Privacy Policy

Information you provide directly:

• Full name and email address (for voter sign-in and song submission)
• Song title, genre, lyrics, and description (submitted by songwriters)
• Audio files uploaded as part of a contest submission
• Checkbox confirmation of rule acceptance

Information collected automatically:

• IP address and general geographic location (country/region)
• Browser type, operating system, and device type
• Pages visited, time spent on site, and referring URLs
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 7)

Information from third parties:

• Authentication data when you sign in via a one-time email link (OTP) provided through our authentication provider

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To process and evaluate song submissions
• To verify voter identity and record audience votes
• To communicate contest updates, results, and winner announcements
• To prevent fraud, duplicate voting, and abuse of contest rules
• To operate, maintain, and improve our website and services
• To comply with legal obligations
• To contact winners for prize fulfillment and required documentation

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for targeted advertising.

If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contract performance — to process your submission or vote as part of your participation in the contest
• Legitimate interests — to prevent fraud and maintain the integrity of the contest
• Consent — where you have explicitly agreed to specific processing activities (e.g., promotional communications)
• Legal obligation — where we are required to retain or disclose data by applicable law

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We use Supabase for database and authentication services. These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually bound to protect it.
• Contest judges and administrators: Submission details (name, song title, genre, audio, and description) may be shared with contest judges and internal staff for evaluation purposes.
• Winners: The first name and last initial of prize winners may be publicly announced.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government authority.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

We do not share your email address or personal details with sponsors, advertisers, or unaffiliated third parties for their own marketing purposes.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, including:

• Submission data: retained for the duration of the contest season plus up to 2 years for audit and prize administration purposes
• Voter records: retained for up to 1 year following the conclusion of the contest
• Winner information: retained for up to 7 years for tax and legal compliance purposes

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 8). Some data may be retained longer if required by law.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encrypted data transmission (TLS/HTTPS)
• Secure database storage with row-level access controls via Supabase
• Email-based one-time password (OTP) authentication to verify voter identity
• Access restricted to authorized personnel only

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we use commercially reasonable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our site. These may include:

• Essential cookies: Required for authentication and session management (e.g., keeping you signed in to vote)
• Analytics cookies: Used to understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g., page views, referral sources). We may use privacy-respecting analytics tools that do not track individuals across sites.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent certain site features from functioning correctly.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Objection: Object to certain types of processing, including processing based on legitimate interests
• Restriction: Request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format (where applicable)
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@thenextholidayclassic.com. We will respond within 30 days.

If you are located in the EEA or UK and believe your rights have not been respected, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Our services are intended for individuals aged 18 and older, consistent with our contest eligibility requirements. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we may have collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately at info@thenextholidayclassic.com.

The Next Holiday Classic is operated from the United States and governed by the laws of Ohio, USA. If you access our services from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

For users in the EEA or UK, such transfers are carried out subject to appropriate safeguards, including standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission where applicable.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services, including music streaming platforms and social media. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. If changes are material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify users via email or a prominent notice on our website.

Your continued use of our services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.