The members of Metallica have selected the five winners of the first annual Metallica Marching Band Competition. The winners were chosen from an overwhelming flood of submissions that saw 450+ colleges and high schools across the U.S. signing up since the contest’s April 10, 2023 announcement.
The field was narrowed down to five finalists in each category by professional judges, furnished by premiere marching band instrument manufacturers Conn Selmer, with first prize in each category ultimately awarded by Metallica:
College (Division 1) – $75,000 in prizing:
Auburn University
College (Divisions 2 & 3) – $40,000 in prizing:
Eastern New Mexico University
High School (Large) – $15,000 in prizing:
Dobyns-Bennett High School (Kingsport, TN)
High School (Medium) – $15,000 each in prizing:
TIE – Boerne High School (Boerne, TX) & Malverne High School (Malverne, NY)
High School (Small) – $15,000 in prizing:
Oakton High School (Vienna, VA)
Additionally, two Fan Favorite winners-one Collegiate (across all divisions) and one High School-have been determined by popular vote and will receive $10,000 each in prizing.
Fan Favorite (College): Auburn University
Fan Favorite (High School): Dobyns-Bennett High School (Kingsport, TN)
The victors in each category will receive instruments and equipment for their programs at the values listed above, provided by Metallica and sponsors including TAMA, KHS America, Zildjian, D’Addario Woodwinds, Evans Drumheads, ProMark, and Gator, in partnership with Sweetwater, Conn Selmer, and Hal Leonard.
The Metallica Marching Band Competition promises to be a yearly national challenge to marching bands of all levels to craft their most exciting, unique, and impressive performances of the band’s songs

Bumbershoot 2026 Brings Turnstile, Death Cab for Cutie, De La Soul & More to Seattle
Seattle’s long-running Bumbershoot is officially back for 2026 with a stacked, genre-spanning lineup set for Labor Day Weekend, September 5–6 at Seattle Center. Leading the
Skratch N Sniff Delivers Another Stacked Weekend With Alternative Mix #692 and Rock Mix #1208
Another weekend, another heavy rotation of remixes, throwbacks, and new releases as Skratch N Sniff rolled out Alternative Mix #692 and Rock Mix #1208 for

The Barbarians of California Drop Chaotic “Vanilla Latte” Video Ahead of Spring Tour Run
The The Barbarians of California are back with another dose of chaos, releasing the official video for their latest single “Vanilla Latte,” a track that

The Codefendants Release New Album “LIFERS” Produced by Fat Mike from NOFX
Codefendants, the punk trio consisting of Sam King (Get Dead), Julio “Ceschi” Ramos, and NOFX mastermind and producer Fat Mike, have released their sophomore album

Little Stranger & Andy Frasco Link Up for “Love You When I’m Sad” — Pier Song of the Week on Skratch N Sniff
This week’s Skratch N Sniff ALT mix taps into the genre-blending energy of Little Stranger, linking with Andy Frasco & The U.N. for their new

Muse Announce North American Tour For Upcoming Album “The Wow! Signal”
Today, one week after revealing their forthcoming tenth studio album, The Wow! Signal, GRAMMY® Award-winning English rock titans MUSE are announcing an extensive North American amphitheater tour. Promoted