First, all builders with a vehicle displaying at the 2020 SEMA Show may enter the competition at www.semabotb.com before the deadline on October 9, 2020. Photos can be uploaded directly onto the online applications, which judges will use to select the finalists after vehicles are confirmed to be onsite at the 2020 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV.
The second way builders may participate in the 2020 SEMA BOTB competition is through the Young Guns program. Preselected regional auto shows will award a limited number of BOTB entries to builders age 27 or younger (as of Nov. 6, 2020), who may not already have an approved vehicle for the 2020 SEMA Show. The entries will then be included in the SEMA BOTB and compete among all other participants in the competition. For more information on the Young Guns regional venues, please visit semashow.com/botb.
Submitting an application for the SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition does not guarantee space for a vehicle to be on display at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. All vehicles at the SEMA Show must be sponsored by an exhibiting manufacturer. Exhibitors may choose to display vehicles in their booths, or they may purchase a feature vehicle spot. However, the spot may only be reserved by an exhibitor.
SEMA BOTB applications for vehicles that are not on display at the SEMA Show will not qualify to advance in the BOTB competition. Only vehicles on display will advance in the competition.
Builders under the age of 27 who do not have a confirmed SEMA Show feature or booth vehicle may be able to compete in the SEMA BOTB through a participating consumer auto show. Visit www.semayoungguns.com for more information.
Supporting and inspiring young builders is crucial to the future of the automotive specialty equipment market. The Young Guns category is designed to encourage young builders to pursue their passions and shines the light on the up-and-coming builders.
The Young Guns is a designation within the overall BOTB competition to recognize builders at the SEMA Show who are under the age of 27 (as of Nov. 6, 2020). Those who have selected the Young Guns category on the online application, as well as young builders who were awarded a Young Guns prize package from a regional partner are eligible to participate. All competitors in the Young Guns category will be competing against the overall field of builders, regardless of how they entered the competition.
With more than 300 participants, industry experts will review all qualifying applications, including vehicle descriptions and photos. Judges will also walk the SEMA Show floor to review individual builds in person before selecting the Top 40 finalists in the competition. (Ten builds will represent the hot rod category, 10 will represent the trucks/off-road category, 10 will represent the sport compact category and another 10 will be from Young Guns.)
After the Top 40 finalists are announced on the opening day of the SEMA Show, the judges then narrow the finalists down to the Top 12, regardless of the category.
The Top 12 finalists then become the judges, and select from amongst themselves who is ultimately named the Top Builder of the SEMA BOTB.
The field of entries is narrowed down in six steps to get to the winner:
- Step 1: Anyone who has booth or feature vehicle at the SEMA Show is welcome to enter the competition
- Step 2: Applicants that were not able to secure a booth or feature vehicle spot at the SEMA Show will be cut from the competition
- Step 3: Industry experts and our panel of judges review all applications and their submitted pictures to determine which are of interest to see during the visual walk-through judging process on the Show floor (about 70-80 vehicles)
- Step 4: From the 70-80 vehicles that are seen on the Show floor, the Top 40 are determined (10 hot rod/10 truck/10 sport compact/10 Young Gun)
- Step 5: The Top 40 are reviewed again by images, discussion and possible subsequent walk-through inspection and narrowed to the Top 12, regardless of the category
- Step 6: The builders of the Top 12 will become the judges and select who will be named the winner.
The Top 40 finalists will be announced on the first day of the SEMA Show (Tuesday, November 3). The Top 12 are announced later during the week at the SEMA Show.
On the last day of the SEMA Show (Friday, Nov. 6), the Top 12 participants will evaluate and judge each other’s entry at the SEMA Show, before leading the SEMA Cruise to the official SEMA Show after party, SEMA Ignited. At SEMA Ignited, consumers, media and industry professionals will watch as the winner is announced and a television production team films for a television special that will air on the Velocity Network.
Each vehicle at the SEMA Show is a unique, one-of-a-kind creation. Personal tastes may vary and opinions will differ. Industry experts with years of experience serve as judges and narrow the entries down to finalists. However, it is the Top 12 finalists themselves who will be judging, voting and selecting the ultimate winner.
As builders, the finalists know and understand the challenges and complexity involved with a vehicle build. They are able to assess and determine the creativity, craftsmanship and skill that went into each vehicle, before selecting the winner.
Auto enthusiasts and consumers are invited to attend SEMA Ignited (November 6, 2020 at 3:00 pm), the official SEMA Show after-party that connects the general public with industry leaders, celebrities and award-winning custom vehicles. The Friday night festival takes place immediately after the SEMA Show closes as hundreds of cars and trucks will parade out of the Las Vegas Convention Center and assemble at SEMA Ignited.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view hundreds of customized rides featuring the newest and most innovative products from the SEMA Show. The event also includes food, music, drift demonstrations, celebrities, and the culmination of the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition which includes more than 250 competitors vying for the title of the Ultimate Vehicle Builder.
SEMA Show attendees get in free with their show badge.
For information on SEMA Ignited, please visit www.semaignited.com.
For more information on inquiring about a feature vehicle spot at the 2020 SEMA Show, please visit: www.semashow.com/feature-vehicle-application
A vehicle will be in one category. If a builder’s vehicle is identified as one that is in consideration of either the Hot Rod, Tuner, or Truck categories, it will be listed in those categories as top 10 of that category. Otherwise, if the vehicle builder is a Young Gun (age 27 or younger on November 6, 2020) and does not earn a spot in the top ten of the Hot Rod, Tuner, or Truck category, the vehicle may still be considered for the Young Guns category. A vehicle can only be in one category.
Winners of the regional Young Guns competitions will be placed at the 2020 SEMA Show in a feature vehicle location within the property of the SEMA Show.
While we cannot connect you to a specific manufacturer, you can find a list of companies that will be exhibiting at the SEMA Show by visiting www.semashow.com
While it is certainly possible that the judges may be viewing your vehicle during hours that you are there, it is not possible to schedule a time, nor coordinate when the judges will be viewing your vehicle. Vehicles will be viewed throughout all hours of Sunday and Monday. It is not a requirement that you are present when the judges will be viewing your vehicle.
Vehicles are not permitted to be under any embargo prior to the start of the 2020 SEMA Show. Any vehicle that cannot be available for public display prior to the opening of the show will not be considered for the 2020 SEMA Show Battle of the Builders®.
