Berklee Announces Winners of 2026 SongwritersdB Songwriting Contest

Berklee has announced the winners of the 2026 Berklee/SongwritersdB Songwriting Contest, which invited current students to submit original songs inspired by the theme of empowerment.

Luca Alexandru won the $2,500 first-place prize for “Dead Mom & Dad,” a deeply personal song about his experience growing up with divorced parents and his determination to break a cycle of generational trauma.

“Both of my parents grew up with divorced parents, in broken homes, and swore they wouldn’t repeat their mistakes,” said Alexandru. “They both did, so this song is about me promising my future kids that I’ll actually break my family trauma cycle once and for all.”

Annika Wild received the $1,500 second-place prize for “Cog in the Machine,” which pushes back against the growing role of artificial intelligence in music and celebrates the lived experience at the heart of human creativity.

“I wrote it as a way of fighting back against something that seems bigger than me,” said Wild. “A true artist has to live and love, and that’s something AI can’t ever do, no matter how advanced it gets.”

Johanna James won the $1,000 third-place prize for “Big Heart,” a song she described as being “about that swirly, big feeling of knowing you’re meant to know somebody.”

More than 60 songs were submitted to the contest. The judging panel included songwriters Jason Blume, Harriet Schock, and Angela Kaset, along with Berklee faculty members Michael Sempert, Chris Walton, and Sachi Rodriguez.

The contest was created by SongwritersdB founder and Berklee alum Gabriel Heiser ’71 in collaboration with Rodney Alejandro, dean of Berklee's Professional Writing and Music Technology Division.

“I wanted to create a contest that would motivate and energize Berklee students while also allowing them to experience the SongwritersdB app, which helps songwriters organize, develop, and manage their work,” said Heiser. “I was greatly pleased with the overall quality of the submissions. From the structure and subject matter to the production, the three winning songs were all exceptional.”

“This contest provided the opportunity to spotlight incredible emerging Berklee songwriters and give their songs the reach they deserve,” Alejandro added. “Beyond their exceptional craftsmanship, these winning songs transformed personal pain into hope and challenged the status quo. These are the kind of songs that touch lives in ways only honest songwriting can.”

Meet the Winners:

First Place: Luca Alexandru 

Luca Alexandru is an indie pop artist, songwriter, and producer from Long Island, New York. He began writing songs to process the conflict and instability that shaped much of his childhood. What started as an escape eventually became his voice. Through candid lyrics and intimate pop production, Alexandru transforms deeply personal experiences into songs about family trauma, heartbreak, and resilience.

Second Place: Annika Wild 

Annika Wild, the stage name of Annika Jankie-Widlund, is a Boston-based singer, songwriter, and producer from Manchester, New Hampshire. A self-taught singer and songwriter, she blends electro-pop and R&B influences with memorable melodies and emotionally direct lyrics. Inspired by artists like Rihanna, BTS, and Ariana Grande, Wild is preparing to release “Cog in the Machine” as her next single.

Third Place: Johanna James 

Singer-songwriter Johanna James explores potential, loss, self-discovery, and love through folk-inspired music. Raised in Santa Monica, California, she draws inspiration from the natural world, including bodies of water, tree bark, and the murmurations of starlings. Her music reflects influences ranging from Elliott Smith and the Velvet Underground to Nina Simone, Cocteau Twins, and Adrianne Lenker, pairing harmonious soundscapes with vivid lyricism and unadorned honesty.

Learn more about the Berklee/SongwritersdB Songwriting Contest.