Canada’s largest a cappella competition to award more than $10,000 in prizes
A cappella groups from across Canada are invited to showcase their voices on the championship stage at the 2026 SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships, taking place May 23, 2026 at Toronto’s renowned Koerner Hall.
Part of SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival (May 20 to June 1, 2026), the competition will offer more than $10,000 in cash and prizes, from future performance opportunities at SING! Toronto (including the opening slot for the Soundcrowd concert on May 30, 2026), to cash prizes and professional recording sessions.
The competition is open to any style of unaccompanied vocal group, with four categories: high school, university/collegiate, barbershop, and open (post-collegiate, semi-pro, pro, or other). A minimum of 12 groups, chosen from video submissions, will be invited to perform live at Koerner Hall on May 23, 2026.
An esteemed panel of judges will include Deke Sharon, widely known as the “father of contemporary a cappella,” who served as vocal producer and arranger on the Pitch Perfect films and NBC’s The Sing-Off and founder of D’Cappella with Disney.
Last year’s biggest winner, contemporary a cappella group Splüsh, took home first place in the open category and the audience choice award. Madalen Tojicic, singer and co-leader of the group, said, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Splüsh wouldn’t exist without the SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships. The competition allowed us to grow as artists in pursuit of a common goal, receive excellent feedback from industry experts and share our debut performance on a professional stage. We’re grateful to SING! for providing a platform for new artists to share their talents and shine.”
All applicants are also invited to attend a social and showcase event May 24, 2026, offering the chance to connect and share music in an informal setting. A competitor’s weekend pass is available for purchase, which includes a workshop and Pitch Perfect sing-along with Deke Sharon that is open to the public.
The application & video submission deadline is January 23, 2026. More information and entry details are available at singtoronto.com/singchampionships.
The SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships are funded by the My Piece of the City program, established by The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Performing Arts Division with generous support from, and in partnership with, The Daniels Corporation. My Piece of the City is designed to remove financial barriers that prohibit smaller cultural organizations and individual artists from presenting concerts and events in Koerner Hall, one of North America’s most revered concert venues.
Full programming information for SING! 2026 will be available shortly at www.singtoronto.com
Media contact:
Caroline Horcher, Catalyst Communications
caroline@catalyst-communications.ca
(416) 938-3725