MEET THE 2024 sTUDENT WINNERS

Learn all about this past year’s Student Winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, and how they wrote their Winning Songs! You can also listen to the Draft 2 demos of their Winning Songs, and hear how those songs transformed when they were performed live in concert for Challenge: Accepted!

The Winners of the 2023-2024 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students

  • “Little Miss Heard but Not Seen” by Sydney Gray – 11th Grade from Fairhope, AL
  • “Live Before Life’s Gone” by Isabella Nguyen and Maya Johnson – 11th Grade from Little Rock, AK
  • “Overthinking” by Ale Fonseca – 12th Grade from Miami, FL
  • “Spacetime” by Owen Yeh-Lee – 12th Grade from Palo Alto, CA
  • “Talk Pretty” by Luisa Paraguassu – 12th Grade from Mooresville, NC
  • “The Cost” by Gwendellyn Doerfler – 11th Grade from Dewitt, MI
  • “What Did Love Do to You?” by Tabitha Moore – 12th Grade from Valley Stream, NY

Listen now to the 2024 Winning Songs!


2024 Winning Songs Sheet MusicConcord Theatricals

The winning songs from the 2024 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students are now available through Concord Theatricals! This is your chance to play, sing and share the future of musical theatre. Support these rising voices and bring their work to life!

Get your sheet music today

2024 Finalists

Meet the Finalists for the Songwriting Challenge for High School Students! In addition to the seven champion songs by the eight winning songwriters, the following students were selected as Finalists last season, with their original compositions showcasing remarkable talent in music, lyrics, style, tone & character.

A Slightly Problematic Romantic Hero
Music & Lyrics by Anna Parker
Afterthought
Music & Lyrics by Hadley Johnson
Elevation
Music & Lyrics by Julian Dans
Empty Conversations
Music & Lyrics by Evan Johnson
Have My Fame
Music & Lyrics by Oceana Conner
Just See Me Somehow
Music & Lyrics by Caelyn Osbern
Moments in Time
Music & Lyrics by Abigail Jimenez
More Than a Cardigan
Music & Lyrics by Karis Martin
Queen of the Dead
Music & Lyrics by Annabel Barra
She Knows
Music & Lyrics by Lila Johnson
Stay Alive
Music & Lyrics by Pablo Boyd
Stuck in the Ensemble
Music & Lyrics by Alexis Baumert and Mariyah LaMonte
Tell My Story
Music by Luke Naphat
Lyrics by Sasha Cohen
The Moon and Me
Music & Lyrics by Ali Lewis
The Platform
Music & Lyrics by Ben Gosswiller and Ruby Gosswiller

 


2024 Honorable Mentions

In addition to the finalists, the following students’ work has been recognized with Honorable Mentions for their outstanding contributions to this year’s challenge. Their songs captivated the committee and stood out for their creativity and originality.

Dangerous Love
Music & Lyrics by Norie Pocock
I’m Driving the Car
Music & Lyrics by Sheila Awasthi & Neil Awasthi
Innocent Plea
Music & Lyrics by Alex Sheinkin
Invisible Man
Music & Lyrics by Bee Kanofsky & Maddy Zipp
Just You and Me
Music & Lyrics by Soumya Pradhan
Live, Laugh, Love
Music & Lyrics by Sadie Shapiro
They Won’t Know What Hit Them
Music & Lyrics by Noa Gutkin
Maggie
Music & Lyrics by Julian Pankowski
In Life
Music & Lyrics by Carly Berndt
Movin’ On
Music & Lyrics by James Pumphrey
New Year’s Day
Music & Lyrics by Abby Brown
Old Fashioned Gentleman
Music & Lyrics by Sophia Jacobs
So She’s Told
Music & Lyrics by Asher Chang
Politics
Music & Lyrics by Benjamin Janiszewski & Marco Concha
Hungry for Daylight
Music & Lyrics by Weston Powell
Light It On Fire
Music & Lyrics by Sarah Parmet
Something Matters
Music & Lyrics by Connor Schenke

 


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Are you a participant in the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students? Even if not, are you a songwriter working on something new? Unlock the secret to elevating your songwriting skills! Click now to access exclusive tools and guidance at the Writing is Rewriting Resource Center, and transform your musical theater dreams into reality.

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This page was last updated on 08/12/2025