[news] AFRICA.ROCKS launches Soundcheck with $250 prize

A new rehearsal-based video project for African bands opens on 11 March, with worldwide public voting on the AFRICA.ROCKS website and a USD 250 cash prize for the winner.

AFRICA.ROCKS is launching Soundcheck, a new video project for African bands rooted in rehearsal and practice. The idea is to capture bands where they already are, playing one original song in their own environment.

The project is open to bands based in Africa and starts on 11 March 2026. First-round submissions will remain open until 8 April. From there, approved entries will be published by AFRICA.ROCKS and opened to a public vote through the website. Voting will be open worldwide, which means people can take part from anywhere.

The five bands with the highest valid public vote totals will move on to the final round, where they will submit a second video with a different original song. A final jury will then select the winner, who will receive a cash prize of USD 250.

AFRICA.ROCKS exists first and foremost to cover African rock and metal on a daily basis. That remains the core of the platform. At the same time, the site also runs selected supporter features with bands from other parts of the world. Those contributions help make initiatives like Soundcheck possible, and the new project is being launched in that spirit.

Rather than building a contest around big production, Soundcheck is focused on the band itself. The format is straightforward: one original song, under five minutes, filmed live in rehearsal, practice, or a similar setting. The point is to give bands a platform, create movement around their work, and put the public directly into the process.

The first round will run as follows: submissions open on 11 March and close on 8 April. After a short internal review period, first-round entries will be published between 14 and 25 April. Public voting will run from 26 April to 9 May, with the five finalists announced on 11 May. Finalists will then submit a second video by 25 May. The winner will be announced on 10 June.

“African bands are already doing the work. A lot of them have the songs, the drive and the identity, but too often that work stays within a smaller circle than it should. With Soundcheck, the idea is to give them another push, get more eyes on what they are doing, and put a cash prize on the table that can genuinely help, whether that goes into recording costs, gear, travel or whatever the band needs most.” - Joel Costa, editor of AFRICA.ROCKS

Full rules, specs, calendar and submission details are available at this location: https://africa.rocks/soundcheck/

Links:
Website: https://africa.rocks
Facebook: https://facebook.com/africa.rocksofficial
Instagram: https://instagram.com/africa.rocksofficial
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@africa.rocksofficial