2026 Nebraska Single-Gender Postseason Show Choir Rankings

By Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor, Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor, and William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

In a continuation of HomeRoom's weekly Nebraska poll rankings this season, the team has delivered an expanded season-end edition of the rankings. While three regional experts were surveyed during the season, five were surveyed for this end-of-season poll, giving a little spice akin to adding judges for finals. Additionally, fifteen single-gender groups were ranked, up from five during the season. Small school rankings can be found here, and prep rankings can be found here. Additional rankings for large school groups will be released in the coming weeks.

1. Millard North “Illumination” (5 first-place votes)

Recently awarded the Single-Gender Choir of the Year at the 2026 Homie Awards, Illumination had yet another impressive season. This saw the group win their division at every single competition, and place fourth in finals at Waconia, beating groups like Sparta and Bloomington Jefferson. Back in Nebraska, their divisional victories also saw them beat Uptown, Shock Wave, Simply Irresistible, and Linn-Mar Hi-Style from Iowa. With all that said, Illumination proved themselves as the best single-gender group in Nebraska, and could potentially pull it off again next year. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

2. Elkhorn South “Shock Wave”

The 2026 season saw Shock Wave have one of their better seasons in the last few years. The group only missed finals once, at Gretna East, and made finals at the rest of their competitions. This includes beating varsity-level groups like Aberdeen Central. This, compared to last season where they only made finals at Sioux City East, is an uptick in performance. With a few successful seasons under their belt, Shock Wave could continue this success in 2027. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

3. Millard West “Uptown”

Uptown completed its fifth season under the guidance of Jordan Newhouse in 2026. The group made finals at Papio South, continuing its streak of 13 consecutive seasons with a finals appearance. That is a testament to the consistent excellence of Uptown across many different classes of performers. Uptown also claimed division wins at Lincoln East and Norris and was a hair away from Millard North at Omaha South. They also joined many other show choirs across the country in the Abracadabra Club, performing Lady Gaga’s latest smash hit as their closer. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

4. Papillion-La Vista South “Titan Radiance”

Throughout recent years, Radiance has been one of those consistently impressive single-gender groups, and 2026 was no exception. While they only took two divisional wins, they were able to sneak their way into finals more than once. This includes a fifth-place finish at Lewis Central, beating out Gretna's prep group, Evolution. It’s safe to say that Radiance will continue to see success in the upcoming years. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

5. Westside “Simply Irresistible”

Simply Irresistible had the power of love on their side for their 2026 season. This group never got tired of battling it out with Millard West and Millard North multiple times throughout the season. Westside peaked in the middle of their season, where they made it to finals twice and scored a sixth-place finish at both. They ended their season with an out of state vacation to HOA Orlando, where they got the opportunity to face some of the best treble groups around the country. Simply Irresistible continues to not shy away from the competition, even with the challenges they face. - Arte Reed, Nebraska Contributor

6. Pius X “Prism”

Prism started and finished on the right notes, bookending its season with division wins at Standing Bear (Jan. 24 over Norris) and Lincoln Northeast (Mar. 7 over Ralston and Aurora). The group also welcomed a new choreographer, Sianna-Verisa Christy, as she made her credited show choir choreography debut in 2026. Prism also locked down a pair of runner-up finishes at Elkhorn and Norris, although not matching up with Elkhorn South, Papio South or Westside left some to wonder “what if?”. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

7. Papillion-La Vista “Monarchy”

Dinosaurs on stage? This makes perfect sense for the cavemen of Monarchy! They stayed consistent throughout the whole season. Monarchy got a chance to shine at Linn-Mar, stealing the best band caption, and facing off against some of the toughest opponents in Iowa’s prep division. Meanwhile in Nebraska, Monarchy scored well in the single-gender division and obtained one best soloist award to add on to their list of awards. Monarchy continues to thrive as one of the best mens groups in the region. - Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor

8. Millard South “Stage One”

Stage One had an impressive season that kind of fell under the radar for most people. The 2026 season was the first season the group was choreographed by Millard South alumnus Braxton Carr. Stage One won the treble division at Indianola and made the podium in others. While Stage One didn’t make finals at any of the competitions, it’s not out of the question to see a finals placement in the next few years. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

9. Papillion-La Vista “Heart and Soul”

What a fun day at the amusement park with Heart and Soul! They got to enjoy the fair food and the thrill rides while performing up on stage. Heart and Soul started their season traveling all the way to the Linn-Mar Supernova to show what Nebraska treble groups are all about. They placed third in their division, leaving their first competition with a good start. Papillion-La Vista stayed afloat for the rest of the season, and ended with a first0place finish at Grand Island. This group is staying pretty consistent, and that trend will continue into the next season if they keep up the hard work they have been putting in. - Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor

10. Hastings “UNTAMED”

UNTAMED graced the stage for the first time in 2026, part of the swell of momentum surrounding the Hastings program. The group performed a show about Nebraska staple Scooter’s Coffee, which boasts two locations within two miles of Hastings Senior High. UNTAMED made finals at two of its first three competitions, Glenwood and Grand Island Northwest, before finishing the season with a pair of second-place division finishes at Wahoo and Grand Island. The group is already confirmed for a return in 2027. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

11. Marian “Momentum”

Momentum really spoke to their name this year. Under two new directors, Mary Bruegman and Michelle Delisi, Momentum made it onto the treble podium at three of their five competitions. Speaking of making onto the podium, for the first time since 2022, Marian made it into finals at Wahoo. They finished third place overall, wrapping up their season in a great way. This program continues to rise to the challenge, and they will carry that momentum over to the next season. - Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor

12. Norris “Titanaires”

Titanaires had a short and quick season with new improvements made from last season. Norris added a new assistant director, Max Bower, to their program. This group mostly stayed in the Lincoln area, but received one opportunity to take a trip to Waukee, Iowa. Although they only placed third, they got to see a new look of competitors outside of Nebraska. Titanaires withstood the challenges thrown out at them by groups of all shapes and sizes. The outlook for the program looks towards a positive direction as they move to the next season. - Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor

13. Omaha South “Amplify”

While Amplify only placed in one of their four competitions, that one rank is a historical moment for the group. At Omaha North, towards the end of the season, Amplify made finals for the first time in the program's 11-year history. This is Julia Ramirez's first show choir directing credit, making that achievement that much more impressive. All we can do now is hope that the program moves in a good direction in the near future. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland contributor

14. Papillion-La Vista South “Revolution”

Revolution was a new ensemble this year, marking the first time a second womens group from Papio South hit the stage (although an ensemble by the name Titan Revolution did compete as a mixed group in 2020). The Nicole Solberg-led ensemble placed second in division at Ankeny Centennial and Elkhorn South while also brushing up against several of Nebraska’s best single-gender ensembles at Omaha South, among other competitions. No matter the results, a fourth group out of Papio South is a sure sign of a growing program. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

15. Mercy “The Treblemakers”

Mercy had a six-competition schedule in front of them with a variety of competitors to face off. The Treblemakers debuted a brand new choreographer, Kaden Weis, to add on to their program.Their most notable achievement was at Ralston, where they scored a spot in finals, receiving sixth place overall. The most recent time Mercy was recognized in finals was in 2017 at Omaha North. The group finished their season watching some of the best Nebraska groups at the Skutt NCDA Festival. - Arte Reed, Nebraska contributor

Receiving Votes: Grand Island “Sweet Revelation”, Kearney “Sapphire & Gold”, Skutt Catholic “Allegro”, Aurora “Impact”