Rhodes Announces The Custom Keys Challenge: A Global Scoring Competition with a Rhodes MK8 Grand Prize

Leeds, United Kingdom, October 7, 2025 — Rhodes Music today announces The Custom Keys Challenge, a competition open to music creators worldwide to score a new Rhodes short film using Rhodes sounds as the foundation. The winner will receive a hand-built Rhodes Custom Shop piano of their choice as the grand prize.

Participants are tasked with designing an original soundtrack for the short film, composed primarily from the Rhodes MK8, V8/V8 Pro, or Anthology libraries. Additional textures and instruments may be included, but Rhodes must remain the core of the composition.

Entrants will receive an official re-edit of the Rhodes Custom Shop trailer from the Rhodes Custom Keys page. Submissions must be uploaded to YouTube with the title “Rhodes Custom Keys Challenge Submission | [Entrant’s Name]” and the hashtag #RhodesCustomKeys, with the link submitted via the official form.

The Custom Keys Challenge launches on October 7, with submissions closing on December 8. After an internal judging process, the top 10 entries will move to a public vote on Rhodes’ YouTube channel, where the winning score will be chosen by community support.

“We are thrilled to announce The Rhodes Custom Keys Challenge. We look forward to hearing entries from around the world and uniting our community with the warm sound of Rhodes,” said Matt Pelling, CEO of Rhodes Music.

Prizes

Grand Prize: A Rhodes MK8 (Custom Shop or standard configuration)
2nd–5th Place: Full Rhodes Software Suite + Rhodes T-Shirt
6th–10th Place: Any two Rhodes Software products

Key Dates

Launch: October 7, 2025
Submission Deadline: December 8, 2025
Internal Judging: December 9–19, 2025
Public Voting: December 22, 2025 – January 19, 2026
Winner Announced: Week of January 20, 2026

To learn more about The Custom Keys Challenge, including official rules and the submission process, please visit rhodesmusic.com

About Rhodes
For Rhodes loyalists around the world, this is a new chapter in Rhodes' history, not a new book. With the Rhodes MK8, we’re returning to the principles, aesthetic, craftsmanship, and pride of Harold Rhodes’ originals. We’re paying homage to the past with our gaze fixed firmly on what lies ahead.