Community Spirit Takes Center Stage At Owensboro’s Lip Sync Battle
If you were at the Owensboro Convention Center on Saturday night (or watching the virtual link at home), you are likely still reeling from the excitement of the occasion. The 9th Annual Owensboro Lip Sync Battle was the most successful in the history of the event. It's unmatched in energy, spirit, and the amount of money raised. On so many levels, it was a record-breaking event.
I have emceed and performed at Lip Sync Battle since its inception. I always tell people that it's THE most popular fundraiser in Owensboro. And, trust me. I have emceed a bunch of them in my career. Lip Sync Battle, fueled by the unstoppable Amanda Owen (Puzzle Pieces' Executive Director), single-handedly sets and raises the bar every year. On the stage, off to the left of it, or behind it, I have the best 'seat' in the house. I see it all- from the biggest performances to the tiniest of nuances that set Lip Sync Battle apart. From that perspective, I would love to share my 10 Favorite Moments of Lip Sync Battle 2026.
Here they are, in no particular order.
NICK GRANT
I have known Nick since he was a kid and watching him walk onto stage- to "We Built This City"- and help kick off Envision Contracting's performance was one of the biggest 'mission moment's of the night. The Puzzle Pieces mantra is inclusion and empowerment. Nick, who just started his own car business, showed just how 'able' he really is. He commanded the stage and the audience's attention. In doing so, he embodied everything we gathered at the Owensboro Convention Center to celebrate. This, friends, is what it's all about.
ALEX HAIRE
She's an absolute force of nature and will. Wright Implement is fortunate to have Alexandria Haire as an employee and team leader. Puzzle Pieces is just as fortunate to have her as a champion and ally.
Alex led her team to an astounding fundraising total of $101,000. She steered that ship by orchestrating an incredible raffle, talking Wright Implement officials into matching raised funds, and creating a tractor pull event at the Daviess County Lions Club Fairgrounds. If you've ever wondered just how much of a difference one person can make, look at Alex. She doesn't just move mountains. She blows the snow caps off them.
THE ROXIE AWARD
It's fitting that Alex is the inaugural winner of the Roxie Award, which is dedicated to Roxie Pickrell, who passed away in 2019.
Roxie was diagnosed with a brain tumor and passed away due to complications related to her extraction surgery. Her mom, the fabulous and fearless Cathy Pickrell, is a Lip Sync Battle veteran.
She performed for three years as a competitor (raising over $50,000) and has danced in the opening number the last three. When Amanda Owen introduced the Roxie Award Saturday night, the crowd erupted into a chant of Roxie's name. I cried then and I am crying as I type this. In a night full of powerful moments, this is one I will never forget. The name Roxie echoed through the rafters. Now, it always will.
THE STANDING OVATION FOR THE PUZZLE PIECES STAFF
It's become a tradition for the Puzzle Pieces staff to perform at Lip Sync Battle. I have to tell you. Their performances get better and more poignant every year.
This year's performance was powerful and it was capped by a photo collage of the staff in action. In those photos they were doing what they do best- uplifting, celebrating, and working daily miracles with their beloved clients. Those clients aren't just friends. They're family.
The crowd, rightfully, rewarded the Puzzle Pieces staff with a room-wide standing ovation. It was thrilling and chilling. It was hard to choke back tears as they were thunderously thanked for their hard work, dedication, and selflessness.
KWC'S TOM CRUISE
While Kentucky Wesleyan College didn't get the chance to 'battle' Brescia University as planned, they did get to take the stage and they wowed the crowd with an epic mashup of Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, and other 80s classics. But the defining moment of the performance came when a KWC student took the stage and did his best Tom Cruise from Risky Business.
Amanda Owen admits she would normally encourage teams to avoid putting just one person on that stage. That room can eat even the most seasoned performer alive. In this case, the KWC student had the crowd eating out of his hands. It was an unabashed performance and it was brilliant. Speaking as someone who has also stood on that particular stage in his underwear, I will always applaud that brand of fearlessness. I heard comments from a few 'cougars' in the room who wanted to immediately re-enroll in college to meet that 'panther.' WATCH HERE!
THE COUGARS OF MCLEAN
Speaking of 'cougars,' the Cougars of McLean County rolled up into Daviess County and snagged the Grand Champion Award. That caravan pulled into town with one goal in their sights- that overall trophy. Amanda Owen said to me before the show, "I have no idea who's going to win tonight. It's so close." I don't think McLean County had a doubt in their minds. To borrow a RuPaul phrase, they 'lip synced for their lives' and they 'sashay'd away' the champs. It was awesome!
And a special shout out to 'Gus'. When he was first approached by fellow team members about the opportunity to join he was reluctant. However, he was encouraged/ordered to participate by his wife, who's a former Puzzle Pieces employee. At Lip Sync Battle, there are always full-circle moments like this. They're more proof of just how 'connected' all of us puzzle pieces are. If you take time to stop and recognize those moments, you'll embrace the magic in them.
JAMARUI HOWARD and JEHVION THAMES
While you may not have seen them on stage, they were setting it on fire just off to the left of it. This dynamic duo coached multiple competing teams, including the champions mentioned above. But, more importantly, these guys were the consummate cheerleaders. It was clear how much Jamarui and Jehvion were invested in each team they had worked with.
They cheered them through their performances, stood by the stage and collected props as they flew off it, and congratulated their performers as they left stage and entered the Integrated Therapy Solutions lounge. I loved the dynamic of these two young men serving as coaches for folks who were considerably older than them. There was palpable, mutual respect and it was amazing to watch.
The audience may not have noticed, but Mary-Katherine and I did because we were in a position to do so. Trust me, Lip Sync Battle is an event with a big heart and these two guys helped it beat. For so many teams this year, they were the pulse.
DJ SHAY'S LIP SYNC AND SING-ALONG
Honestly, I cannot believe that it has taken DJ Shay and me this long to work together. For the 2026 Lip Sync Battle, she was a new addition and, as expected, Shay slayed.
There were two definite highlights. In the first, we got Krista Niehaus from German American Bank (a dedicated LSB sponsor) to participate in an on-stage lip sync.
In the second, DJ Shay took to the crowd for a rousing sing-along of "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. It was a blast and roughly 2,000 people were belting that song at the top of their lungs. And, there were some breakout stars in the audience. One of them? Owensboro's Ben Skiadas, a local restaurant owner, who was attending LSB for the first time. I have a feeling he'll be back. There's zero question that DJ Shay will be. She's electric.
THE SISTER ACT
Valor Oil, a longtime supporter of Lip Sync Battle, competed this year for the first time ever. In doing so, they also raised a ton of money. Their $126,000 landed them the 2026 People's Choice Award.
As touching as their support is, the team's most endearing moment happened on the stage, during their Hometown Business Battle with Envision. Because of Puzzle Pieces' commitment to inclusion (they had an accessibility ramp built onto the side of the LSB stage), Josh Emmick got to do something with his sister Lauren that they're never really gotten the chance to do before. They got to perform together. On stage. And it was AWESOME and reflective of that Puzzle Pieces mission of connection, empowerment, and inclusion.
VIVIR MI VIDA
I can't conclude this story without sending a big shout out to Mary-Katherine and our Lip Sync Battle family (#nuestrafamilia). Amanda Owen and I share the belief that Lip Sync Battle is infinitely successful because of the diversity it champions. The inclusion at Lip Sync Battle goes much further than our friends and family members with disabilities. Lip Sync Battle is an event for everyone. Honestly, that's what has fueled the spirit of the event since its inception.
That said, it occurred to Mary-Katherine and me that one group- historically (and it certainly wasn't intentional, by the way)- has been underrepresented on the LSB stage. Until Saturday night, we just hadn't had much Hispanic and Latin American participation. So, we decided to change that and we worked for months to create a number that celebrates the vitality and spirit of that particular community.
I had no idea, when embarking on this journey, just how important it was to do it. We listened. We learned. We laughed some. At other times, we couldn't laugh at all. Instead, we got angry when we found out how some of our friends are treated. We furiously listened to how some have resorted to living in an abundance of caution and fear. Some won't go anywhere because they're afraid they'll never make it back home if they do. We cried. We took the deepest of breaths to rebound. We hugged. We danced. Then, we danced some more.
The finale of our opening number is the Marc Anthony song "Vivir Mi Vida." The translation of the chorus is simple, but powerful. "I'm gonna laugh. I'm gonna dance. Live my life. I'm gonna laugh. I'm gonna enjoy. Live my life." That's what we all want, right? That's what we all deserve- regardless of what we look like, regardless of where we come from. Connection. Empowerment. Inclusion.
After the event, Kaitlin Gonzalez, who choreographed much of the Latin dance in our number said, "When we dance, we feel free. Even when the world feels heavy, friends like these lift you up. Keep dancing, everyone!"
There's no denying it. We are all pieces of a gigantic puzzle and we are all intricately connected. Once again, Owensboro's Lip Sync Battle proved how electric that feels when we all stand . . . and dance . . . together.
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