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

Metallica Throw Back to Club Days with Surprise Hamptons Gig
Metallica traded stadium pyrotechnics for sweat-soaked intimacy Thursday night, storming a makeshift tent outside the legendary Stephen Talkhouse in the Hamptons for a once-in-a-lifetime show

Waterparks Have ‘Big Dreams and a Bigger Bucket List’ (Interview)
Waterparks don’t just blur genre lines—they smear neon paint all over them and dare you to keep up. Since breaking out of Houston’s DIY scene,

Breaking Benjamin Drummer Steps Away as He Battles Autoimmune Disorder
Breaking Benjamin drummer Shaun Foist is stepping away from the band as he faces an ongoing battle with the autoimmune disorder Hashimoto’s disease. In a

Josh Freese on Foo Fighters Firing: ‘It Wasn’t Music That I Really Resonated With’
Drummer Josh Freese has offered a little insight regarding his firing from Foo Fighters earlier this year. “I’m coming in as Dave Grohl’s drummer, and

Mudvayne Break 16-Year Silence With Crushing New Single ‘Hurt People Hurt People’
Mudvayne, one of the most ferociously inventive bands to erupt from the early-2000s nu-metal explosion, have finally broken their silence. Sixteen years after their last

Pearl Jam Albums Ranked Worst to Best
In a career spanning more than three decades, Pearl Jam has crafted an unmatched rock resume. The grunge giants may have emerged in the era