The Hangout Music Festival and 92ZEW have teamed up for Reach for the Beach competition. The winner of this “battle of the bands” will get the opportunity to perform at this year’s Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, AL. This contest is open to unsigned artists anywhere in the state of Alabama or within 100 miles of Gulf Shores.

Bands that would like to enter the competition can do so here. Six finalists will then be selected, and each will play an opening set during the Countdown to Hangout Fest concert series. ach week, finalists will be awarded scores based on a point system with the final score being a combination of points received from the judges and the audience attending their Countdown to Hangout Fest show. A winner will then be announced on Monday, May 12.

As previously reported, the Hangout Music Festival will take place May 16-18. This year’s event will feature performances by OutKast, The Black Keys, Jack Johnson, The Killers, Modest Mouse, The Avett Brothers, Queens of the Stone Age, Pretty Lights, The Flaming Lips and many more.