Drum Roll Please for Your Winners, Miami!
Listen Now to the Finalists’ Tracks
by Soleil River Nation
by Sebastian
What does Miami sound like?
In partnership with Guitars Over Guns, Frost School of Music, and Young Musicians United we co-designed a songwriting competition, seeking Miami’s official anthem. 135 artists answered that question through original music inspired by the energy, diversity, creativity, resilience, and spirit of our city. Thousands of Miamians joined the journey through public voting, while a distinguished panel of musicians, producers, educators, and community leaders helped evaluate the submissions.
Meet the
Elevated
Tracks 305
Winners!
We’re proud to introduce the winners of Elevated Tracks 305 — the songs that rose to the top through a unique combination of expert review and community participation.
Thank you to every artist who shared their talent, every voter who lent their voice, and every partner, volunteer, judge, educator, and community leader who helped make this first-of-its-kind celebration of Miami music possible.
Meet the Runners-Up
The competition was fierce, and these outstanding artists earned
top honors for their creativity, musicianship, and powerful
expressions of Miami’s spirit.
Youth Category
Abigail Fundora, La Gringa Tiene Tumbao
LISTEN NOW
Skye Sconiers,
DALE 305
ADULT Category
Hussein J. Abdala ft. Carlos Oliva,
Miami Es Miami (305 Edition)
Marti and Leah Dibut,
Dance in Miami
Miami has never
formally adopted an
official anthem.
We think it’s time.
Miami is one of the most musically influential cities in the world. From Latin pop and hip-hop to jazz, electronic, and R&B, its sound has traveled globally.
Yet unlike cities such as New York or San Francisco, Miami has never formally adopted a defining song that represents its identity.
Elevated Tracks 305 is a citywide invitation to change that.
This is not just a contest.
It is a civic cultural moment.
GALLERY
Guided By Grammy-Winners And Miami’s Music Leaders
Elevated Tracks 305 is supported by iconic global artists and respected industry leaders with deep Miami roots. Together, they bring Grammy-level artistry, mentorship, and institutional leadership to this citywide search for Miami’s next contemporary anthem.
Honorary Co-Chairs
- Gloria Estefan – Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and global music icon
- Emilio Estefan – Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-winning producer, entrepreneur, and architect of the Miami Sound
- Danny Flores – Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter
- Rico Love – Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer
- Rudy Pérez – Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter
- Jon Secada – Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter
Distinguished Panel of Judges
- Julio Bagué – Executive Vice President Latin Division, Peermusic
- Chad Bernstein – Founder & CEO, Guitars Over Guns
- MJ Donnelly – Social Media & Content Manager, Guitars Over Guns
- Danny Flores – Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter
- Sammy Gonzalez – CEO & Founder, Young Musicians Unite
- Kat Reinhert – Professor, Berklee College of Music
- Jon Secada – Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter
- The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami
- Rey Sanchez – Associate Dean
- Dan Strange – Department Chair
- Ian Hölljes – Adjunct Professor of Voice
- Roxana Amed – Lecturer of Contemporary Voice
conditions
Who Can Enter?
The contest is open to anyone with a meaningful connection to Miami. Residency in Miami-Dade County is not required.
Two categories:
- Youth: under 18 at time of submission
- Adult: 18 and over
Notes:
- Only one submission per entrant
- Youth entrants must have parent or guardian consent if selected as a finalist or award recipient
YOUTH ENTRANTS
Participants under the age of 18 may submit entries with the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Entrants must be under 18 years of age at the time of submission.
If an award recipient is under 18 years of age:
- Any monetary award will be issued to the participant’s parent or legal guardian on behalf of the minor.
- Elevate Prize Foundation may require a signed parental consent and release form prior to issuing any award.
- Parent or guardian consent may also be required for publicity, performances, or related program participation.
What We Looked For
Submitted songs must:
- Be an original work created by the entrant(s)
- Be no longer than 3 minutes and 30 seconds
- Include original lyrics
- Be submitted in a format and at a quality suitable for public listening
- Identify all collaborators
- Identify one lead composer or collaborator if multiple contributors are involved
Entrants represent and warrant that they are the sole owners of the submitted work or have secured all necessary permissions from collaborators.
How Winners Are Selected
1. The Overview
Elevated Tracks 305 was designed to combine expert musical evaluation with community participation. We wanted both artistic excellence and public engagement to play an important role in identifying the songs that best capture the spirit of Miami.
2. Screening Round
A total of 135 original songs were submitted across the Adult and Youth categories.
An anonymous screening process conducted by music professionals and educators was used to identify the submissions that would advance to judging.
3. Distinguished Panel Judging
A panel of 11 distinguished judges including musicians, producers, educators, and music-industry professionals independently evaluated submissions. Judges considered factors such as:
Musical quality and craftsmanship
• Originality and creativity
• Emotional and cultural connection to Miami
• Artistic excellence and performance quality
• Potential for broad public resonance
• Alignment with the mission and spirit of Elevated Tracks
305
The highest-scoring songs advanced as finalists.
4. Public Voting
Finalists were then presented to the public for voting on Instagram from June 7 – 14, 2026.
To ensure fairness, all votes were reviewed and certified by an independent third-party agency. Duplicate votes, invalid submissions, and other ineligible entries were removed prior to certification. The review also included screening for suspicious activity and manual review of flagged accounts.
5. Final Review & Certification
Following the conclusion of judging and public voting, Elevated Cities and the Elevate Prize Foundation conducted a final review and certification process. The review considered:
• Aggregate judge scores
• Validated public voting results
• The published 50/50 scoring methodology
• Eligibility and compliance requirements
• Qualitative feedback from judges, partners, and music-industry experts regarding artistic quality, anthem potential, cultural relevance, community representation, and long-term resonance.
No single factor determined the outcome.
Rather, the final slate of winners reflects a holistic assessment that incorporated both expert judgment and community participation, consistent with the contest rules and the authority reserved to Elevated Cities and the Elevate Prize Foundation to certify final results.
We are deeply grateful to every artist, voter, volunteer, partner, educator, and judge who helped make Elevated Tracks 305 possible.
Key Contest Dates
Submissions were open:
March 4 – April 30, 2026 (Adult)
March 4 – May 15 (Youth)
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Review by Distinguished Judging Panel – May 2026
Public Vote took place June 7-14, 2026
PUBLIC VOTE IS NOW CLOSED
Winners Announced: Week of June 29, 2026
Awards
In both Youth and Adult categories:
1st Prize Award – $10,000
2nd Prize Award – $2,500
3rd Prize Award – $1,000
Winners and finalists will receive:
- Citywide and national amplification
- Media coverage
- Live performance opportunities
- Digital promotion across partner platforms
Prizes may be subject to applicable taxes. Youth winners require guardian consent.
Ready to Listen to
the Winners’ Tracks?
Let’s Build
Something Beautiful
Whether you’re leading change, shaping policy, or simply loving your community out loud, there’s a place for you here.
Together, we can spark the joy and pride that make cities
— and the people in them — shine.
OUR MIAMI ACTIVATIONS
