Students in the greater Madison area have a lot of talent, and they soon will have a chance to show off that talent — whether in music, dance, visual arts, spoken word, art, or more — and possibly win big cash prizes at Madison East High School on Saturday, May 23, at 1 p.m.
The Gamma Gamma Gamma, Epsilon Theta, and Sigma Zeta chapters of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., who are active throughout southern Wisconsin, will be hosting the 2026 Talent Hunt Competition, an annual initiative designed to showcase and celebrate the creativity, skill, and artistic excellence of high school students.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for young people. We’re doing what we can to open the door a bit further for kids to be more engaged,” Ebrahim Amara, scholarship committee chair for the Omega Psi Phi Talent Hunt and a member of the Gamma Gamma Gamma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, tells Madison365. “This Talent Hunt is all about making sure that students feel supported in their talents and get a chance to be seen performing.
“The Talent Hunt started at Omega Psi Phi in 1946. So we’ve been doing this for a very long time as a mandated program,” he adds. “Omega Psi Phi has 12 mandated programs and the Talent Hunt is one of those that we use as a space to give opportunities and venues for scholars to show their talents in the fine arts.”
The Epsilon Theta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was chartered on September 15, 1969, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, while the Gamma Gamma Gamma Chapter is a graduate chapter chartered in Madison serving the community since 1984. The Sigma Zeta Chapter was chartered on Nov. 3, 1973, at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The necessity for Talent Hunt was born out of the reality that there were limited opportunities afforded to some populations in the country for youth to give full expression to their artistic and creative abilities, according to Omega Psi Phi’s website. The Omega Talent Hunt has a rich history of discovering, developing, and showcasing the artistic talents of high school students across the world.
The Omega Psi Phis hosted it at Madison East High School last year, and Amara says they had one of their best turnouts for contestants. “It’s been tough historically to get kids on stage and out of their comfort zone,” he says. “In this chapter, we’ve been hosting the Talent Hunt since the 2010s, when Charles Brown led it and then shortly after that, Richard Jones Sr.
“We’re trying to give people a little more heads up this year in case students want to write a song or create their own dance from scratch,” Amara adds. “We want to give young people more time to feel more prepared for this event.”
Plenty of the acts at the Talent Hunt have historically been singers, musicians and spoken-word artists, but Amara also encourages artists, painters and photographers to enter, too.
“We had a student, actually, I think, two years ago from Beloit Memorial, Sean Leavy II, and he took a white pair of sneakers that he bought, and he painted them, and he talked about the inspiration of why he painted them a certain way,” Amara remembers. “I think he came in first place that year. He was so articulate, the way he painted the shoe, the inspiration, the story.
“So we definitely want people who can paint or a photographer who takes great photos who can talk about the inspiration behind some of their images,” he adds.
The Talent Hunt is an internationally mandated program of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. For decades, this program has provided a platform for young performers and creatives to express themselves, gain confidence, and compete for scholarships and recognition.
Cash prizes will be awarded at the event, including $500 for the first-place contestant, $300 for the second-place contestant, and $100 for third.
“Each contestant will leave with a gift card from somewhere like the Olive Garden or Crumbl … just local restaurants or places that kids would want to go,” Amara says. “So everyone will leave with something, just to show that we appreciate them stepping into that spot. It’s very difficult, not only to get kids to speak in public, but also to perform. We want to make sure that they see that we appreciate their efforts.”
The Omega Psi Phis hope that Madison-area educators, parents, and community members identify and support talented students by helping them register for this year’s competition. To register, click here. Registration closes on Friday, May 8th, at 11:59 p.m.
“So we’re just hoping to build on what we had last year. We only graduated one contestant, first-place winner Michaela Kirch from Verona,” Amara says. “So we’re trying to get all of our contestants to return and then get at least 10 more. We’re pretty excited about it.”
The contest will take place in the Margaret Williams Theatre of Madison East.
“My favorite part of the Talent Hunt is at the end of the day, when we do a reflection piece where our judges are going over the highlights of the day that kind of highlight everyone’s skills,” Amara says. “Because our judges do a score sheet where they have everyone’s highlights, and seeing the kids’ faces light up when they hear about their highlights is always so interesting, because it’s never what the kids anticipate.
“To see kids feel that sense of accomplishment, but also a little bit of self-confidence … that means a lot to us.”
