Auditions have officially closed for this year’s Battle of the Bands competition.

The event, which is returning after a two-year hiatus, will allow Oakland University students to showcase their musical talents, with the opportunity to win a slot as an opening act for this year’s spring concert headliner, Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated singer-songwriter Nick Jonas.

This year, musicians from OU were able to send in their audition tapes through GrizzOrgs to be judged by the Student Program Board. Auditions were open until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. All participating groups required at least one OU student to participate.

“We are hoping to choose five or six bands to perform in the competition,” said Mackenzie Hill, event organizer for SPB and coordinator of this year’s Battle of the Bands competition.

Battle of the Bands will take place during Springfest, which will be held on April 6 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the North Oakland Center lawn. The event consists of food trucks, games and live music and is open to all members of the OU community. Battle of the Bands will begin at 5:00 p.m.

Although the event hasn’t taken place since 2015, SPB is expecting a great turn out. The 2015 Battle of the Bands was headlined by We the Kings, known for their hit song “Check Yes Juliet.”

“As a first-year student at OU, I’m very excited to discover the talents of my fellow students,” said Pooja Prasad, a new member of SPB.

The Battle of the Bands competition will give local bands and OU students the opportunity to gain on-stage experience and share their music with their peers.

The third place winner will receive $200, the second place winner will receive $300 and the first place winner will receive $500 and the opening act slot for this year’s spring concert. The concert will be headlined by Nick Jonas at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre on April 14.

Though you may only remember him from his Jonas Brothers days, Jonas has come a long way since achieving success with hits like “SOS” and “Burnin’ Up.” Since going solo, he has developed a new pop-rock sound.

Oakland students were given access to discounted tickets starting at $10. Several student organizations also have pairs of tickets to give away.

The top three winners of Battle of the Bands will be chosen after their performances by the audience. The first place winner will receive a meet-and-greet session with Jonas in addition to the opening performance.

“The winners from Battle of the Bands have to represent OU to people from all over in the best way possible,” said SPB member Sami Miller. “We want to see original and creative performances that will show people the ‘be yourself’ atmosphere that Oakland is famous for.”