Best New Artist / Band

GOLD WINNER

Maura Whitman

SILVER WINNER

Pillow Fite
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BRONZE WINNER

Avery Dakin
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In one sense, it feels a little off to call singer-songwriter Maura Whitman and let her know she’s won Best New Artist. After all, the 20-year-old is such a prodigy that the prestigious Gordie Sampson Songwriting Camp broke its no-teens-allowed rule to let her attend at 17. By 19, she was co-writing with the likes of Port Cities alum Breagh Isabel—and these days, she’s leaning into a poppier vibe, collaborating with former Neon Dreams member Corey Lerue on a slew of addictive singles that intimate Adele and Ariana Grande as influences.

But the term “emerging artist” is a spectrum, and Whitman is more than happy to make the most of it while forging her artistic mark. “I feel like I’ll always be working on what I want to sound like, that’s just a constant process you go through as an artist,” Whitman says.

“But yeah, I think from gaining some experience with other songwriters and figuring out that I think pop is what I enjoy writing and what I like to sing, that’s helped me figure out what music I wanna make.”