Meet the 2022 'Hit Like a Girl' Beatmaking Contest winners!
The winners of the 2022 HLAG Beatmaking Contest have been announced
This year's Hit Like a Girl Contest went out with a bang! What started in 2011 as a contest for female drummers has turned into a worldwide event with over 200 drummers and beatmakers awarded this year alone in a wide variety of international, regional, weekly and mini contests.
For the past five years we've collaborated with Hit Like a Girl to offer the HLAG Beatmaking Contest. The contest aims to spotlight women & gender nonconforming beatmakers, producers, and finger drummers while encouraging girls, women, and gender expansive people to engage in music technology. This year's contest resulted in several ties and some of the most creative entries to date.
"Often only a fraction of a point separated the winners from each other and other contestants. This is a testament to the rapid growth of our movement and the strong impact our community is making"
- David Levine, Hit Like a Girl Contest
Participants were asked to submit a 1-3 minute track for a chance to win prizes from industry sponsors such as iZotope, Native Instruments, Splice, Melodics, and more. The entries, categorized by <18 and 18+ age groups, were judged by a panel of producers, engineers, artists, composers, sound designers, and past HLAG winners. See the full list of judges here.
This year, participants also had the option to submit to the Melodics + BBG Sample Flip Mini Contest. In order to submit, contestants had to produce a track using a sample created by Beats By Girlz Duluth student Maggie Cartier. Cartier recorded the sample during a BBG Duluth field recording workshop.
Listen to the winning beatmaking entries!
<18 Beatmaking Winners
Champion: Sky Pirkey, Talia Lueking
2nd Place: Reija Williams, Grace Golden
3rd Place: Nora Finnigan
Best Lyrics: Daniela Alcaide
Best Mix: Grace Golden
Best Bop: Nebyula Baca
18+ Beatmaking Winners
Champion: Bradlie Jones, Mariela Quezada
2nd Place: Monica Mayor Escudero
3rd Place: Juanita Pelaez Villa, Galene Ledesma
Best Lyrics: Bradlie Jones
Best Mix: Viv Guilford
Best Bop: Diane Wong
Melodics Sample Flip Winners
<18 1st Place: Nebyula Baca
<18 2nd Place: Talia Lueking, Sky Pirkey
<18 3rd Place: Grace Golden
18+ 1st Place: Rachel Kantrowitz
18+ 2nd Place: PanchaX Beatz
18+ 3rd Place: Bradlie Jones