Battle of the Year 2012 World Finals – Judges announced, new battle format introduced

The date for Braun Battle of the Year (BOTY) 2012 world finals in Montpellier have been announced along with the judge line up.

The judges will be B-Boy Neguin (Brazil), B-Boy Storm (Germany), B-Boy Lamine (France), B-Boy Niek (Netherlands) and B-Boy Roxrite (USA).

Battle of the Year world finals will return to the Park and Suites Arena in Montpellier, France, on 17 November 2012 with qualified international crews from around the world and host the solo b-boy and We B*Girlz battles as well as workshops, parties and performances in the lead up to the finals.

After Battle of the Year’s plans to invest in the African b-boy scene earlier this year, two crews from Africa will have their own Battle of the Year event three days before the final in Montpellier.

Battle of the Year has also changed the format from previous years in favour of a temporary new battle formula: Six crews will now qualify for the final battles, not four. The two crews with the highest show rankings will go directly to the semi-finals while the other four crews will battle in the quarter-finals for the remaining two spots in the semis. The organisers will review the system after the finals and adopt it based upon its success.

Last year Vagabond Crew won Battle of the Year 2011 in both the crew battle and best show category, the second time they have reigned champions in the event’s history.

Video: Battle of the Year 2011 highlights

Battle of the Year

Battle of the Year, also referred to as BOTY, is an annual international b-boying series that began in 1990. In the past BOTY world finals were held at the Volkswagenhalle in Braunschweig, Germany until 2009 when event moved to Montpellier, France.

Organisers also played a part in the production of the forthcoming BOTY movie, Battle of the Year: Dream Team which will be released in cinemas internationally next year.