winners of preliminary contests traveling to Memphis in August to compete. Brandon Bennett from Louisiana won the ultimate title during Elvis Week 2008, Bill Cherry from Illinois was the 2009 winner, Justin Shandor from Michigan won in 2010, and Cody Slaughter from Arkansas took home the most recent 2011 title.

THE ULTIMATE CONTEST RETURNS IN 2012

Once again, in 2012, Elvis tribute artists will have their chance to compete for the ultimate title by showcasing their “best representation of the legacy of Elvis Presley.” Preliminary rounds for the 2012 contest have already started.

Elvis tribute artists from around the world are invited to participate in preliminary rounds for their chance to proceed to Semifinal Round One during Elvis Week 2012, the 35th anniversary celebration in Memphis. The only way an Elvis tribute artist can advance to Round One of the Semifinal will be by winning an official preliminary round. Elvis fans will be invited to attend the preliminary rounds that will be held at festivals and various venues throughout the world.

The contest in Memphis will include two Semifinal Rounds and a Final Round during Elvis Week 2012. All preliminary winners will compete in the Semifinal Round One on August 17, 2012. The top tribute artists in that round, will then proceed to Semifinal Round Two later that evening. The top 10 Elvis tribute artists selected in Semifinal Round Two will then proceed to the Final Round on August 18, 2012. 

The top three winners of the Final Round of the competition will receive a great cash prize along with a selection of other valuable prizes:

Ultimate Elvis Contest First Place Winner:

 - Title of Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of 2012
 - Recognition by Elvis Presley Enterprises
 - Cash prize of $20,000
 - Contract to Perform with Legends in Concert
 - Selection of other valuable prizes (TBA)

Ultimate Elvis Contest Second Place Winner:
 - Cash prize of $3,000
 - Selection of other valuable prizes (TBA)

Ultimate Elvis Contest Third Place Winner:
 - Cash prize of $2,000
 - Selection of other valuable prizes (TBA)

In addition, all Elvis tribute artists finishing in fourth through tenth place will receive a $500 cash prize.

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JUDGING FOR THE ULTIMATE CONTEST

In 2007, when EPE launched the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, we were in search of the Elvis tribute artist who ‘best represents the legacy of Elvis Presley.’ As the contest continues into its sixth year, EPE will continue to search for the Elvis tribute artist who best represents Elvis in the area of Vocals, Style, Stage Wear and Stage Presence.

EPE’s judging guidelines, rules and scoring forms are provided to each Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest preliminary location and they are required to follow these criteria when choosing their preliminary winner. In addition, these are also used during the semifinals and final round of the contest in Memphis to choose the top winners and the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year.

For the semifinals and final roundsof the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, the accounting firm of Dixon Hughes oversees the scoring and tabulation of the contest judging. Having Dixon Hughes as the official auditor of the event assures that the tabulation is held to the highest standards of integrity and objectivity. 

Ultimate Elvis Contest Scoring Sheet
Elvis tribute artists competing at all levels of the contest are all judged using the same scoring sheet. Each of the judging criteria is scored on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest score. Vocals will count for 40% of the score. Style, Stage Wear and Stage Presence each count as 20%. 

The judging criteria are as follows:

• Vocals - Overall singing ability
• Style - Ability to present a look and style that well represents Elvis during the era of the song being performed
• Stage Wear - Rating of the ETA's stage wear, including quality and proper fit
• Stage Presence - Ability to recreate the charisma Elvis created when performing on stage

See an actual copy of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Scoring Sheet

Judges
Judges for the 2012 preliminary rounds of the contest will be chosen by each individual contest organizer. Once they are selected, judges' names are required to be submitted to EPE for final approval.

Ultimate Contest Scoring
The score of each judge’s sheet will be added together to provide an overall performance total for each Elvis tribute artist. The Elvis tribute artist receiving the highest overall score will be selected as the winner of that preliminary round.

Ultimate Contest Rules and Guidelines
All Elvis tribute artists competing must adhere to the Official Rules and Guidelines of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. Any Elvis tribute artist who is unable to meet and adhere to these rules and guidelines will be disqualified from the contest.

Get a complete list of 2012 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Rules and Guidelines.

If you have questions, please send an email to ultimate@elvis.com.