Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest

ABOUT THE ULTIMATE 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 for 2008 and 2009. Brandon Bennett from Louisiana took home the ultimate title during Elvis Week 2008 and Bill Cherry during Elvis Week 2009.

THE ULTIMATE CONTEST RETURNS IN 2009
Once again, in 2009, 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 2009 contest will start in the fall of 2008.

Elvis tribute artists from around the world will be invited to participate in these preliminary rounds for their chance to proceed to the semifinal round during Elvis Week 2009. The only way an Elvis tribute artist can advance to the semifinal round 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 semifinal and final rounds during Elvis Week 2009. All preliminary winners will compete in the semifinal on August 12, 2009, with the top proceeding onto the final round which will be held August 13, 2009. Click here to purchase tickets to the semifinal and final rounds.

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 2009
• Recognition by Elvis Presley Enterprises
• Cash prize of $20,000
• Opportunity to sign a performance contract to appear 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)

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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 third year, EPE will continue to search for the Elvis tribute artist who best represents Elvis in the area of vocals, appearance, performance, stage presence and overall performance quality.

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 semifinal and final rounds of the contest in Memphis to choose the top winners and the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year.

For the semifinal and final rounds of 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. The judging criteria are as follows:

Vocals - Ability of the ETA to match the sound and quality of Elvis’ voice.

Appearance - Ability to create a look and style that well represents Elvis.

Performance - Ability to perform in a style that Elvis would have performed.

Stage Presence - Ability to re-create the charisma Elvis created when performing on stage.

Overall Performance - Quality of the overall performance as a whole.

Click here to see an actual copy of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Judging Form.

Judges
Judges for the 2009 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.

EPE considers individuals meeting the following types of criteria as suitable judges for the preliminary rounds:
• Individual has knowledge of or is familiar with the performances of Elvis Presley
• Individual is involved in the entertainment industry
• Individual has been significantly influenced by Elvis

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.

In the event of a tie during the preliminary round, the tie-breaker will be the ETA who receives the highest score in the “Overall Performance” category. If that category is a tie, the winner will be chosen based on the highest scores in the following categories, in this order: 1. Vocals; 2. Appearance; 3. Performance; 4. Stage Presence.

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.

Click here for a complete list of Ultimate Elvis Contest Rules and Guidelines

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MORE ABOUT THE ULTIMATE CONTEST

Are you an Elvis tribute artist? If you would like to compete in a preliminary round for the 2009 contest, click here for more details.

Are you a fan? Click here for details on how to find out where you can attend Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest preliminary rounds to cheer on your favorite ETA.

Interested in holding a preliminary round in your location? Click here for more details.

Want to get tickets for the semifinal and final round during Elvis Week? Click here for more details.

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