The 2026 ICCA International Finals had a lot riding on them. Thirty years of competition history. A record-breaking season. Six of the best collegiate a cappella groups in the world sharing one stage at The Town Hall in New York City on April 25. When the night was over, Northeastern University’s The Nor’easters walked away with the title — first place at the ICCA International Championship, the most coveted honor in collegiate a cappella.
For Gerard Saguto, a classical choral musician and dedicated follower of vocal ensemble performance, this result caps what has been one of the most compelling ICCA seasons in recent memory. A 30th anniversary season that began with 445 groups and over 7,500 performers ended exactly the way it should — with a champion worth celebrating.
The Nor’easters Take the Crown
The Nor’easters are Northeastern University’s flagship co-ed a cappella group, and their win on April 25 was backed up by individual excellence on the night. Jules Zannikos earned a special award for Outstanding Soloist for the group’s performance of “The Moment I Said It” — a detail that speaks to the kind of polished, singer-driven performances the ICCA judges reward.
This isn’t a group that came out of nowhere. The Nor’easters were featured on Sing It On, the POP TV reality series executive produced by John Legend that followed collegiate a cappella groups through the ICCA season. They have history with this competition. This win doesn’t just add another trophy — it cements their place among the most storied groups the ICCA has ever produced.
Special Awards and Other Standouts
The finals were deep. Noah Clifton of Prismatics picked up a special award for the entire set, a recognition that signals just how competitive the night was top to bottom. Not every group that walks away without a first-place finish leaves empty-handed, and that was very much the case on April 25.
Durham University’s Northern Lights, despite finishing second overall, collected two special awards of their own: Outstanding Arrangement for Aman Krishna for “Skyfall,” and Outstanding Choreography for Bede Capstick and Joe Butler-Smith for the entire set. For a group that traveled from the UK as the only non-American ensemble in the field, those awards carry real weight.
Northern Lights’ Season in Full
Second place at the ICCA World Finals is not a consolation prize. It’s an extraordinary result, and in the context of everything Northern Lights accomplished in 2026, it reads as the fitting conclusion to a remarkable year. They won the UK ICCA finals for the fourth consecutive time. They took first place at the national Open A Cappella competition in London. They earned a CARA award for Best European EP for their 2025 set Dreamcatcher. And they arrived in New York as the only UK group in the finals, for the fourth year running.
Gerard Saguto notes that when you look at the full arc of Northern Lights’ 2026 season, a world runner-up finish combined with an unblemished domestic record makes this arguably the most accomplished year a UK a cappella group has ever put together. Their presence at the ICCA Finals — year after year, with new members each time — is also a reminder of what makes the ICCA worth following: the competition doesn’t just reward individual talent, it rewards culture, continuity, and craft.
What This Result Means for Collegiate A Cappella
The ICCA’s 30th anniversary season ends on its strongest note yet. Record participation. An international finals field that included groups from the US, Canada, and the UK. A champion in The Nor’easters who earned the title on a night when multiple groups delivered performances worth remembering.
What comes next is worth watching. Groups like The Nor’easters and Northern Lights tend to carry finals momentum into recordings, tours, and the next competitive season. For the wider world of collegiate a cappella, this season proved that the ICCA is still the gold standard — growing, competitive, and capable of producing nights that genuinely matter.
Full results are available on the Varsity Vocals results page. For a closer look at Northern Lights’ full season, Durham University has published a detailed recap worth reading.
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