Indiana Show Choirs Return to National Stage in 2026
- Nathan Ensley
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
By Nathan Ensley and Will Kaiser, Indiana contributors
Indiana show choir in the year 2026 will return to where it ended 2025: Indiana groups dueling for grand championships at national competitions. What started as a competitive battle across the Indy circuit went national, with both Zionsville and Carmel finding success at Show Choir Nationals, Center Grove and Avon completing undefeated seasons, and the margin between the top groups getting closer and closer. These amazing results left more questions than they gave answers for groups on diverging trajectories, providing lots of interesting storylines going into the 2026 season.Â
The first of these big questions stems from the unprecedented rise from the Avon Accents. Avon finished the season undefeated with an outstanding six grand championships and took home the ISSMA state crown. Now they look to continue that streak into 2026, but that road to repeating that success begins with a tough competition at Southmont. With Accents, Plainfield, and North Central all in attendance, this competition will quickly define the narrative for what group leads the competitive ISSMA field.
In the large mixed division, the clear standout is Center Grove Sound System, who has now completed two consecutive undefeated seasons and won four straight national competitions, including Heart of America Los Angeles last year. Other top groups include the Carmel Ambassadors, who took three grand championships, including a Show Choir Nationals victory over Los Alamitos and Zionsville, and Franklin Central, who won two grand championships and took Best Visuals from Carmel at Brownsburg. Sound System will not face Carmel this upcoming season but will have some tough out-of-state tests at Olentangy and Show Choir Nationals to maintain their undefeated status.
A key competition for the large mixed division will be the Chesterton Trojan Classic on February 14. This competition will feature the first matchup of the Big Three, with Carmel and Franklin Central facing off, in addition to seeing a resurgent Brandon Brio, Nebraska powerhouse Gretna Revolution, Illinois titan Wheaton North Flight, and several other strong groups. This competition will quickly define where Indiana’s top groups rank against some of the nation’s best ahead of later national competitions.Â
In the large single-gender division, the Center Grove Debtones completed an undefeated run, including victories over all of Indy’s best girls groups, including Fishers Sound, who they defeated three times. Sound had gone undefeated, sweeping every competition they attended in 2024, but struggled last year. 2026 will be a defining year for Sound, as they will get a chance to face the Debtones once again at Show Choir Nationals in March. Other top contenders include the Carmel Accents, who took three grand championships, including Show Choir Nationals, as well as Plainfield Femmes Fatales, who won state and defeated Fishers Sound at Lawrence Central last year.Â
In the small mixed division, Roncalli Royal Rhapsody completed their second consecutive undefeated season with an ISSMA state title. Roncalli has been a dominant force in the small mixed division for several years now, although Huntington North and Pendleton Heights have remained close and will look to knock off the defending state champion at finals this year.
In the small single-gender division, Pendleton Heights Emerald Suites dominated last season, going undefeated with eight grand championships and look poised to do so again in 2026. Standing in their way include the state runner-up, Huntington North Viking Volume, as well as undefeated Cathedral Irish Adrenaline, who they will face for the first time since 2022. New Castle Dynamiques and New Palestine Diamond Sensations will also be contenders after having strong seasons last year.
What’s Changed?
Not much has changed on the Indiana circuit; however, 2026 did see a choreographer change at one of Indiana’s most prestigious programs.Â
A notable change comes from the departure of longtime Center Grove (CG) choreographer Andy Haines, who has retired from his duties with the Debtones after 18 years of service. He will be replaced by April James, who has choreographed CG’s mixed group, Sound System, since 2023.Â
2026 will mark the debut of Switzerland County Fast Pace, a small mixed show choir in southeastern Indiana. Justin Selmeyer will direct the group, following his twenty-year stint at South Dearborn, where he led Opening Knight to dozens of small mixed grand championships.
Cadence Lehman will now direct East Noble’s show choirs, Knight Rhythms and Premiere Edition, following two years with Fairfield’s show choir program.
Julia Zusi, a music education graduate from Saint Mary’s College, will now direct Fairfield’s show choirs, Fusion and Expression, after Lehman’s departure.
Who has something to prove?
After taking the single-gender circuit by storm with undefeated 2022 and 2024 seasons, Fishers Sound was right in the mix in 2025, with Plainfield Femmes Fatales and the Center Grove Debtones drawing to Sound's level. In an Indianapolis single-gender scene that is among the most competitive in the country, it's unrealistic to assume undefeated seasons will be the norm, but the good seasons signal that the potential is there at Fishers. In 2026, Sound will face all of Indiana’s top single-gender groups, including the Debtones (who went undefeated in 2025), setting the stage for them to once again show why they are counted among the upper echelon.
Avon Accents ended the season with an extremely impressive undefeated season. As impressive as that season was, the 2026 Avon Accents now have a standard to meet. They begin where they left off last season with a showdown against Plainfield and North Central at Southmont. They have the opportunity to overtake their success last season if they find a way to overcome Franklin Central and Jackson Prep, competitors that they will see throughout the season.Â
North Central Counterpoints will look to gain some consistency after last season. The group will have a chance to rebound after a disappointing state result last year at Southmont, a new addition to the schedule from past years. What follows will be two extremely difficult competitions at Pike Musicfest and Center Grove Best of the Midwest, where they will face several groups they will see again at Nationals. North Central will take on an ambitious six competitions this season, and the more consistency they bring week-in, week-out will prove that they can be competitive at an extremely difficult Show Choir Nationals.Â
Who’s on the rise?
Zionsville Royalaires made a massive step forward last season despite not taking a win. They faced a phenomenally difficult schedule, and at the end of season they were able to keep up with that competition, taking Best Vocals from CG Sound System and leading Show Choir Nationals into finals. They will once again face some difficult competition, but if they can keep on their same path, they can once again display impressive growth.
Brownsburg Starlight Voices took three grand championships last season, their most in a single season since 2019. On that run, Starlight Voices defeated state champion Plainfield Femmes Fatales, Carroll Select Sound, and the Castle Knightingales.
Westfield Illumination is on the rise entering their third season as a program. In their inaugural season in 2024, they qualified for ISSMA state finals and placed ninth. Last year, they shocked the Indy circuit when they took Best Vocals over single-gender powerhouse Fishers Sound at Anderson. In what is a very stacked single-gender circuit, Westfield has quickly proved that they belong, becoming a consistent contender and threatening to take their first grand championship in 2026.
What competitions are looking good?
Feb. 14: Chesterton Trojan Classic - "TClassy" will once again host many nationally-acclaimed groups from several different regions. Last year, Iowa behemoth Linn-Mar defeated the Carmel Ambassadors with a sweep of both captions en route to an undefeated season. This year, Carmel will not have to face Linn-Mar; however, their competition will still be challenging, with Franklin Central, new Nebraska power Gretna, Mississippi outfit Brandon, Illinois contender Wheaton North, Carroll, and Virginia top dog Cosby all competing. These groups represent some of the best from their respective regions and compiled 16 grand championships last year. In the single-gender division, the Carmel Accents swept this competition last year; however, they will face Franklin Central High Voltage this year, who took Best Visuals against them at Brownsburg and will keep it close.
Feb. 28: Franklin Central Hoosier Show Choir Classic - Center Grove won both large divisions at Franklin Central last year, with Carmel and Fishers placing just behind. While recent seasons have seen more out of state groups spice up this competition, this year, several strong Indiana groups will be present, with Plainfield, Brownsburg, and Lawrence Central competing, in addition to the return of Carmel and Fishers. The single-gender division will be just as exciting. Fishers Sound, while dominant in 2024 and outplacing the Carmel Accents here last year, showed some signs of weakness with a loss to Plainfield Femmes Fatales and dropping captions to Westfield and Franklin Central. A win here will put that doubt behind them, but Carmel, Plainfield, and Brownsburg all have great potential to win here as well. On Friday night, two of the top three small mixed groups from state finals last season will face off, with defending state champion Roncalli taking on Pendleton Heights. While Pendleton has not defeated Roncalli since 2023, they have been consistently close, frequently placing just behind them. Could this be the competition Pendleton finally takes down a dominant Roncalli?
Mar. 14: Brownsburg Bulldog Spectacular - Brownsburg will bring together four of last year’s top five Indiana large mixed groups, including two of Indy’s Big Three, Carmel and Franklin Central (FC). This will be a Carmel-FC rematch after facing off in Chesterton earlier in the year. While no Indiana group outside of the Big Three (Carmel, FC, and CG) has defeated a member of the Big Three since 2020, Zionsville has been the closest to doing so and will get the opportunity at Brownsburg. After having a historic undefeated season in 2025, Avon will look to prove themselves against some of Indy’s best. Finally, South Dakota’s premier group, Mitchell, will add to an already-stacked lineup. While Carmel Accents is the favorite in the womens division following a victory at Show Choir Nationals, Avon Attraction, Westfield Illumination, and Franklin Central High Voltage are all formidable competition in what will be one of the best single-gender competitions of the year.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to more accurately portray Fishers Sound's situation.