A battle of the bands for people of color has been announced for December at the Cedar Cultural Center, and submissions for entrants are now open. So far, Sonic Rain and Ashley DuBose have been confirmed as a co-emcee and Tall Paul and Maria Isa have been announced as judges, with more to come.

ROCK4LOVE: POC Battle of the Bands was formed “to celebrate, recognize, and support musicians of color.” It will be held Saturday, Dec. 19 at the Cedar Cultural Center and features a grand prize of $1,000, with runner-up prizes of $750 and $500.

The event is hosted by Gazillion Strong and special events company Faded Productions. Gazillion Strong, a nonprofit, aims to “aid marginalized communities […] to speak and advocate for themselves and others,” while Faded Productions strives to bring communities together through social events while prioritizing opportunities for queer people of color "with the purpose of advancing economic justice for marginalized communities.”

ROCK4LOVE is currently looking for music groups with a minimum of three band members to compete, who are all at least 18 years of age and at least 75% of whom identify as people of color. In order to apply, all submission materials and a $150 refundable registration fee must be received by Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Submission details can be found here.

Mackenzie Martin is a podcast enthusiast and senior at Macalester College, where she majors in media & cultural studies.