Enter to win the ultimate music experience in The 2026 Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Powered by Guitar Center Contest. Six bands will receive a performance prize, including a chance to play on the main stage at the 2026 Vans Warped Tour, with dates in Washington, DC, Long Beach, CA, and Orlando, FL. Each performance prize winner will also receive a comprehensive musical equipment package, including drums, guitars, amps, and accessories, with a total ARV of $9,473.92. One grand prize winner will receive an extensive musical equipment package, featuring top-of-the-line gear from brands like Marshall, Gallien Krueger, and Ernie Ball, with a total ARV of $77,592.66. The grand prize winner will also be featured on an episode of Ernie Ball's music content series, BIG SOUND. Enter now for your chance to win, with a total ARV of all prizes combined at $135,155.88.
Restrictions: The Contest is open only to bands who: (i) are legal residents of the 50 states of the U.S. and the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico); (ii) at the time of entry, are at least eighteen (18) years of age or older; (iii) from the time of entry throughout the Contest Period (as defined below ) are not, individually or as part of any musical group, under an exclusive recording contract and/or a recording contract with a "major" record label or distributed by a "major" distributor or record label (as determined by Sponsor); and (iv) have not individually received adjusted gross earnings in excess of $100,000 for the prior tax year from their professional musical activities (not including any teaching or instruction of music) (collectively, the "Eligibility Criteria"). For purposes of this Contest an "artist" or "band" is an individual, or group of individuals, who have written their own songs and also can perform their own songs.
