NEXT AFROBEATS STAR SEASON 2

1.1 "Applicant" means the individual who registers for the Competition through the process in clause 3.

1.2 "Competition" means Next Afrobeats Star Season 2, produced and administered by Ultima, running through the phases of Registration, Regional Auditions, Trials, Versus, Pick Me, Live Shows and The Showdown.

1.3 "Work" means the specific recorded music the Applicant creates on the instrumental provided at registration and uploads to the portal.

1.4 "Submission Materials" means the Work together with any other audio, video, photograph, lyric, written material, or other original content the Applicant uploads, records, or otherwise provides as part of registration or any later audition stage.

1.5 "Show Materials" means all recordings, photographs, broadcast footage, behind-the-scenes content and related materials created by or for Ultima in connection with the Competition.

1.6 "NIL" means the Applicant's name, stage name, image, likeness, voice, biography, and signature.

1.7 "Personal Data" has the meaning given to it under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 ("NDPA").

1.8 "Long Form Agreements" means the stage-specific agreements referred to in clause 2, including the recording contract offered at the qualifying stage determined by Ultima.

2.1 This Agreement covers registration only. It does not itself make the Applicant a contestant, guarantee advancement, or constitute a recording, management, or publishing agreement.

2.2 As the Applicant progresses through the Competition, Ultima will present a new agreement suited to that stage, reflecting the rights, obligations, and opportunities that stage carries. The Applicant will be asked to review and accept each stage agreement before moving forward. This progressive structure exists so that the Applicant is never bound to terms beyond the stage they have actually reached.

2.3 The final agreement in this sequence is a recording contract. Where an Applicant qualifies for this stage, Ultima will furnish the recording contract in writing, and the Applicant will have fourteen (14) days from receipt to accept or reject it, with or without independent legal advice, before the Competition advances that Applicant to the final stage. Where the Applicant does not accept within this period, absent a written extension from Ultima, the Applicant's place in the Competition may be reassigned.

3.1 To register, the Applicant sends the keyword NAS to the shortcode 13013 from an MTN line to receive a unique access code.

3.2 The Applicant uses this code to access the registration portal at www.nextafrobeatsstar.com, download an instrumental track, create an original recording to that instrumental, and upload the resulting Work to the portal.

3.3 The Applicant may repeat this process to download different instrumentals and submit more than one Work, giving the Applicant multiple options for review.

4.1 Age: The Applicant must be 18 years or older as of the date of application.

4.2 Nationality: The Competition is open to Nigerian citizens, Nigerians in the diaspora, and foreign nationals residing in Nigeria.

4.3 Musical Talent: The Applicant must demonstrate a genuine passion for music and a real ability to create and perform Afrobeats music.

4.4 No Prior Recording Contract: The Applicant must not currently be signed to a record label or management company. The Competition exists to discover raw, undiscovered talent.

4.5 Solo or Group Participation: Both solo artists and groups may apply. A group must not exceed five members, and each member must independently meet the eligibility criteria in this clause.

4.6 Previous NAS Participation: An individual who has previously participated in Next Afrobeats Star or any other Ultima Studios music reality show and progressed to the Top 12 stage or beyond shall not be eligible to reapply. Applicants who participated in a previous season but did not progress to the Top 12 may reapply, provided they continue to satisfy all other eligibility requirements under this Agreement.

4.7 Commitment: the Applicant must be willing and able to commit to the full duration of every stage of the Competition they reach, including auditions, mentorship sessions, and live shows, and must disclose any scheduling conflict that may affect full participation.

4.8 Code of Conduct: The Applicant shall act with professionalism, respect, and positive collaboration throughout the Competition. A breach of this standard may result in disqualification.

4.9 Technical Requirements: The Applicant must have access to the equipment, such as a smartphone or computer, reasonably needed to engage with the registration portal.

5.1 On creation, the Applicant assigns to Ultima all copyright and related rights in the Work and in any other Submission Materials created specifically for the Competition, worldwide and in perpetuity, together with the right to register, license, and enforce those rights, in accordance with the Copyright Act 2022.

5.2 Where Submission Materials include pre-existing work not created for the Competition, the Applicant grants Ultima a worldwide, royalty-free, exclusive licence to use, edit, reproduce, broadcast, and otherwise exploit that material for all purposes connected with the Competition.

5.3 The Applicant waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any moral rights in the Submission Materials and Show Materials, and agrees to sign any further document reasonably required to perfect Ultima's ownership.

6.1 All Show Materials, together with any artwork, graphics, digital assets, or promotional material created by or for Ultima in connection with the Competition, are owned exclusively by Ultima, whether as works made for hire or by assignment where work-for-hire treatment does not apply under Nigerian law.

6.2 Ultima may edit, adapt, broadcast, distribute, license, and otherwise commercially exploit the Show Materials across all media and platforms now known or later developed, without further consent or compensation to the Applicant at the registration stage.

7.1 The Applicant grants Ultima a worldwide, royalty-free, exclusive licence to use the Applicant's NIL in connection with the Competition, including for casting review, publicity, marketing, broadcast, and social media promotion of the Competition.

7.2 This licence continues for as long as the Applicant remains in the Competition, and afterward solely for archival and legitimate promotional reference to past seasons, unless a Long Form Agreement provides otherwise.

8.1 Ultima is the data controller for Personal Data collected at registration, including name, age, contact details, location, photographs, and audition submissions.

8.2 This Personal Data is processed to administer the Competition, verify eligibility, communicate with Applicants, and, where the Applicant proceeds, support production and broadcast, in each case on the lawful bases of consent and performance of this Agreement, consistent with the NDPA and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission's General Application and Implementation Directive.

8.3 The Applicant has the right to request access to, correction of, or erasure of their Personal Data, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. Requests may be sent to nextafrobeatsstar@ultima.ng.

8.4 Personal Data will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for Competition administration and any legitimate archival, legal, or regulatory purpose, and will not be transferred outside Nigeria except with appropriate safeguards recognised under the NDPA.

9.1 Representation and Warranty: The Applicant represents and warrants that the Work is an original creation, does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party, and does not violate any applicable law or regulation.

9.2 Indemnification: the Applicant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Ultima and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives (together, the "Indemnified Parties") from and against any claims, demands, actions, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising from or in connection with any third party claim that the Work infringes or violates any intellectual property right or other right of a third party.

9.3 Notification: where the Applicant becomes aware of any potential or actual claim that may give rise to indemnification under this clause, the Applicant shall promptly notify Ultima in writing at nextafrobeatsstar@ultima.ng, providing all relevant details and cooperating fully in the defence of the claim.

9.4 Defence and Settlement: Ultima reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume exclusive defence and control of any matter subject to indemnification under this clause. The Applicant shall not settle any such claim without Ultima's prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

9.5 Mitigation: The Applicant agrees to take all reasonable steps to mitigate or minimise any potential damages or losses incurred by the Indemnified Parties.

10.1 The Applicant warrants that all information provided at registration is true and accurate, and that the Applicant is free to enter this Agreement without violating any prior obligation.

11.1 The Applicant shall keep confidential any non-public information about the Competition, including production schedules, formats, and results, until Ultima makes that information public.

12.1 Registration does not guarantee selection for auditions, advancement through any stage, or an offer of a Long Form Agreement. Ultima retains full discretion over casting, format, and Competition outcomes.

12.2 This Agreement does not create an employment, partnership, or agency relationship between the Applicant and Ultima.

13.1 This Agreement applies from the Effective Date until the Applicant is eliminated, withdraws in writing, or progresses to a Long Form Agreement that supersedes it.

13.2 Clauses 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 14 survive termination or elimination.

14.1 The parties shall first attempt to resolve any dispute, including one arising under clause 9, through good faith negotiation for fourteen (14) days after written notice.

14.2 Failing resolution, the dispute shall be finally resolved by arbitration under the Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023, seated in Lagos, Nigeria, before a sole arbitrator appointed by agreement or, failing agreement, by the Lagos Court of Arbitration. This arbitration procedure is the exclusive means of resolving disputes under this Agreement.

15.1 This Agreement, including clause 9, is governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, the Copyright Act 2022, and, where applicable to any technology or platform licensing arrangement connected with the Competition, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion Act.

15.2 The registration mechanism in clause 3 operates in accordance with the applicable guidelines of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

16.1 Assignment. Ultima may assign or delegate its rights under this Agreement to a qualified affiliate or service provider. The Applicant may not assign this Agreement.

16.2 Entire Agreement. This Agreement is the entire agreement between the parties for the registration stage of the Competition.

16.3 Severability. If any clause is found unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement continues in full force.

16.4 No Waiver. No failure or delay by Ultima in exercising a right under this Agreement operates as a waiver of that right.

16.5 Notices. Notices under this Agreement may be given by email to nextafrobeatsstar@ultima.ng or to the address the Applicant provided at registration, effective on transmission.

By ticking the box below and clicking "Submit Registration", the Applicant confirms that they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Agreement in full, and that they are 18 years of age or older.