The time has come to look the 2025 show choir season in the face.
Over the next two weeks, HomeRoom Show Choir will preview 225 different groups across three divisions, giving show choir fans from Connecticut to California all they need to know about the upcoming season.
Rankings are based on HomeRoom Show Choir’s 2024 Final National Rankings. Interested in digging deeper? View the 2024 Final National Rankings or see how the rankings were compiled.
Previews of 75 of America's top show choirs will release on January 1.
2024 #26 Ranked Choir: Hurricane “Red Hot” (1st in West Virginia)
2025 Director: Joseph Kincaid (10th season) and Casey Edwards (3rd season)
Choreographers: Randy Sage (4th season), Tori Brindis (3rd season) and Jacob Jay Jones (1st season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 18 - Nitro; Feb. 1 - hosting; Feb. 8 - Loveland; Feb. 15 - Capital; Feb. 22 - Grove City; Mar. 1 - Heart of America Nashville; Mar. 15 - Herbert Hoover; Mar. 22- WV States
What else is there to say besides that Hurricane was the class of West Virginia once again in 2024? Red Hot won about its millionth straight state championship and cleaned house from Charleston to Clarksburg. A complete list of groups Hurricane lost to in 2024 is as follows: Loveland, ETC, and Zionsville. The 2025 schedule is a typical Hurricane banger, featuring seven competitions - four in West Virginia, two against Ohio's top dogs, and a chance to flex on the national scene in Nashville. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief
2024 #27 Ranked Choir: Carmel “Ambassadors” (3rd in Indiana)
2025 Directors: Kyle Barker (8th season) and Katherine Kouns (10th season)
Choreographer: Dwight Jordan (11th season)
Competition Schedule: Feb. 15 - Chesterton; Feb. 22 - Franklin Central; Mar. 1 - Lafayette Jefferson; Mar. 15 - Brownsburg; Mar. 22 - Show Choir Nationals
Carmel will be taking on one of its most ambitious competition schedules in recent memory and will assume the mantle of the Indianapolis group facing the most difficult out-of-state competition. They are coming off a down season by their extremely high standards, despite the fact that their only loss came against arguably the best choir of the year in Center Grove. However, dropping the choreography caption to both Brandon and North Central did raise some question marks. With matchups against Linn-Mar, almost every top Indianapolis group, and Los Alamitos, this will be an excellent testing year for Carmel and they can prove a lot of their doubters wrong with a series of solid finishes. - Will Kaiser, Indiana Contributor
2024 #28 Ranked Choir: Homewood “The Network” (1st in Alabama)
2025 Directors: Byron Mosquera (4th season) and Cody MacDonald (2nd season)
Choreographers: April James (23rd season) and Randy Sage (11th season)
Competition Schedule: Feb. 1 - Albertville; Feb. 8 - Oak Mountain; Feb. 15 - Hosting; Feb. 22 - Auburn; Mar. 1 - Glenwood
With the departure of show choir legend Scott Thorne, Homewood entered the 2023 season as the biggest question mark in the entire South. That skepticism was quickly shut down as everyone saw an entirely new and vibrant side of the historically traditional program. Instilling more modern choreography with their nationally-renowned vocals, Homewood went on a tear during the 2024 season in which they won the Grand Championship title at three of their four competitions (the lone loss being an upset from Auburn at the start of the season). Homewood gained head-to-head wins over notorious groups such as Brandon, Loveland, Grenada, Caroll, and Tupelo. While the legendary Scott Thorne may be gone from directing the program, The Network seems to be in great hands. This is NOT your mom and dad’s Homewood. - Tony Holeman, Southern Contributor
2024 #29 Ranked Choir: Troy Buchanan “Express” (2nd in Missouri)
2025 Director: Ryan Cooper (1st season as head director)
Choreographers: Stephen Todd (17th season) and Bobby Picker (10th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 18 - Milton; Feb. 8 - hosting; Feb. 15 - Neosho; Feb. 22 - Franklin Central; Mar. 8 - Mt. Zion; Mar. 15 - Wheaton Warrenville South
Troy Buchanan Express took a step back in the rankings last season despite winning three out of four competitions. While winning measures success within a program, the list of choirs they competed against doesn’t stand out as well as others. Their lowest placement was a third-place trophy at the hands of Chesterton and John Burroughs in Virginia. This season is a totally different story. Troy will be running against a multitude of heavy hitters from across the country, including Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, and California. With founding director Andrew Drinkall’s sudden departure after 23 years, it will be a tall task this season for former assistant director Ryan Cooper. – Ethan Parker, Founder
2024 #30 Ranked Choir: Grenada “Visions” (2nd in Mississippi)
2025 Director: Jenni Winter (13th season)
Choreographers: Matthew Murphy (13th season) and Claire Barker (11t h season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 25 - Jackson Prep; Feb. 1 - Jackson Academy; Feb. 8 - Oak Mountain; Feb. 15 - Tupelo; Feb. 22 - Petal; Mar. 1 - Madison Central; Mar. 8 - Mt Zion
One of the more inconsistent southern groups historically, the community has seen a large variety of Grenada groups between the good and the bad. After a plausibly solid 2023 season from Grenada, but against lesser foes, everyone wondered which form of Visions there would be this last competition season. Thankfully for everyone who was fortunate enough to watch, it was the best show Grenada has ever put on stage. Their “Ugly Duckling” show was an instant hit with the fans and (more importantly) the judges. They beat groups like Oak Mountain, Auburn, Findlay, Noblesville, Tupelo, and split their showings against Brandon all while reeling in two Grand Championships and a First Runner-Up title at Show Choir Nationals. Grenada will seek to establish this extreme level of performance as a consistent attribute this upcoming season. - Tony Holeman, Southern Contributor
2024 #31 Ranked Choir: Hastings “Riverside Company” (2nd in Minnesota)
2025 Director: Luke Warren (9th season)
Choreographer: Ellie Jordan (6th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 18 - Gretna; Feb. 1 - Bloomington Kennedy; Feb. 8 - North St. Paul; Feb. 22 - hosting; Mar. 1 - Totino-Grace; Mar. 8 - Sioux City East
“I Wanna Go!” proclaimed the banner in the backdrop for Riverside’s 2024 show. Hastings certainly did go, only losing to Gretna, Ankeny, and Waconia all year. Once again angling for an early start before the Minnesota season kicks into full swing, Hastings is a groups that certainly gets better as the season goes on. That’s a good attribute to have for a group that will face a veritable horde (Broken Arrow, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Omaha South and more) at Totino-Grace and other talent (Mitchell, Elkhorn South) at Sioux City East to close out the season. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief
2024 #32 Ranked Choir: Wheaton North “Flight” (1st in Illinois)
2025 Director: Kassy Krause (12th season)
Choreographers: April James (3rd season) and Randy Sage (1st season)
Confirmed Competition Schedule: Feb. 15 - Chesterton; Mar. 8 - Quincy; Mar. 15 - Wheaton Warrenville South
After launching to the top of Illinois in 2023, Flight continued their success in 2024, winning two Grand Championships and holding their own against extremely tough national competition. This year, Flight looks to continue their success, putting about 80 performers on stage on stage, as well as learning from a new choreographer, Randy Sage, in hopes to add a new dimension to this year’s show. This season will take them to an array of competitions such as Chesterton, Quincy and Wheaton South, where they will face top tier national powers such as Westside, Carmel, Linn-Mar, Brandon, Troy Buchanan, and Mitchell as well as Illinois powers like Mt. Zion and El Paso-Gridley. Flight has the tools they need to move forward in a big way, what remains to be seen is how far they go. - Dylan Moss, Illinois Contributor
2024 #33 Ranked Choir: Sioux Falls Roosevelt “Executive Suite” (2nd in South Dakota)
2025 Director: Robyn Stark Holcomb (11th season)
Choreographer: Mike Weaver (11th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 11 - Sioux Falls Jefferson; Jan. 18 - Gretna; Feb. 1 - hosting; Feb. 15 - Sioux Falls Washington; Feb. 22 - Omaha South; Mar. 1 - O’Gorman; Mar. 8 - Emmetsburg
Executive Suite is a group that’s hard to get a handle on as their quality varies from year to year. In 2023 the group didn’t make finals twice, the first time the group didn’t made finals since 2015. But in 2024, Executive Suite came back hard with two grand champion wins against Sioux City East and Aberdeen Central. Roosevelt is also adding a sixth event this season instead of the usual five, and their competition continues to be tougher than ever with powerhouses like Johnston, Hastings, Waukee Northwest, Waconia, Lincoln Southwest, and so much more. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor
2024 #34 Ranked Choir: Daniel Hand “VIBE” (1st in Connecticut)
2025 Director: Ron Soja (25th season)
Choreographers: Greg “Bubba” Bussiere (25th season), April James (3rd season)
Competition Schedule: February 1 - Shepherd Hill, February 8 - Tantasqua, March 1 - Somerset, March 15 - Andover, March 22 - Show Choir Nationals
Coming off a very successful 2024 season, Daniel Hand VIBE will be entering its 25th year as a competitive show choir. They have been a consistent top-three group in New England with captivating story shows, and this year will be no different. Their show will revolve around the legend of Anne Bonny, one of the only known and well documented female pirates. VIBE will also be making a return to the Show Choir Nationals stage after last competing there in 2018. It will be their time to shine and show that the New England show choir circuit is present and achieving levels of excellence like many others in the nation. - Michael James Breen, New England Contributor
2024 #35 Ranked Choir: Waukee “Millennium” (6th in Iowa)
2025 Director: Tony Dam (1st season)
Choreographers: Jared Voss (10th season), Tori Brindis (10th season), and Peyton Bellman (4th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 11 - Des Moines Christian; Jan. 18 - hosting; Feb. 1 - Ankeny Centennial; Feb. 15 - Urbandale; Mar. 1 - Liberty
Waukee had a great season in 2024, staying in the top three for all of their competitions. Millennium’s most notable win was at Des Moines Christian at the start of the season, where they got multiple captions and beat groups such as Indianola and El Paso-Gridley. They held their own at Waukee Northwest and Urbandale, those being their toughest competitions last year. Tony Dam is stepping up to be their new director for 2025 after directing Waukee Spirit for six seasons. Spirit had an excellent season for a prep group, so this change could put Millennium in a whole new conversation in 2025. - Arte Reed, Nebraska/Iowa Contributor
2024 #36 Ranked Choir: Petal “Soundsations” (3rd in Mississippi)
2025 Director: Shanna Luckett (15th season)
Choreographers: Lexi Robson Buglewicz (6th season) and Braxton Carr (1st season)
Competition Schedule: Feb. 1 - Mississippi, Feb. 15 - Homewood, Feb. 22 - hosting, Mar. 8 - Biloxi, Mar. 22 - Show Choir Nationals
While they salvaged a good record for the year (two Grand Championships and two First Runner-Up placements out of four total competitions), Petal leaves 2024 with some head-scratchers. One of their wins was against groups all in tiers below, and the other was a close call against Keller Central in which they lost the vocal caption to the aforementioned. Their two losses? A finals surge from Oak Mountain and an out-of-state sweep by North Central. While there is plenty to be happy about from last season, it seems there is also plenty of things to work on this upcoming season, especially against the top-tier Southern groups. Petal will seek to perform the 2025 season in a way that leaves no doubts behind this time. - Tony Holeman, Southern Contributor
2024 #37 Ranked Choir: Ankeny Centennial “Spectrum” (7th in Iowa)
2025 Director: Caroline Edgeton (2nd season)
Choreographers: Lexi Robson Buglewicz (11th season) & Braxton Carr (5th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 18 - Waukee; Feb. 1 - hosting; Feb. 8 - Waukee Northwest; Mar. 1 - Southeast Polk; Mar. 15 - Millard North; Mar. 29 - HOA Orlando
The 2024 season was Caroline Edgeton’s first directing Spectrum. Under her leadership, the group snagged two second place trophies and a Grand Championship. Now the pressure is on to see if Edgeton can keep up the momentum, as Centennial has a legacy of shows that are both enthralling and incredibly sound. Spectrum will get a dose of national competition at Heart of America Orlando, but will first be battle-tested against Urbandale, Valley, Iowa City, Johnston, and crosstown rival Ankeny, among others. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor
2024 #38 Ranked Choir: Franklin Central “F.C. Singers” (4th in Indiana)
2025 Director: Bradley Gardner (17th season)
Choreographers: Tori Brindis (11th season) and Peyton Bellman (2nd season)
Competition Schedule: Feb. 1 - Fishers; Feb. 8 - Pike; Feb. 15 - Center Grove; Feb. 22 - Hosting; Mar. 1 - Warren Central; Mar. 15 - Brownsburg
Franklin Central will look to take another vital step forward after a series of solid seasons have seen them pull the gap closer between FC and rivals Center Grove and Carmel. Similar to those groups, they will carry a loaded comp schedule. Pike and Center Grove will feature performances from four of the Power 5 in Indy and close the season with a tough Brownsburg competition against Carmel. FC will be looking to take a step forward in becoming the premier Indianapolis group with a series of strong wins this year. - Will Kaiser, Indiana Contributor
2024 #39 Ranked Choir: Urbandale “Studio” (8th in Iowa)
2025 Director: Ted Brimeyer (14th season)
Choreographers: Stephen Todd (10th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 18 - Waukee; Jan. 25 - Johnston; Feb. 8 - Troy Buchanan; Feb. 15 - hosting; Mar. 1 - Norris
Studio has consistently been a powerhouse in Iowa for many years. The 2024 season was not a bad year by any means for the group, but it wasn’t as jam-packed as others. Studio only took three caption awards and one grand champion trophy. Battles for 2025 will include Linn-Mar, Gretna, Mt. Zion, Waukee Northwest, Valley, and Ankeny Centennial. In a crowded Des Moines scene and Iowa scene as a whole, Studio needs to take a step forward to find success. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor
2024 #40 Ranked Choir: Grove City “Touch of Class” (4th in Ohio)
2025 Director: Ann Johnson (7th season)
Choreographers: Shane Coe (19th season) and Eric J. Hayes, Jr. (2nd season)
Competition Schedule: Nov. 9 - Ada; Jan. 18 - Beavercreek; Feb. 1 - Hurricane; Feb. 15 - Olentangy; Feb. 22 - Hosting; Mar. 1 - Teays Valley; Mar. 15 - Fairfield
Touch of Class had their best season yet in 2024, not leaving the podium throughout five competitions, swapping wins with some of the top groups in Ohio such as Findlay and Piqua. They have further cemented themselves as a dominant force within Ohio and hope to continue that momentum in the 2025 season. With some tense local match ups throughout the season like Findlay, Loveland, Marysville, and Solon, TOC will also face some notable choirs from Indiana like Center Grove, Homestead, Noblesville, and Zionsville. This season will be tough but with a great head start to the season (a win at Ada in November), the sky's the limit for Touch of Class. - Michael McHargh, Ohio Contributor
2024 #41 Ranked Choir: Lincoln Southwest “Resonance” (5th in Nebraska)
2025 Directors: Andrew Jacobson (13th season) and Andrew Seuferer (4th season)
Choreographers: Ben Eklund (12th season) and April James (16th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 11 - Sioux Falls Jefferson; Jan. 18 - Burke; Jan. 25 - Standing Bear; Feb. 1 - Omaha Westside; Feb. 8 - hosting; Feb. 15 - Lincoln Northwest
It’s safe to say that Lincoln Southwest had a fantastic 2024 season with their Chicken Little show, and there are no signs of slowing down in 2025. Interestingly, the group is ending earlier than they usually would, and they aren’t going to certain competitions they usually go to like Norris and Lincoln East. But this shouldn’t stop Lincoln Southwest from having another successful year, even when facing groups they don’t typically face like Waukee Northwest, Waconia, and Gretna. Rez may not captivate the show choir nation for the entire season like last year, but when they are on, it’s hard to find a group that commands more attention. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor
2024 #42 Ranked Choir: Chesterton “Sandpipers” (5th in Indiana)
2025 Director: Kristin Morris (12th season)
Choreographers: Randy Sage (8th season) and Ellie Jordan (4th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 18 - Milton; Jan. 25 - Sauk Prairie; Feb. 15 - hosting; Feb. 22 - Esperanza; Mar. 15 - Norwell
Indiana’s northwest corner is represented in the show choir world by Chesterton, a group that travels like nobody’s business. Instead of descending into an Indianapolis scene fraught with tight battles and tense rivalries, Chesterton often lands in Wisconsin, Illinois, and national competitions. That will hold true in 2025, as the lone in-state appearance for Sandpipers will be to close the season at Norwell. After last year’s spelling bee-themed show, Chesterton will need to be versatile and score well in several regions of the country. Oh, and the program is hosting perhaps the most anticipated competition of 2025 on February 15. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief
2024 #43 Ranked Choir: Brandon “Brio” (4th in Mississippi)
2025 Directors: Charles Woodward (14th season) and Lauren Woodward (4th season)
Choreographer: Stephen Todd (5th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 25 - Millard West; Feb. 1 - South Jones; Feb. 8 - Northeast Jones; Feb. 15 - Chesterton; Mar. 1 - Madison Central; Mar. 8 - Mt. Zion; Mar. 29 - hosting
Arguably the most misleading record of the year, Brandon won just two Grand Championships out of their six total competitions. Why might that be misleading? Ignoring an early season upset from Jackson Academy, here’s the list of groups Brandon lost to this last season: Clinton, Carmel (who they took choreo from), Homewood, and Grenada. To compare, here’s a list of groups they still managed to beat: Oak Mountain, Marysville, Grenada, Wheaton North, and Tupelo. All things considered, that’s not a bad list of opponents to have given their final results from the season. With that being said, Brandon isn’t backing down anytime soon, as this season will be their most rigorous yet as they travel to Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois to face some of the top groups in the nations such as: Westside, Linn-Mar, Carmel (again), Mt. Zion, Troy Buchanan, Wheaton Warrenville South, Glenwood, and Loveland. Call it genius or call it a death wish, Brandon is doing anything but staying put this season as they search for a signature Grand Champion title over some of the aforementioned nationally-acclaimed groups. - Tony Holeman, Southern Contributor
2024 #44 Ranked Choir: Burbank “In Sync” (3rd in California)
2025 Director: Brett Caroll (23rd season) and Randy Sage (12th season)
Choreographers: Randy Sage (15th season) and April James (21st season)
Competition Schedule: To Be Announced
In Sync is a perennial contender in one of the toughest divisions in show choir, California’s advanced division. This year will be no different. Burbank had a rather weak start to the season last year (for their standards, anyways) before delivering an earth-shattering performance at their final competition, earning a second place and musicianship award at Oceanside Sound-Off. If In Sync can reach their peak form a bit earlier in the season, they might just be at the top of this list a year from today. - Chris Mendoza, California Contributor.
2024 #45 Ranked Choir: Indianola “Side One” (9th in Iowa)
2025 Director: Myles Finn (2nd season)
Choreographer: Kevin Chase (10th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 11- Des Moines Christian; Jan. 18- Waukee; Feb. 8- Norwalk; Feb. 22- Hosting; Mar. 8- Fort Madison
Under the new direction of Myles Finn, Indianola won two Grand Championships, the first in program history. They also managed to not place lower than third all season, making 2024 arguably their best season to date. As for 2025, their schedule is looking promising for Side One to continue raising the bar as a group from a smaller 4A school. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them continue to rise in ranks as the season continues, both statewide and nationally. -Ava Sammons, Iowa Contributor
2024 #46 Ranked Choir: Iowa City “4th Avenue Jazz Company” (10th in Iowa)
2025 Director: Tyler Hagy (7th season) and Emma Erner (2nd season)
Choreographers: Lexi Robson Buglewicz (8th season), Emma Erner (3rd season), and Megan Callahan (3rd season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 11 - Muscatine; Jan. 18 - Linn-Mar; Feb. 1 - Anamosa; Feb. 8 - Waukee NW; Feb. 15 - Monona Grove
Iowa City had a season full of captions dedicated to their hard work. With two grand championships and many best vocal and best choreography awards, 4th Avenue Jazz Company had one of the best seasons in their program history. Additionally, they stole a best band caption at Waukee Northwest, which is traditionally a harder competition for them to win. Iowa City is a group on the rise in Iowa and will be more noticeable next season as they head in with a similar schedule. Should they do so, it will be time for a lot more people to start mentioning the Iowa City area in the same breath as Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. - Arte Reed, Nebraska/Iowa Contributor
2024 #47 Ranked Choir: Plainfield “Belles et Beaux” (6th in Indiana)
2025 Director: Michael Hummel (4th season)
Choreographers: Jarad Voss (4th season)
Competition Schedule: Feb. 1- Southmont; Feb. 15- Ben Davis; Mar. 1- Mooresville; Mar. 8- Avon; Mar. 15- Lawrence Central; Mar. 22 - ISSMA
Plainfield had a strong season, finding the top step three times and never falling below second in any competition. Their best victory by far was their closing victory at ISSMA state championship, the first time a group besides North Central or Franklin Central has won since 2008. They can take a significant step forward this season by winning the ISSMA crown again, with NC returning as likely favorites this year, as well as winning some of the comps where they fell just short this past year. - Will Kaiser, Indiana Contributor
2024 #48 Ranked Choir: Roncalli “Royal Rhapsody” (7th in Indiana)
2025 Director: Shannan Masten (3rd season)
Choreographers: Marah Cover (5th season) and Eric J. Hayes, Jr. (5th season)
Competition Schedule: Feb. 1 - Decatur Central; Feb. 7 - Plainfield; Feb. 15 - Center Grove; Feb. 21 - Franklin Central; Mar. 1 - Lafayette Jefferson; Mar. 8 - New Palestine; Mar. 22 - ISSMA
This Indianapolis-based small school with roughly 40 members frequently dominates the small mixed circuit. When they do face off against some of Indy’s large mixed groups, they hold their own, with a finals appearance in a highly competitive large mixed division at Pike last year. This year, the group is looking to extend its small mixed undefeated streak from last year and win a state title after placing runner-up in 2023 and not competing in 2024. - Nathan Ensley, Associate Editor
2024 #49 Ranked Choir: Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (2nd in Illinois)
2025 Director: Chris Miller (9th season)
Choreographer: Dwight Jordan (17th season)
Competition Schedule: Feb. 1 - Bloomington Kennedy; Feb. 15 - Homewood; Feb. 22 - El Paso-Gridley; Mar. 1 - Glenwood; Mar. 8 - Mt. Zion; Mar. 15 - hosting
Maybe Illinois’ most consistently strong group, The Classics managed a successful season in 2024, earning two Grand Championships, racking podium placements at every competition against national heavy hitters, and taking down Iowa powerhouse Urbandale. The Classics will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with again next year, however, their season may be their most difficult since the pandemic. 2025 will see The Classics face the best of the best from way up north, way down south, and all throughout the Midwest. With that kind of slate, every win WWS gets this season will be a win hard-fought and earned. - Dylan Moss, Illinois Contributor
2024 #50 Ranked Choir: Bloomington Kennedy “Rhythm in Gold” (3rd in Minnesota)
2025 Director: Nikki Jordan (16th season)
Choreographer: Kevin Chase (11th season)
Competition Schedule: Jan. 18 - West Salem; Jan. 25 - Altoona; Feb. 1 - hosting; Feb. 15 - Waconia; Feb. 22 - Hastings; Mar. 1 - O’Gorman
RIG has been, for all intents and purposes, a totally different group after the pandemic. With their media-inspired shows, talented soloists, and captivating visual presentations, Kennedy has vaulted right back into the conversation of Minnesota heavyweights alongside Waconia and Hastings (crosstown school Jefferson has also seen a nice uptick post-pandemic as well). RIG will need to find its footing early, competing against Onalaska on consecutive weeks to open the season, and improve, facing tons of quality groups at Hastings. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief