Doha, July 14 (QNA) - The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) announced that registration for the 9th Katara Prize for Quran Recitation will open tomorrow, Tuesday, and remain available until September 30.

The prize aims to encourage and discover exceptional talents in Quran recitation, to identify the most beautiful and melodious voices, and to present distinguished reciters who adhere to the rules of Tajweed.

It also seeks to honor excellence and creativity in reciting the Holy Quran while inspiring younger generations to remain committed to their faith and recognize their responsibilities toward their Islamic beliefs and message.

Katara stated that a dedicated committee will evaluate all submissions and select 100 participants to advance to the qualifying rounds, which will be held in Doha.

The qualifiers will compete in 20 televised episodes, with five contestants in each episode. One winner from each episode will advance to the semifinal stage.

In the semifinals, 20 contestants, joined by five reserves, will compete in five additional episodes, with five participants in each. One contestant from each episode will advance to the final round, where the winners from first to fifth place will be announced.

The episodes will be broadcast as part of a special program in collaboration with Qatar TV during the holy month of Ramadan.

The judging panel for the Katara Prize for Quran Recitation consists of six members: three experts in Quranic recitation and the rules of Tajweed, and three specialists in vocal performance, melody, and voice aesthetics.

Katara will also produce and release a full audio recording of the Holy Quran recited by the first-place winner, recorded at its in-house studios.

The total prize pool for the Katara Prize for Quran Recitation is QAR 1.5 million, with the first-place winner receiving QAR 500,000; the second-place winner, QAR 400,000; the third-place winner, QAR 300,000; the fourth-place winner, QAR 200,000; and the fifth-place winner, QAR 100,000.

The General Directorate of Endowments at the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs has been the official sponsor of the prize since its launch in 2017. (QNA)