first, musicians enter songs before judges choose the twelve songs that will perform at the end of november, and after the list is announced, the selected twelve gather to perform their music live.

various awards are received including most communicative music, best percussion, best guitarist, best performer, best musician from maricá, and the overall champion of the competition.

the robin's egg blue chapel of our lady of grace in the maricá village of ponta negra is the site of the annual feast in celebration of the patron saint in november - the festa nossa senhora das graças.