Competition rules

1. Purpose

To honour Antonio de Torres Jurado and promote the craft of traditional guitar making from Almería. Specific aims:

• To recognise and give international visibility to the guitar makers who keep the traditional Spanish craft alive.
• To link the competition to the historical legacy of Antonio de Torres and to Almería as the documented birthplace of the instrument.
• To encourage encounters between makers, performers, researchers and enthusiasts.

2. Who can enter

• Any guitar maker, of any country, nationality and age.
• Entrants under 18 must provide authorisation from their legal guardian.
• Documents may be submitted in English or Spanish.
• From the second edition onwards, previous first-prize winners may not enter.

3. Instrument requirements

• A Spanish guitar of traditional appearance, within the usual canons of the instrument.
• Built and finished entirely by hand by the entrant.
• Classical or flamenco tradition, in one single general category.
• The use of double tops, Nomex, carbon fibre or other non-traditional materials is at the maker's discretion, as long as the instrument keeps a recognisable Spanish guitar aesthetic.
• Nylon or carbon strings, at the maker's choice.
• Each maker may submit up to two instruments at the entry stage; the jury will select no more than one per maker for the final round.

4. Stages

Entry (free of charge). Period: from 16 October to 11 November 2026. All documents must be sent in one single email to sociedadantoniodetorres@gmail.com.

Selection of finalists. Based on the documents received, the jury will select up to five finalist instruments, one per maker. The organisers will notify the selected makers by email or telephone on Thursday, 12 November 2026.

Delivery of finalist instruments. Finalist instruments are to be delivered to the Antonio de Torres Guitar Museum in Almería, from Thursday 12 to Thursday 19 November 2026 inclusive, during the Museum's public opening hours. They may be delivered in person, by someone else on the maker's behalf, or by courier.

Final round. The finalist instruments will be played at a public audition by professional guitarists appointed by the jury. The jury's decision will be announced at the final gala and award ceremony on Saturday, 21 November 2026, preferably in the morning, followed by a short recital on the winning instruments. Finalists are not required to attend, but they will always be welcome.

5. Required documents

In one single email:

1. Annex I, completed: a declaration accepting the rules, full name, tax identification number in your country, age and a short biography as a guitar maker.
2. Technical report on the instrument (PDF or Word): woods and materials, tuning machines/head, bracing (traditional or other), use of double tops or other techniques, and any other relevant features. It must include up to 5 photographs of the instrument and, optionally, up to 2 photographs of the inside of the top.
3. CV focused on your career and relationship with the guitar.

Missing any of these three documents means automatic exclusion.

6. Judging criteria

The jury will score each instrument from 0 to 10 in:

Before deliberating, the jury may agree on and record its own scoring scale.

7. Jury

• Three to seven members of recognised standing in guitar making, performance (classical and flamenco) and musicology, appointed by the organisers.
• A chair and a non-voting secretary, who will take the minutes.
• No jury member will assess instruments by makers with whom they have family or professional ties.
• The jury's decision is final and binding.

8. Responsibility for the instruments

Each entrant is solely responsible for their instrument throughout the event: custody, maintenance, insurance and transport. The organisers accept no liability for damage, loss or theft, and will inform selected makers of the schedule and conditions for delivery and collection. Accommodation and meals during the event are at the entrant's expense.

9. Prizes

First prize: €4,000 · Second prize: €2,000 · Third prize: €1,000. Full details on the competition home page →

The jury may declare any of the prizes void.

10. Data protection and image rights

Taking part implies consent to the processing of the personal data provided, in accordance with the GDPR and Spanish data protection law (LOPDGDD), solely to manage the competition, and the assignment of image rights of the entrant and their instrument for use in promotional materials of the Sociedad and of the documentary project on the legacy of Antonio de Torres. See our Privacy policy.

11. Acceptance

Taking part implies full acceptance of the rules and of the jury's final decision.