CHAMPIONING PROFESSIONAL ARTISTRY & CREATIVITY

North America’s Star Nail Artist – Season 3

There is no purchase necessary to enter or win, and monies will not benefit the placement of entrants or finalists within this competition.

ELIGIBILITY

North America’s Star Nail Artist is open to nail professionals aged 18 or over (on 1 July 2026) who reside in the United States, Canada or Mexico. These professionals must hold a recognised professional nail licence or qualification at the time of entry and have been a practicing nail professional for over 12 months: proving that they obtained their first nail qualification on or before 1 July 2025. Educators and brand ambassadors are permitted to enter.

Employees of Scratch magazine and immediate family members (spouses, parents, children, and siblings and their spouses) of, and/or those living in the same household, are not eligible to enter. Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

ENTRY CONDITIONS

• Entries must be the contestant’s own original work. Designs must be conceived, created and submitted by the entrant. Collaboration with another nail artist, designer or creative professional is not permitted unless expressly stated by NASNA.
• The submitted work must be created specifically for the challenge. Previously completed work, substantially reused designs or work created for another competition may not be submitted.
• Contestants agree to enter into the competition’s challenges until there is a time when they may be eliminated subject to the sponsor, judge and administrator decisions. If a contest decides to exit the contest or fails to submit a core challenge entry, they will not be permitted to re-enter the contest in the same Season. 
• Use of artificial intelligence (AI) is not permitted whatsoever in any entry: whether for the creation or finesse of text, or refinement of images. Images and videos in the entry form and throughout the competition MUST NOT be altered, amended or be subject to artificial intelligence influence. Detection of these will result in disqualification or a score deduction, as determined by the administrator (Scratch) and relevant challenge sponsor. 
• Contestants must follow the brief in full. Failure to meet a fundamental requirement of the brief will result in a 5-point deduction from the overall score for that challenge for each brief violation, to be determined by the administrator (Scratch) and relevant challenge sponsor. (Note - scores are calculated as follows: Scores totalled from all challenge judges divided by no. of judges for that challenge - with max. 100 points per challenge).
• Write-ups and videos must be in English or sub-titled in English.
• Entries cannot contain sexually suggestive or explicit imagery, or promote political motions, hate, dangerous substances or weapons.
• Submissions to the entry process or challenges may not include images of a known celebrity, franchise, film, TV show or famous person that violates the right of privacy or publicity of that person. Do not recreate known or popular entities unless required to do so by the challenge brief.
• All entries and monthly competition submissions will be sent to sponsors and judges without name or social media details in order for entries to be kept as anonymous as feasibly possible and prevent risk of bias.
• Challenge submissions must not be shared publicly until after they have been judged, and a representative of Scratch magazine has specified that it is OK to do so.
• Once an entry has been submitted, it cannot be altered by an entrant. Scratch magazine and its sponsors are not responsible for technical issues or invalid, undelivered entries that prevent such entries from reaching the administrator inbox.
• Judges may consider only the work presented in the official submission. Additional information or unseen elements cannot be taken into account unless specifically requested by NASNA.
• Judging decisions are final. NASNA reserves the right to clarify, amend or apply these rules where necessary to ensure consistency and fairness across entries.

By submitting nail art photos and videos to North America’s Nail Artist, the entrant warrants that:

• Each photo, video and write-up is 100% original and the entrant’s own creation. 
• The submitted photographs/video must accurately represent the finished work.
• Entries do not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other legal or moral rights of any person or entity.
• The entrant owns all rights to the submitted photos and videos, including without limitation, copyrights, and has received prior written permission from a third party if any photo was photographed by, or video was recorded by, someone other than the contest entrant.
• The entrant will not hold Scratch, the competition sponsors and related entities responsible for financial implications or purchases arising from placement within the competition. The entrant holds these parties harmless from any claims and damages (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from or relating to the breach or alleged breach of your representations and warranties in connection with the contest.

IMAGE/VIDEO USE

By entering into this contest, entrants accept and agree to comply with and abide by the rules and decisions of the administration team and sponsors. They agree that their images, text and/or video submissions can be used for marketing and promotional purposes in relation to the contest by Scratch magazine and its sponsors, such as (as an example, but not limited thereto), direct marketing, the Internet, websites, magazines, advertising features, etc.

By submitting entries and materials to this contest, the entrant grants a non-exclusive worldwide license to use their photo, name, hometown and likeness on the sponsors’ and administrator’s websites and social media sites and in advertising and/or promotional activities worldwide without compensation, permission or notification.

By submitting a photo or video taken or edited by a third party, the entrant warrants that they have received all rights and clearances to its use.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Shortlisted applicants are not permitted to share their creations via social media until after each challenge has finished, and Scratch (“the administrator”) has granted permission for them to do so.

PRIZE CONDITIONS

Prizes are not assignable nor transferable. Winners are responsible for all federal, state, local and income taxes associated with their winning prize.

Except where prohibited by law, entry and acceptance of prize constitute permission to use winner’s name, prize won, hometown, likeness, photographs, and statements for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity (including online posting) in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission.

By accepting a prize, you further agree to release the Promotion Entities from any and all liability, loss or damage of any kind arising out of or in connection with your participation in this Promotion or with respect to the awarding, receipt, possession, use and/or misuse of any prize.

For more information or to clarify any questions, email competitions@scratchmagazine.co.uk