Sadie Gust | photo by Paige Walter for WXPN
THE WXPN 24-Hour Song Challenge Awards Sadie Gust the 2025 Grand Prize
Finalists include Madeline Knight, Yuneer Gainz, The Maks, and Madhavi Devi.
Songwriters were give the prompt “Belong,” on May 31st and crafted original songs in just 24-hours. Over 270 entries whittled down to 12 semi-finalists then four finalists as chosen by a panel of judges and public voting.
Grand prize includes: $1,000, studio time, gear, and live performances at this year’s XPoNential Music Festival and Philly Music Fest.
From over 270 entries and 12 semi-finalists, the 2025 WXPN 24-Hour Song Challenge is proud to announce that Sadie Gust is the Grand Prize Winner receiving top songwriting honors alongside finalists Madeline Knight, Yuneer Gainz, The Maks, and Madhavi Devi. As Grand Prize winner, Sadie Gust is awarded a $1,000 honorarium, studio time at MilkBoy Recording Studio, a spot to perform at the XPoNential Music Fest, a spot to perform at Philly Music Fest, a one-year WXPN Program Partner Membership and a $500 gift card to Russo Music. The four finalists are awarded a $500 honorarium, a $100 gift card to Russo Music, and a one-year WXPN Basic Membership.
Sadie Gust’s original song, “Split,” finds the honey-voiced songwriter bathed in natural light, clad in a union jack tank top, and sitting in front of floor to ceiling windows with the lush greenery of early summer in Pennsylvania on full display. Of the song, she states, “Split is the lovechild of Silver Springs and King Arthur.”
On May 31, songwriters within the listenership of Philadelphia-based AAA public radio station WXPN, were invited to push their creative limits by crafting an original song in just 24 hours, inspired the surprise prompt, “Belong.” Participants wrote, recorded, and submitted a performance video for a chance to win cash, gear, studio time and spots on stage at the 2025 XPoNential Music Festival and Philly Music Fest. In its second year and alongside a panel of judges, the WXPN 24-Hour Song Challenge opened online voting from June 12-18 to the public to help inform the final results via their official website. The public chose their top three contenders from a group of 12 semi-finalists who then moved on to the final round of four finalists and one Grand Prize winner.
“Philly’s talented musical community showed up in a big way for this year’s 24 Hour Song Challenge,” says WXPN Local Show Host John Vettese, “and you saw that in the artists who rose to the top: indie folk singer-songwriters Madhavi Devi and Madeline Knight, country-tinged rockers The MAKs, and returning finalist Yuneer Gainz, who wowed us with a genre-defying electronic pop song.”
“The grand prize winner, Sadie Gust, made a bold and immediate impression on me and my fellow judges,” Vettese continues. “Her song ‘Split’ walked the line between Adele and Radiohead as her commanding voice used the prompt, ‘Belong,’ to weave a dark tale of obsession. I can’t wait to hear her perform it again later this year at the XPoNential Music Festival.
Judging Panel (2025)
- Mike Vasilikos – WXPN Midday Host & New Music Show
- John Vettese – Editor, XPN.org & Host of WXPN Local
- Raina Douris – Host of World Cafe
- Kristen Kurtis – WXPN Morning Show Host
- Khalil Amaru – 2024 WXPN 24-Hour Song Challenge Winner
- Sadie Dupuis – Musician, poet, and producer
- Edward Canny – WXPN Member Judge
- Mark Logsdon – WXPN Volunteer Judge