(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Count Basie Center for the Arts has opened submissions for the nonprofit organization’s annual ‘Arts Madness’ talent tournament and is accepting applications for the organization’s annual Arts Impact Scholarships + Awards.

ARTS MADNESS: Launched last year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ARTS MADNESS provides young artists with a platform to showcase their skills. Last year’s effort proved so successful that the Basie Center and sponsor Bank of America now intends to make the program an annual online showcase of talent.

New Jersey-based musicians, local bands, dancers, actors, comedians, musical theatre performers and performing artists of all kinds may submit a one-minute YouTube or Vimeo link to artsmadness@thebasie.org. Submissions are limited to artists aged 13-25. A committee of adjudicators will score each video, with the top 20 scoring submissions earning an entered into the tournament. The opening “round of 32” will debut on the Basie’s social media channels the week of March 8.

Submissions must be received by Sunday, March 7th at midnight EST.

From there, it’s up to the general public: voting rounds will be posted, and fans and artists alike will cheer on their favorites, moving all the way down to a Final Four and championship round in April. In 2020, more than 30,000 votes were cast in the inaugural “Arts madness” showcase.

ARTS IMPACT SCHOLARSHIPS + AWARDS: The Count Basie Center for the Arts is now accepting applications for the organization’s annual Arts Impact Scholarships + Awards. Submissions are open to all Monmouth County high school seniors graduating in the 2020-2021 academic school year and continuing education after graduation.

Students may apply online, populating the application form and creating an official entry packet, consisting of an essay, resume and three personal recommendations. The thesis of the essay and spirit of the Basie’s Arts Impact Scholarship program is “The Impact of The Arts in My Life.” Applicants may submit their entire packet via this link, or print the application form for submission via U.S. mail.

Application packets must be received or postmarked no later than 5:00pm on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Recipients will be announced later this spring during annual Basie Awards, the annual recognition of excellence in Monmouth County high school theatre, sponsored by Bank of America.

The Count Basie Center for the Arts is New Jersey’s premier center for the cultural arts, dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusive artistic experiences and creative exchange of ideas. The Basie mission is to inspire, educate and entertain through its distinct and engaging cultural and artistic offerings that reflect the diversity of the region.  As a nonprofit organization, the Basie is committed to enriching the community’s quality of life by generating opportunities for participation in the arts, partnering with schools, collaborating with other mission-based organizations and driving regional economic prosperity. The Basie Center has hosted an array of world-class artists, including Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend, Crosby Stills & Nash, Tony Bennett, Sophia Loren and Ringo Starr. Count Basie Center programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.