The Midwest Highland Arts Fund has announced the results of the Winter Storm 2026 piping and drumming competitions. Awards were presented Friday evening, January 16, 2026, at the Kansas City Marriott – Country Club Plaza Grand Ballroom.
The live stream recording of the competitions and the Winter Storm Concert are free to rewatch on the Piper’s Dojo Facebook page here.
The line-up of the the Winter Storm 2026 concert was: Drumming Faculty performance – Jake Jørgensen, Owen Russell, Christina Henry with Zephan Knichel • Nick Hudson • Gary West • Willie McCallum • Winter Storm 2026 Faculty Piobaireachd “Andrew MacNeil of Colonsay” with Zak Read, Colin Forrest, and Jack Martin • Andrew Douglas, Alastair Lee, and Zephan Knichel • Stephen Creighton, Margaret Houlihan, and Donald MacPhee • Dollar Academy; Ma and Paul MacKay Wilson, Bea Carter • Kerr McQuillan with Cameron Bonar • Callum Beaumont • Winter Storm 2026 Faculty Pipe Band.
Donate to the Winter Storm Live Stream Fund here.
Midwest Highland Arts Fund United States Gold Medal Piobaireachd Championship
Sponsored by R.G. Hardie & Co.
1st – Derek Midgley
2nd – Cameron MacDougall
3rd – Alastair Lee
4th – Cameron Bonar
5th – Ben McClamrock
6th – Edward McIlwaine
Judges: Bob Worrall, Donald MacPhee, Bill Caudill
Midwest Highland Arts Fund North American Gold Medal Ceol Beag Championship
Sponsored by Henderson’s Pipe and Drum Supply
1st – Cameron MacDougall
2nd – Alastair Lee
3rd – Joe Biggs
4th – Cameron Bonar
5th – Derek Midgley
6th – Andrew Donlon
Judges: Gary West, Richard Parkes, Callum Beaumont
Midwest Highland Arts Fund Aggregate Gold Medal Piobaireachd and Gold Medal Ceol Beag Award
Overall winner: Cameron MacDougall
Midwest Highland Arts Fund North American Gold Medal Snare Drumming Championship
Sponsored by Henderson’s Pipe and Drum Supply
Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion
1st – Robert Graham
2nd – Tommi McAndrew
3rd – Malcom Fuller
4th – Graham Brown
5th – Sebastian Arguelles
6th – Mark McKendrick
Judges: Stephen Creighton, Jake Jorgenson, Kerr McQuillan
Gold Medal Tenor Drumming Championships
Sponsored by Rhythm Monster
Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and Ace Percussion
1st – Harry Justice
2nd – Katie Byzewski
3rd – Carolin Stonier
4th – Taylor Page
5th – Elise Svangtun
Judges: Christina Henry, Owen Russell
Midwest Highland Arts Fund Gold Medal Bass Drumming Championships
Sponsored by MassedHead
Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and ACE Percussion
1st – Alexander Kuldell
2nd – Terrance Cadiente
3rd – Eric Legere
4th – Michael Keppel
Judges: Christina Henry, Owen Russell
United States Silver Medal Piobaireachd Championship
Sponsored by Midwest Pipe Band Association
Presented by McCallum Bagpipes
1st – William Shropshire
2nd – Alastair Murray
3rd – Magnus Stone
4th – Dan Lyden
5th – Bobby Durning
6th – Gillian Blaney
Judges: Willie McCallum, Nick Hudson, Jack Lee
North American Silver Medal Ceol Beag Championship
Sponsored by Dojo University
Presented by Roddy MacLeod Bagpipes
1st – Dan Lyden
2nd – Thomas Cangelosi
3rd – Zephan Knichel
4th – Zac Read
5th – Magnus Stone
6th – Andrew Lewis
Judges: Terry Lee, Margaret Houlihan, Andrew Douglas, Jori Chisholm
Midwest Highland Arts Fund North American Amateur Piobaireachd Championship
Sponsored and Presented by The Tone Protector by BagpipeLessons.com
GRADE 3
1st – Olivia Boydstun
2nd – Kimberly Meek
3rd – Michael Braunsky
4th – Steven Coontz
5th – Paul Dailey
6th – Cliff Ermatinger
Judges: Nick Hudson, Margaret Houlihan
GRADE 2
1st – Agustin Arguelles
2nd – Jacob Layrock
3rd – Sylvia Thiessen
4th – Kim Greeley
5th – Meghan McElhinney
6th – Janna Freed
Judges: Jack Lee, Bill Caudill
GRADE 1
1st – Alex Pavlovic
2nd – Mihir Zambre
3rd – Flora Stone
4th – Andrew Zhao
5th – Jacob Bowers
6th – Ian Minnear
Judge: Donald MacPhee
North American Grade 4 Bagpipe Championship
Sponsored by The Armstrong, Knox, Mcowell, Stanfield, Wells Foundation
1st – Curt Atwell
2nd – Tanya Berg
3rd – Linda Bomya
4th – Timothy Gatehouse
5th – Susan Martin
6th – Linda Quanstrom
Judge: Tristin Wilson
North American Amateur Ceol Beag Championship
Sponsored by Tartantown
Presented by Lee & Sons Bagpipes
GRADE 3
1st – Michelle Blam
2nd – Brigita Benroth
3rd – Peter Lieu
4th – Eden Svangtun
5th – Keegan Beard
6th – Olivia Boydstun
Judges: Richard Parkes, Gary West
GRADE 2
1st – Jacob Layrock
2nd – Meghan McElhinney
3rd – Bridget Englebretson
4th – Anthony St Clair
5th – Agustin Arguelles
6th – Justice Peterson
Judges: Callum Beaumont, Willie McCallum
GRADE 1
1st – Mihir Zambre
2nd – Abigail Long
3rd – Colin Richdale
4th – Andrew Zhao
5th – Jack Martin
6th – Ian Minnear
Judges: Terry Lee, Bob Worrall
Grade 3 – Most Promising Piper Award
Sponsored by R.G.Hardie & Co.
Winner: Michelle Blam
Midwest Highland Arts Fund North American Amateur Snare Drumming Championship
Sponsored by GANAAN.
Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion
GRADE 3
1st – Ryan Seigmiller
2nd – Andrew Keppel
3rd – Scarlett Jacoby
4th – David Torrance
5th – Rowan Patel
6th – Kyle Womelduff
Judges: Jim Sim, Stephen Creighton
GRADE 2
1st – Max Fenwick
2nd – Leilani Lucas
3rd – Andrew Koupal
4th – Ken Decker
5th – Eric Legere
6th – Andrew Galpin
Judges: Jake Jorgensen, Kerr McQuillan
GRADE 1
1st – Quinn Faith
2nd – Jonathan Giles
3rd – Kevin Dill
4th – Jayce Edetsberger
5th – Susan Shoemaker
6th – Terrance Cadiente
Judges: Jake Jorgensen; Kerr McQuillan
Midwest Highland Arts Fund Amateur Tenor Drumming Championships
Sponsored by Rhythm Monster
Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and Ace Percussion
1st – Felisha Gomez
2nd – Phoebe Morris
3rd – Eric Legere
4th – Marielle Webster
5th – Sophia Jantzen
6th – Cori Kirkland
Judges: Christina Henry, Owen Russell
Midwest Highland Arts Fund Amateur Bass Drumming Championships
Sponsored by MassedHead
Presented by Andante Drums & Percussion and ACE Percussion
1st – Liam Baird
2nd – Isla Ross
3rd – Marie Rude
4th – Timothy Harjus
5th – Andrew Koupal
6th – Lauren Lane
Judges: Christina Henry, Owen Russell