Return of the Contenders: Choirs 76-100

Preview shows are going on, competition schedules are being released, and dance captains are worried that their groups will forget the choreography over Christmas break.

That means it's time to take a look at who will run America's show choir competitions in 2026.

Over the next few weeks, HomeRoom Show Choir will preview 100 of the country's premier show choirs, giving fans from casual to hardcore everything that matters in advance of a fast-approaching competition season.

Rankings are based on HomeRoom Show Choir’s 2025 Final National Rankings. Interested in digging deeper? View the 2025 Final National Rankings or see how the rankings were compiled.

Previews of 25 more choirs will release on December 23.

2025 #76 Ranked Choir: Iowa City West “Good Time Company” (14th in Iowa)

2026 Director: Luigi Enriquez (5th season)

Choreographers: Ben Eklund (7th season) and Matt Watson (3rd season)

Competition Schedule: Jan 17 - Muscatine; Jan 31 - Sauk Prairie; Feb 7 - Norwalk; Feb 14 - Cedar Rapids Washington; Feb 21 - Pella; Feb 28 - TBD

It was only a matter of time before the community got a “Minecraft”-themed show, and thanks to Iowa City West, it will see one. Because of this outlandish show theme, it’s really tough to predict how this show is going to do in 2026. However, if any group can pull it off well, it’s Good Time Company. They were able to grab a win over Indianola this past season while taking Best Vocals and Best Band. In 2026, Iowa City West is going to similar competitions they’ve been to in the past, with the big addition of a trip to Sauk Prairie in Wisconsin. The mix of familiar stomping grounds and a memorable show might just pay big dividends for GTC this year - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #77 Ranked Choir: Carthage “Soundwave” (4th in Missouri)

2026 Directors: Katie Crigger (16th season) and Brian Hargrave (9th season)

Choreographer: Dalton Myatt (1st season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Blue Valley; Jan. 24 - Chillicothe; Feb. 7 - Smith-Cotton; Feb. 14 - Neosho; Feb. 21 - Nevada; Feb. 28 - hosting; Mar. 7 - Raymore-Peculiar

Last year, Soundwave really stepped it up after their previous season. In 2023, they made finals at all but one competition, and in those finals, they placed between third and fourth at every competition. In this most recent season, they made finals at every competition, and only took fourth one time. Instead, they spent the majority of their competitions placing second and third. It was a marked improvement from Soundwave's previous season, and it will be interesting to see how this season goes after hiring Dalton Myatt as the new choreographer after Kacy Christensen retired. Carthage definitely has potential to become one of the top runners in Missouri if they continue their upward momentum. - Anne Marie Wright, Heartland Contributor

2025 #78 Ranked Choir: Sioux Falls Washington “Classic Connection” (2nd in South Dakota)

2026 Directors: Jeff Spencer (11th season) and Chris Jacobson (5th season)

Choreographer: Ben Eklund (11th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 10 - Sioux Falls Jefferson; Jan.17 - Linn-Mar; Jan. 31 - Sioux Falls Roosevelt; Feb. 14 - hosting; Feb. 21 - Spirit Lake; Mar. 7 - Emmetsburg; Mar. 14 - Aberdeen Central

Seeing Classic Connection increase in quality over the last few years has been very interesting to watch. The 2025 season was the first time since 2019 that they took home multiple grand champion trophies in one season. They beat Pius X at Lincoln Southwest and won at Aberdeen Central for the third season in a row. Now, they’re facing different competition. Linn-Mar is going to be a really competitive early-season competition where Washington isn’t guaranteed a spot in finals. Everything else should be smooth sailing from there. With a “Stranger Things”-themed show, which nicely follows their 2025 “Back To The Future” show, Washington is surely going to have one of the more interesting seasons to watch out of all of the South Dakota groups. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #79 Ranked Choir: Brownsburg “Spotlight Singers & Company” (12th in Indiana)

2026 Director: Chad Strasser (12th season)

Choreographers: Joe Sato (10th season) and Cecily Pedregon (7th season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 21 - Kenton; Feb. 28 - Franklin Central; Mar. 7 - Avon; Mar. 14 - hosting; Mar. 21 - Show Choir Nationals 

Brownsburg looks for another strong year in an ever-more competitive Indy circuit. They will look to come out strong after a tough start to last year's season. Kenton should provide that before a tough Franklin Central competition. They will round out the year at Show Choir nationals, where they will look to reclaim the finals appearance that they were robbed of in 2024. That will be a challenging task as they will face several Indy groups in a competitive field that could leave top contenders out of the picture on Saturday. Only time will tell whether they can compete in a very competitive schedule. - Will Kaiser, Indiana Contributor

2025 #80 Ranked Choir: Elkhorn North “adrENaline” (9th in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Casey Allen (5th season)

Choreographer: Matt Watson (5th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Gretna; Jan. 24 - Gretna East; Jan. 31 - hosting middle school festival; Feb. 7 - Elkhorn; Feb 28 - Southeast Polk; Mar 7 - Sioux City East

Elkhorn North had one of the craziest 2025 seasons in Nebraska. They missed out on finals at Hasting to begin the season; however, they almost immediately followed up by sweeping at Elkhorn, beating out Norris, the group who won at Hastings. This was adrENaline's first-ever Grand Championship in the program's history. Not only that, but they won at Grand Island a few weeks later, too, beating out Elkhorn South and standing as the best of the Elkhorn show choir groups. It doesn’t look like that momentum is slowing down as Elkhorn North will do battle with many impressive Nebraska groups like Gretna, Gretna East, Westside, Millard North, Pius X, and Lincoln East in 2026, alongside out-of-state groups like Johnston, Waukee Northwest, and Mitchell. It’s going to be one heck of a season to see if adrENaline can keep this pace after a successful 2025 season. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #81 Ranked Choir: John F. Kennedy “Executive Order” (5th in California)

2026 Director: Christopher Brush (1st season)

Choreographer: To be announced

Competition Schedule: To be announced

The newest Advanced Mixed 1 contender in the California scene has had quite the off-season. Kennedy has put together some momentum since the pandemic to become one of the premier advanced groups in the circuit, but this season will feature a brand-new director. Executive Order has one of the biggest talent pools in the region, and it will be fascinating to see how their results fluctuate throughout the season. On the low end, this is a mid-to-high level Advanced Mixed 2 group. But, if they reach their peak potential under their new creative team, they can put up a fight against the typical Cali Big Three and out-of-state contenders. - Chris Mendoza, Western Contributor 

2025 #82 Ranked Choir: Omaha South “The Ambassadors” (10th in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Tyler Gruttemeyer (12th season)

Choreographer: Stephani Hyatt (11th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 10 - Sioux Falls Jefferson; Jan. 24 - Millard West; Jan. 31 - Omaha Westside; Feb. 14 - Lincoln Northwest; Feb. 21 - hosting; Mar. 7 - Omaha North; Mar. 14 - Wheaton Warrenville South

Omaha South gobbled up a staggering amount of caption awards in the 2025 season, including multiple band and choreography awards and various performer awards. Despite this success, they did not grab a single grand champion trophy, despite coming so close. That being said, there are a few opportunities for The Ambassadors to snag wins in 2026. They will be facing off against Elkhorn South at Westside, Sioux City East and Pius X at Lincoln Northwest, and Elkhorn at Omaha North. Wrapping up their season at Wheaton Warrenville South is going to be interesting for The Ambassadors, as it’s arguably their toughest battle of the season, but it’ll be very interesting to watch Omaha South’s show grow and improve throughout the months. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #83 Ranked Choir: Prairie “The Ambassadors” (15th in Iowa)

2026 Director: Grace Huber (4th season) and Justin Sands (15th season)

Choreographer: Stephen Todd (9th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Linn-Mar; Jan. 24 - Johnston; Jan. 31 - hosting; Feb. 14 - Tupelo; Feb. 21 - Indianola; Feb. 28 - Liberty

The Ambassadors only saw one win in the 2025 season, beating El Paso-Gridley in finals and taking Best Vocals at Muscatine. Now, Prairie is returning to three of the competitions they were at in 2025, while also returning to Johnston after not attending last season, and taking a trip to Tupelo, Mississippi, where they will compete against Grenada. The Ambassadors' 2025 season was interesting to say the least, beating Iowa City at Muscatine but falling behind them at Linn-Mar, while also losing to Cedar Rapids Kennedy at Linn-Mar and Indianola but beating them at Liberty. There’s no way to predict how Prairie will do in 2026, except that they will continue to mix it up with eastern Iowa's best all season long. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #84 Ranked Choir: Iowa City “4th Avenue Jazz Company” (16th in Iowa)

2026 Director: Emma Erner (3rd season) and Matt Walker (1st season)

Choreographer: Lexi Robson Buglewicz (9th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan 10 - Xavier; Jan 17 - Linn-Mar; Jan 31 - Anamosa; Feb 7 - Waukee Northwest; Feb 14 - Waconia; Feb 21 - Cedar Rapids Jefferson

4th Avenue had a consistent yet winless 2025 season, placing fourth twice and second four times, coming oh-so-close to a win multiple times. However, the group looks like it can fight back back in 2026. Linn-Mar, Waukee Northwest, and Waconia are going to be the hardest competitions for 4th Avenue, facing off against many local powerhouses, but the group should be able to grab a win at Cedar Rapids Jefferson and maybe Xavier, depending on if they will beat Marion. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #85 Ranked Choir: Noblesville “NHS Singers” (13th in Indiana)

2026 Director: John Neubauer (10th season)

Choreographers: Jarad Voss (9th season), Marah Cover (4th season), Eric Hayes (4th season), Nancy Bocek (9th season), and John Neubauer (1st season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Beavercreek; Feb. 7 - Fishers; Feb. 14 - Plainfield; Feb. 21 - Davenport Central; Feb. 28 - Huntington North; Mar. 7 - John Hersey; Mar. 21 - hosting

It is hard to follow up any season that includes a flying car and a finals berth at Show Choir Nationals, and NHS Singers flew a bit more under the radar in 2025, registering finishes between second and fourth in all five of its competition appearances. Noblesville will step into the limelight again in 2026, facing Johnston, Davenport North and others at Davenport Central, returning to the site of its most recent win, Huntington North, and heading to John Hersey for the group's first Illinois contest since 2020. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

2025 #86 Ranked Choir: Hastings “UNCAGED” (11th in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Christian Yost (6th season)

Choreographer: Matt Watson (3rd season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Glenwood (IA); Jan. 24 - hosting; Jan. 31 - Sioux Falls Roosevelt; Feb. 7 - Grand Island Northwest; Feb. 21 - Wahoo; Feb. 28 - Grand Island

Now firmly cemented as a solid midstate program, Hastings had a really solid 2025 season. While they did not match up with any of the powerhouse groups from Omaha or Lincoln, UNCAGED beat pretty much everyone they were supposed to in local competitions, complimented with a fourth-place showing at a competition in Texas. A much tougher competition schedule awaits in 2026, where Hastings will find out more about where it falls in the Nebraska show choir hierarchy. The signs are still positive - a womens group, UNTAMED, will hit the competition stage for the first time in 2026. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

2025 #87 Ranked Choir: Platte County “Sound Express” (5th in Missouri)

2026 Director: Brian von Glahn (12th season) and Lily Fisher (4th season)

Choreographers: Chris Kindle (4th season) and Anne Chapman (1st season)

Competition Schedule: To be announced

Sound Express, although placed lower in this year's season preview than last year's, placed consistently well in their 2025 competitions. Last season, the lowest they placed was fourth overall at the Pleasant Hill Battle of the Best. They also took two first runner-up awards at their last two comps of the season, Cameron and Rock Bridge. If they can continue this consistency into the upcoming season, they could be looking at similar, and possibly higher, placements in the near future. - Anne Marie Wright, Heartland Contributor

2025 #88 Ranked Choir: Jefferson “Pop Singers” (2nd in West Virginia)

2026 Director: Hannah Kelvington-Myers (7th season)

Choreographer: Danielle Danson (6th season)

Competition Schedule: to be announced

Tucked into the eastern panhandle, 2025 proved to be a good year for this medium-sized show choir, as they competed in West Virginia, Ohio and Virginia. Finishing in the top five at each competition, Pop Singers finished their season as Grand Champion at The American Classic, hosted by Martinsburg. With the West Virginia Show Choir Festival moving to the central part of the state, Pop Singers could walk away as Festival Champions should they decide to compete there.  - Tonya Chase, West Virginia Contributor

2025 #89 Ranked Choir: Homestead “Class Royale” (14th in Indiana)

2026 Directors: Curtis Shaw (18th season) and Andrew Sherman (8th season)

Choreographer(s): To be announced

Competition Schedule: Feb. 7 - Southmont; Feb. 14 - hosting; Feb. 21 - Northridge; Feb. 28 - Huntington North; Mar. 7 - Churubusco; Mar. 14 - Columbia City

Class Royale picked up a lone win in 2025 at Churubusco but was bested by several reputable choirs throughout the course of the season, including crosstown choirs Carroll and Northrop as well as Lafayette Jefferson, Wheaton North and Hurricane. After venturing to West Virginia last season to compete, Homestead will stay close to home in 2026, with a debut outing at Southmont the farthest they will go from home. However, they will still face a slew of capable ensembles in 2026, meaning top placements will need to be earned. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

2025 #90 Ranked Choir: Auburn “Varsity Singers” (3rd in Alabama)

2026 Director: Eron Smith (18th season)

Choreographer: Dominic Matas (4th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 31 - Albertville; Feb. 7 - Oak Mountain; Feb. 14 - Homewood; Feb. 28 - hosting

Auburn’s last season can best be described as solid. With a Grand Championship and a Show Choir Nationals finals appearance under their belt and their best wins coming against the likes of Daniel Hand and Northwest Rankin, Auburn did what they were supposed to do. With that being said, they’ll have plenty of chances this upcoming season to make improvements from last year and top some of the groups favored to beat them, especially at competitions like Homewood and Oak Mountain. It helps that they’ll be carrying over the same leadership with their director and choreographer. - Tony Holeman, Southern Contributor

2025 #91 Ranked Choir: Grand Island Northwest “14 Karat Gold” (12th in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Jeff Vyhlidal (6th season) and Kari Vyhlidal (4th season)

Choreographers: Dwight Jordan (4th season) and Ellie Jordan (4th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Lincoln High; Jan. 24 - Standing Bear; Feb. 7 - hosting; Feb. 14 - Harrisonville; Feb. 28 - Grand Island; Mar. 14 - Westwood

Grand Island Northwest showed some strength during a hard-hitting competition schedule last season, including taking home the gold at their very first competition at Lincoln High. A nationals appearance at FAME gave the group stamina to see the season through, with placements at competitions in January, February, March and April. This season, they will be traveling to Missouri and Iowa, making the journey to see choirs from well outside their midstate Nebraska home. 14KG's schedule will once again feature both opportunities to win and challenges against high-caliber competition. - Arte Reed, Nebraska Contributor

2025 #92 Ranked Choir: Southeast Polk “RAMification” (17th in Iowa)

2026 Director: Jamie Logan (10th season)

Choreographers: Lexi Robson Buglewicz (8th season) and Braxton Carr (2nd season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Waukee; Jan. 31 - Ankeny Centennial; Feb. 14 - Cedar Rapids Washington; Feb. 28 hosting; Mar. 7 - Fort Madison

Southeast Polk RAMification continues to raise the bar year after year; their 2025 show, “Follow Your Star”, which told the story of scientist Cecilia Payne, was no exception. RAMification competed against many of the best choirs in the Des Moines metro and throughout Iowa in 2025, which left them without a Grand Championship. With the same creative team as last year, Southeast Polk is likely to see success in the 2026 season. Waukee and Ankeny Centennial’s lineups are stacked with Top 100 choirs, but RAMification is definitely a contender for wins at their late season competitions, Cedar Rapids Washington and Fort Madison. - Ava Sammons, Iowa Contributor

2025 #93 Ranked Choir: Fort Worth Southwest “Southwest Effect” (3rd in Texas)

2026 Director: Kimberly McConnell (1st season) and Justin Redmond (1st season)

Choreographer: Ashley Kimbrough (8th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 31 - Sioux Falls Roosevelt; Feb. 7 - hosting; Feb. 21 - LD Bell; Feb. 28 - Keller Central; Mar. 7 - Southlake Carroll

Southwest had a good 2025 season, with multiple second-place finishes and one fifth runner-up placement. Southwest is under new direction this season from Kimberly McConnell and Justin Redmond, who have no previous show choir directing experience. They are continuing to be choreographed by Ashley Kimbrough. The 2026 season looks promising for Southwest Effect as they compete in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the Texas circuit. This year will be big for the ensemble to prove themselves under new direction, as they will face all their familiar competitors. - Kortney Minnick, Texas Contributor 

2025 #94 Ranked Choir: Grand Island “Ultimate Image” (13th in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Jesse LaBrie (7th season)

Choreographer: Ben Eklund (7th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 24 - Hastings (NE); Jan. 31 - Lincoln East; Feb. 7 - Grand Island NW; Feb. 21 - Omaha South; Feb. 28 - hosting; Mar. 7 - Sioux City East

Grand Island does not back away from any tough competition, and that was certainly true last season. Westside and Omaha South brought the biggest out of state challengers in front of Ultimate Image who gave their all to go for the win. Grand Island Northwest gave them a fine opportunity to snag a grand champion under their belt, but a repeat is not a given during the 2026 season. Speaking of 2026, the schedule is looking to be similar competition but with an added trip out to Sioux City East. The outcomes for a win are all possible at Hastings, Grand Island Northwest, and Sioux City East with additional challenges at both Omaha South and Lincoln East. - Arte Reed, Nebraska Contributor

2025 #95 Ranked Choir: Elkhorn South “Blackout” (14th in Nebraska)

2026 Director: Molly Gonring (7th season) and Maddie Riva (1st season)

Choreographer: Matt Watson (4th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Ralston; Jan. 24 - Gretna East; Jan. 31 - Westside; Feb. 7 - Lincoln Southwest; Feb. 14 - hosting; Feb. 28 - Sioux Falls O’Gorman

With the departure of director Cal Cross, Maddie Riva joins Elkhorn South after directing at Millard South last season. Blackout missed the chance to snag a win in 2025, but they’re looking to find one in 2026. Elkhorn South is going to all different competitions that they didn’t go to in 2025 and facing groups they didn’t compete against in 2025, like Sioux City East, Linn-Mar, Bloomington Kennedy, and Waconia. Blackout has a chance to grab a win at Omaha Westside, where they will face Omaha South, and the opportunity to place highly in all competitions they attend in 2026. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

2025 #96 Ranked Choir: LD Bell “The Bell System” (4th in Texas)

2026 Director: Jo Ann Antinone (14th season)

Choreographer(s): Stephani Hyatt (4th season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 7 - Fort Worth Southwest; Feb. 21- hosting; Feb. 28- Keller Central; Mar. 7- Southlake Carroll

After scoring their first win in 2024, expectations were high for Bell in 2025, and they delivered. With three consecutive third-place finishes, Bell System is looking to improve their placements this upcoming season. Bell is adding a new competition to their lineup this year, dropping the now-defunct North Texas Show Choir Invitational to attend the Cowtown Classic hosted by Fort Worth Southwest. It will be an early season debut for the choir, but it will also give one more chance to match up with Texas' best. -Kortney Minnick, Texas Contributor 

2025 #97 Ranked Choir: Fishers “Electrum” (15th in Indiana)

2026 Director: Scott Archer (3rd season)

Choreographers: Eric Hayes (5th season) and Marah Cover (5th season)

Competition Schedule: Feb. 7 - hosting; Feb. 14 - Homestead; Feb. 21 - Center Grove; Feb. 28 - Franklin Central; Mar. 7 - Pendleton; Mar. 14 - Marysville; Mar. 20 - Show Choir Nationals

Fishers' 2025 show was titled “The Electrum Show” and included references to well-known television ads, along with some cliches that can be found on longstanding television shows and networks. While Electrum only snagged one win in 2025, it shouldn’t go unnoticed that Fishers consistently attends competitions with some of the best competitors in the Indiana circuit. Looking ahead to the 2026 season, they are continuing this tradition. The big-ticket competition is a trip to Show Choir Nationals, with other competitions such as Franklin Central proving to be tricky stops along the way. - Wren Millick, Indiana Contributor

2025 #98 Ranked Choir: ETC “The All Americans” (6th in Ohio)

2026 Director: Brian Rodabaugh (6th season) and Carson Reitz (1st season) 

Choreographer(s): April James (1st season) and Jacob Jay Jones (7th season) 

Competition Schedule: Jan. 24 - Winfield; Jan. 31 - Northrop; Feb. 7 - Twinsburg; Feb. 14 - Homestead; Feb. 28 - Teays Valley; Mar. 14 - Marysville

This is the third season in a row where ETC has seen a change in direction or choreography: Carson Reitz, formerly the director of ETC’s middle school program, is taking Zack Triscari’s place as director, and ETC is bringing on renowned choreographer April James to replace Tara Tober, Triscari, and Peyton Bellman. They’ll likely be looking for wins at their first two competitions, Winfield (where they face Olentangy) and Northrop (where they face Carroll) before going up against Marysville and Hurricane at Twinsburg to kick off the main portion of a loaded schedule. - Simon Zimmerman, Ohio Contributor

2025 #99 Ranked Choir: Loveland “By Request” (7th in Ohio)

2026 Director: Shawn Miller (20th season) 

Choreographer(s): Jarad Voss (19th season) 

Competition Schedule: Jan. 17 - Beavercreek; Jan. 31 - Olentangy; Feb. 14 - hosting; Feb. 21 - South Dearborn; Feb. 28 - Ross; Mar. 7 - Fairfield; Mar. 20 - Show Choir Nationals

Loveland’s 2025 season was likely not the one they wanted; it was their first winless season since 2010. Though their show, which was themed around a lighthouse, did win some Best Set and Best Show Design awards, it wasn’t enough to hit the top of the placements. This year, the onus is on them to prove last year was a fluke, but it won’t be easy; at their first two competitions alone, they will face Noblesville, Hurricane, Center Grove, and Marysville. The Nationals trip at the end of the season will loom large; making finals there would be a good barometer of improvement, but doing so will be tough. - Simon Zimmerman, Ohio writer

2025 #100 Ranked Choir: New London “Vision” (5th in Wisconsin)

2026 Director: Kevin Spindler (6th season)

Choreographer: Kevin Chase (5th season)

Competition Schedule: Jan. 10 - Tomah; Jan. 24 - hosting; Jan. 31 - Sauk Prairie; Feb. 7 - De Pere; Feb. 21 - Monona Grove

Vision sported a very similar lighthouse show to the group directly above them in this ranking, Loveland, complete with a lighthouse that actually lit up during the closer. It was a generational year for New London, as the ensemble only finished off the podium once in six contests. Now the bar is higher for Vision, but they will have plenty of chances to make good on that. Podium finishes are absolutely a possibility at Tomah, De Pere, and Monona Grove, and Vision will have a chance to make noise again at a deep Sauk Prairie contest. The Kevin and Kevin creative team, a staple of Wisconsin dating back to their 2010s time at Colby, appears locked and loaded for another sneaky good year. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief