Rising Star Mara Love Wins $10,000 Grand Prize at the 2025 Chicago Made Music Showcase

(IN SHORT) The 2025 Chicago Made Music Showcase, hosted by Mayor Brandon Johnson and DCASE in collaboration with Next Showcase USA, crowned Mara Love as its $10,000 Grand Prize winner, honoring her dynamic artistry and connection to Chicago’s music scene. The event highlighted the city’s thriving creative talent, with artists like Corr Kendricks, Free Joel Band, Kristen Lowe, D. Lyles, Adam Ness, Vicki Street, and Bryce Melik earning opportunities to perform at high-profile festivals including Lollapalooza and Taste of Chicago. With over 150 applicants, the showcase reinforced the mission of the Chicago Made program to empower local artists and strengthen the city’s role as a cultural and economic hub for the arts.

(PRESS RELEASE) CHICAGO, 2025-Oct-28 — /Travel PR News/ — Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), in partnership with Next Showcase USA, celebrated the winners of the 2025 Chicago Made Music Showcase, held at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater. The event featured 14 of the city’s most promising emerging artists, culminating in singer-songwriter Mara Love being named the $10,000 Grand Prize winner for her soulful voice, compelling storytelling, and embodiment of Chicago’s rich musical heritage.

In addition to the grand prize, standout performers earned coveted performance opportunities at major DCASE events in 2026. Corr Kendricks and Free Joel Band were selected to perform on the Lollapalooza stage, while Kristen Lowe (who also received an additional $2,500 prize), D. Lyles, Adam Ness, Vicki Street, and Bryce Melik (who also earned free studio recording time at Classick Studios courtesy of judge Chris Classick) secured spots on the Taste of Chicago main stage lineup. These achievements mark a major step in showcasing Chicago’s diverse musical talent to larger audiences.

The 2025 showcase drew over 150 submissions from across the city, narrowing down to 15 finalists after rigorous selection rounds that included a semi-final performance at the House of Blues. As part of the Chicago Made initiative, the program continues to serve as a vital platform supporting the city’s creative community, providing opportunities for professional growth, exposure, and participation in premier cultural events that reinforce Chicago’s identity as a powerhouse for music and the arts.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.

Media contacts:

Bria Purdiman    Bria.Purdiman@cityofchicago.org
DCASE Communications    dcasepr@cityofchicago.org

SOURCE: City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events