The 43rd Annual WBDC Country Showdown, presented by Mercy Urgent Care, took place Friday night, June 6, at the Jasper Arts Center. Eleven talented artists from across Indiana—and beyond—took the stage in hopes of winning the long-running talent competition and its $1,000 top prize.
For the second year in a row, Last Minute, a bluegrass trio from Yorktown, Indiana, was crowned the overall winner. The group features Tyler Williams on lead guitar, Michael Slaven on stand-up bass, and Derek Carrera on banjo.
This year’s contest introduced a new house band. Jenna Rose and the Ramblers backed some performers throughout the night.
The runner-up was EV Mae of Clarksville, Tennessee, while third place went to Darion Oakman of Odon, Indiana.
Also competing in this year’s event were:
- Charlie Archer – Dugger, IN
- Chris Jenkins – Petersburg, IN
- Noah McWilliams – Huntingburg, IN
- Jason McCoy – Loogootee, IN
- Logan McKeighen – Nashville, TN
- Ali Craney – Petersburg, IN
- Awesome Possum Project – Spencer, IN
Also announced was the People’s Choice Award, which allowed the audience to vote for the performer they felt gave one of the night’s best performances. This year’s People’s Choice winner was Jason McCoy of Loogootee, IN.
Another big winner of the evening was Operation Mind, Body, & Soul, a veteran-focused nonprofit based in Jasper. The organization received a check for $2,153, thanks to $2 from every advance ticket sold, along with a generous donation from Feeling Just Peachy in Jasper. The funds will help support veterans in Dubois County with essential resources and assistance. WBDC is proud to have partnered with Operation Mind, Body, & Soul Corp. as part of this year’s event to make a meaningful impact in the community.
For those who missed the live event, the 43rd Annual WBDC Country Showdown will air on 18 WJTS on Friday, June 13 at 8 p.m. Eastern, and again on Sunday, June 15 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern Time. The full event will also be available to watch on the 18 WJTS YouTube channel following the initial broadcast.
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