2025 Southern Show Choir Single-Gender Rankings

By Tony Holeman, Southern contributor

The 2025 show choir season has been over for a few weekends, and it is time for this year's final set of show choir rankings of the Southern circuit. In true show choir fashion, an extra voter was added to the finals voting panel in order to include a more thorough set of results. This set of placements reflects that of the single gender division.

1st) Tupelo "Synergy" (6 first-place votes)

(Tupelo Public School District)

Nothing really shocking here. For the last few years, Tupelo has reigned as the undisputed top single gender group in the South, and 2025 was no different. With arguably the most creative show theme in the region this year, their Hildegard von Bingen-themed show won every southern single-gender division they competed in and matched up against some of the country's best single-gender groups at Franklin Central in Indiana. At their southern competitions, not only did they win their division, but also placed as 2nd overall and 3rd overall, only behind the likes of Clinton, Grenada, and Petal (not to mention the fact that they took best vocals from Grenada after finals and took best show design from Clinton and Petal during the preliminary round). Once again, the ladies of Tupelo reign supreme.

2nd) Oak Mountain "The Muses"

(Stacey Barbin Higgins)

Not too far behind Tupelo lies the single-gender powerhouse that is Oak Mountain's The Muses. If you're any kind of familiar with the Southern show choir circuit, their placement on this list should not surprise you. Despite ending the season with a bit of a rocky path last year, Oak Mountain bounced back in the best way possible during the 2025 competition season. Oak Mountain won every single-gender division they competed in, and they also garnered a 3rd overall and 4th overall placement this year. Their best wins come against the likes of Homewood Nexus, Petal Innovations, and even Northwest Rankin The Ambassadors.

3rd) Brandon "Bellas"

(Melissa K Buie)

Talk about resilience. Bellas went through what one could only describe as a roller-coaster of a season. Between a great start to the year from winning their division at Millard West to losing to Northeast Jones the very next week and missing single gender finals at Chesterton soon after that, to then taking Best Vocals and Best Show Design in their division from Oak Mountain, and then ending the season with a respectable placement at Mt. Zion, Brandon went through all kinds of ups and downs. While their season was certainly full of bumps, one must pay their respects to the ladies of Brandon and how they persevered through their trials and tribulations throughout the year.

4th) Homewood "Nexus"

(Homewood Show Choirs)

Nexus adds another very strong year to the books with their 2025 competition season, where they won their division twice and also earned a fourth overall and fifth overall placement throughout the year. Their best wins come against the likes of Briarwood, Enterprise, Spain Park, and Homewood's own 2A group, Continuum. It's worth noting they did end their season on an odd note, with their show at Glenwood, Illinois thrown off by a fire alarm that activated during setup.

5th) Petal "Innovations"

(Keith Keeton Photography)

Like that of Homewood, Petal's womens group adds another very solid year to their program's history. Winning their division once and earning a fourth overall placement in the year is certainly worth keeping track of. It's also worth mentioning that the only single-gender groups they lost to (minus the powerhouses they encountered at Show Choir Nationals) would be Tupelo and Oak Mountain, ranked number 1 and 2 on this list. Their best wins on the season come against the likes of Sumrall, Auburn Elan, and Wheaton Warrenville South Esprit.

6th) Northwest Rankin "The Allure"

One of the more under-the-radar groups on this list, The Allure had a sneakily good 2025 competition season. Between three division wins and a fourth overall placement, Northwest Rankin has a lot to be proud of. Their best wins of the year come against both of Mt. Zion's single-gender groups and both of Auburn's single-gender groups. The only single-gender groups they lost to are above them on this very list (Tupelo, Oak Mountain, Brandon, and Petal) and Wheaton Warrenville South Esprit.

7th) Auburn "Elan"

Auburn served as a solid middle-of-the-pack ensemble this season, not really beating groups ranked higher than them but also not really getting upset by groups lower than them (except for a close loss to Tift County Ladies Choice). Half of Elan's season consisted of second-place awards, while the other half consisted of fifth-place awards.

8th) Tift County "Ladies Choice"

Very similar to Elan, Ladies Choice served as another solid middle-of-the-pack competitor this season. Again, they didn't really lose to anyone they weren't supposed to, but also didn't upset any major groups throughout the year. They did, however, manage to secure a division win, also accompanied by two seconds. Ladies Choice was part of a Tift County program that showed improvement from the 2024 season to the 2025 season for all of their groups.

9th) Tift County "Tiftosterone"

Voted as the top mens group in the South, Tiftosterone, alike to their sister counterpart Ladies Choice, took major steps from last season to this year. They won their division at two of the three comps they attended, and they even took best vocals from Homewood Nexus and Ladies Choice at different competitions. Tift County is making major strides as an overall program.

10th) Biloxi "Sound Sirens"

A group's first year in the circuit, albeit from an already existing program, is bound to come with growing pains. Biloxi was no stranger to this fact. With that being said, Sound Sirens had a very impressive season for it being their first, winning their division three times out of four competitions, with the lone exception being a second behind Petal. While a lack of competition in their divisions throughout the season was the biggest thorn in their side, they still showed great promise by beating groups such as Northeast Jones, Pearl River Central, and West Marion.

11) Purvis "Pizazz"

Purvis had maybe the oddest season of any group this year, thanks to a single competition. Despite not winning their division against other competition, they did still manage a second overall placement at West Jones this year. Placing only behind Clinton, Purvis beat groups such as Northeast Jones, South Jones, Sumrall, and West Marion at this competition while still in their first year since transitioning from 1A/Small Division to Single Gender. The rest of the season was fairly lackluster, but this competition offers a unique perspective of potential promise for the newly-reformed Purvis group.

12th) Enterprise "Esprit"

Taking a slight step back from last season, Enterprise comes in at number 12 on this list for the 2025 competition year. They never placed higher than fourth in the division, and missed out on placements twice. With that being said, it's worth remembering this is their first year under Christina Herring. Another year under her leadership may give the group room to grow.

13th) Auburn "Men at Work"

The second-highest rated mens group in the South, Men at Work once again staked its claim as the most fun group to watch in the South. That's not all, though, as they did place as high as second in their division.

14th) Briarwood "Karis"

Briarwood had a relatively solid season when considering their record. They placed in their division at three of their four competitions, with seconds and a third. They even beat the 12th-ranked group on this list (Enterprise), along with a couple of other single-gender groups not mentioned here.

15th) Northwest Rankin "The Ambition"

Men at Work finally has a new competitor for the title of most fun group to watch in the South. Northwest Rankin's debut mens group may not have racked up all the awards, but they absolutely put on a show. With two a pair of seconds and a pair of fourths in their division, they certainly left an impression and a vibe everywhere they went.

Receiving Votes: Biloxi "Sound Sailors", Albertville "CenSations!", Opelika "Impressions", Tallassee "Divas"