2025 Bland Competition Results

The Brandermill-Midlothian-Woodlake (BMW) and Bon Air-Midlothian-Manchester (BAMM) Lions Clubs hosted the regional contest for the 17th year. Our contestants have won the state competition three times.

Musicians included three sopranos, seven pianist and one violinist. The following students emerged as the winners:

• First Place Instrumental - William He - Deep Run High School (Piano)

• First Place Vocal - Rebekah Joanne Ali Turner - Hanover High School (Soprano)

• Second Place Instrumental - Benjamin Gao - Maggie Walker Governor’s School (Piano)

• Second Place Vocal - Tris Meagher - Appomattox Regional Governor’s School (Soprano)

The first place Local Contestants will move on to the Regional Competition and then to the State Competition. Scholarships will ultimately be distributed to the contestants in both the instrumental and vocal categories as follows:

• First Place - $2,500 each

• Second Place - $2,000 each

• Third Place - $1,500 each

• Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Place $1,000 each

The Lions of Virginia Annual Bland Music Scholarship Competition provides an opportunity for outstanding student musicians to vie for scholarship funds helpful for the pursuit of post-secondary music education. Lions Clubs throughout our state sponsor competitions at the local level with winners participating in regional competitions before winners advance to the final competition at the Lions of Virginia State Convention.

The James A. Bland Foundation is named for one of America's most prolific composers from the Minstrel genre that dominated music during the Victorian period. The competition honors Bland's achievements and his compositions still influencing music today. It is open to instrumental and vocal students from public or private schools, as well as homeschooled students through high school senior.

Students may compete multiple years until they win the competition or have graduated high school. One winner from each part of the competition (vocal or instrumental) will advance to the Sub-District Competition at Longwood University's Wygal Hall on Saturday April 12 at 3:00 PM.

The winners from the Sub-District Competition will compete for scholarship funds during the State competition at the Lions of Virginia State Convention to be held at the Fort Magruder Hotel in Williamsburg, Virginia on May 1 - 4.