CBC Music Class Challenge 2026 spring edition: register now
Sign up your class for a chance to win great prizes
Educators from across Canada are invited to learn or create new works for a chance to win MusiCounts grants for their classes. Sign up your class or community program with our one-minute registration form if you intend to enter the Challenge. Then, when it's time to submit your video entry, fill out this submission form.
The final deadline to submit your video performance is Thursday, April 9, at 8 p.m. ET, and winners will be announced on Friday, May 29, at 8 a.m. ET. All contest milestones can be found by reading our key dates.
What is the Challenge?
Every year, CBC Music and MusiCounts challenge music educators from across Canada to teach their students a Canadian song, create a video of the performance, and send it in to us for a chance at winning great prizes and a whole lot of love from the CBC.
This spring, we are thrilled to announce a significant departure from the usual cover versions in the CBC Music Class Challenge powered by MusiCounts. We invite classes to participate in one of two ways, both designed to foster creativity and celebrate new Canadian music.
Perform either a commissioned work or an original work
Option 1: Perform mitêh (Heart)
Engage your students with a new CBC commissioned work, called mitêh (Heart), by acclaimed Indigenous composer Sherryl Sewepagaham. The sheet music for this Cree piece is fully modular, with arrangements available for SATB, SA, and unison choir, plus an optional Orff accompaniment. All score versions are available to download free of charge on the MusiCounts website here.
Below is a helpful instructional video on how to pronounce the Cree lyrics for the song.
Option 2: Submit an original song
As a new option, we are excited to invite classes to submit an original song. This is your chance to write, arrange and perform a creation entirely your own. It can be in any genre and about any subject that the students are passionate about. You can read the song criteria in our FAQs.
What are music teachers saying about their Challenge experience?
Who can enter?
The contest is open to public schools, private schools and community programs alike. Check out our FAQs for more details.
Check out this year's categories:
- Category 1: mitêh (Heart) Elementary Performance (kindergarten to Grade 4)
- Category 2: mitêh (Heart) Intermediate Performance (grades 5-8)
- Category 3: mitêh (Heart) Senior Performance (grades 9-12)
- Category 4: Original Elementary Performance (kindergarten to Grade 4)
- Category 5: Original Intermediate Performance (grades 5-8)
- Category 6: Original Senior Performance (grades 9-12)
Good luck and have fun!
