2025 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge Winners
The eight 2024-2025 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge winners hail from seven states and were selected by a panel of leaders in the musical theater field from more than 90 submissions.
The 2024-2025 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge kicked off in fall 2024. Throughout the winter, students had access to online masterclasses and coaching sessions, among other educational resources. Students submitted a draft of their songs and received personalized feedback from successful musical theater artists, musicians, administrators, and educators. Students then revised their songs before entering their compositions for final judging.
Winning students came to New York City in June 2025 where they worked with their mentors and music directors to hone their orchestrations while learning about process, technique, and production. The seven winning songs were presented in a special concert featuring Broadway artists, recorded live from New World Stages in New York City. Read more in our press release.
In addition, each winning student received a scholarship of $2,500, provided by the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation.
Click on each winner’s name below for more information, including bios, photos, song summaries, and a recording from the June 2025 concert.
Please note: The student bios, including school grade and school name, are taken from their applications submitted in spring 2025.
2025 WINNERS
- Judah Brown — Owasso Preparatory Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma—11th grade student
- Gwendellyn Doerfler — Dewitt High School in Dewitt, Michigan—12th grade student
- Sydney Gray — Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama—12th grade student
- Leela Kumar — Howell High School in Marlboro, New Jersey—11th grade students
- Ali Lewis — Mercy McAuley High School in Cincinnati, Ohio—12th grade student
- Sadie Shapiro — Montclair Kimberley Academy in Scotch Plains, New York—12th grade student
- Elaina Stuppler — Lakeridge High School in Lake Grove, Oregon—11h grade student
- Karsten Wallace — Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama—11th grade student