Colossal, the powerhouse behind some of the nation’s most compelling fundraising campaigns, is proud to announce the 2025 America’s Next Top Hitmaker champion: Mars Rodriguez! Originally from Nicaragua, Mars is a one-person band, producer, and visual artist based in New York City who incorporates elements from industrial rock, noise pop, Latin rock, and electronic music to create her own unique sound.
After competing alongside many talented artists in the 2025 America’s Next Top Hitmaker competition, Mars earned the title, taking home $50,000, telling her story in the pages of Rolling Stone, and earning a performance at the 2025 Global Citizen Festival on the same stage as The Weeknd, Shakira, and Tyla. Plus, Colossal’s partners at SoundCloud are featuring Mars in her very own billboard in Times Square!
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Mars Will Take the Stage at the Global Citizen Festival
On September 27, the 2025 Global Citizen Festival will take place in New York’s Central Park, and will bring together artists, advocates, world leaders, philanthropists, and fans with one collective mission: to end extreme poverty. This year’s lineup features The Weeknd, Shakira, Tyla, Ayra Starr and Mariah the Scientist, and now, Mars Rodriguez, uniting powerful voices for change on one of the world’s biggest stages. The festival also offers passionate Global Citizens the chance to win free tickets through the Global Citizen app by taking action on the world’s most pressing issues, including providing access to education for 30,000 children, protecting 30 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest, and expanding energy access for 1 million people in Africa.
And Also…Mars Wins Prize Money
$50,000. No fine print. No gimmicks. Just cold, hard inspiration to fuel the next chapter of her career.
Colossal Supports Global Citizen Through the Competition
This isn’t just about fame. It’s about fueling real change. Throughout this competition, artists and their fans helped Colossal raise over $2 million benefitting Global Citizen, the world’s leading international advocacy organization dedicated to eradicating extreme poverty and defending the planet. Mobilizing millions of people worldwide, Global Citizen works across sectors—music, entertainment, policy, business, media, and philanthropy—to drive real change, and has positively impacted the lives of 1.3 billion people to date.
Sponsored by SoundCloud
Soundcloud is an artist-first platform powered by a global community of artists and listeners at the pulse of what’s now and next in music culture, empowering independent artists to build and grow their careers. With 400+ million tracks from 40+ million artists from 193 countries on SoundCloud, it is the largest audio discovery platform in the world.
Sponsored by Fender
Fender has shaped the sound of music for nearly 70 years. From its legendary electric guitars and accessories to amps and innovative digital experiences, Fender has been the go-to brand for musicians of all levels. Whether on stage or in the studio, Fender continues to inspire artists around the world.
2024 Champion: DUPLEXITY at SXSW
Last year’s winner, Duplexity, is a sibling duo from Los Angeles reviving ’90s alt-rock with a fresh twist. Savannah and Luke Judy’s gritty, metal-tinged sound and electrifying stage presence rocked the Rolling Stone Future of Music Showcase at SXSW, sharing the stage with artists like Benson Boone and Megan Moroney at ACL Live in Austin.
America’s Next Top Hitmaker is powered by Colossal, a nationally registered professional fundraiser that inspires people to advocate for themselves and those in need. Through online competitions like this one, participants have the opportunity to make their mark while also making a big impact. Colossal competitions serve as fundraising campaigns for DTCare, a United States 501(c)(3) public charity organization, which then grants donation funds to specified charities at the completion of the competitions. Learn more at colossal.org. Who’s Next?
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