High School Students Invited to Showcase Musical Talent in 2026 Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs Competition

Millburn, NJ, Nov. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High school musicians across New Jersey are invited to use their talents to create original songs with impactful messages about the dangers of impaired driving.

Organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), the 22nd Annual Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey competition is open for entries until February 1, 2026. The winner will be awarded a $5,000 music contract and will have the opportunity to share their song and message across the state during the upcoming year.

As part of a new partnership with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS), this year’s competition will place a special focus on raising awareness about preventing driving while under the influence. Representatives from HTS will also participate in the judging process.

“No matter the genre—rock, jazz, hip-hop, or R&B—the Shout Down Drugs competition offers New Jersey students a platform to inspire their peers with positive messages,” said Angelo Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ. “Through our partnership with New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety, we’re encouraging students to use their creativity to help prevent impaired driving and, in the process, save their lives and the lives of their friends.”

"We are thrilled to work together with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey on this inspiring program. Music has a unique power to connect with young people, and by channeling their creativity into songs that promote safe and responsible choices, students can make a real impact in preventing impaired driving,” said Michael J. Rizol, Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “We look forward to hearing the messages these talented musicians will share and supporting their efforts to keep our roads safe."

The finalists' songs will be showcased in a virtual concert hosted by Jimmy Steal, Creative Services Director and PM Drive Host for WRAT 95.9. An esteemed panel of judges will select the winner, and Steal will announce them at the concert’s conclusion.

Throughout the following year, the winner will perform their song at schools, community events, and prevention programs, using these opportunities to further share their message of prevention and inspire other young people to make healthy decisions. Last year’s Your Song! Your Voice! winner, Martin Rojas Ortiz of Hackensack, recently performed his prevention song “Bruno” at Red Ribbon Day in Cranford.

Since its inception in 2005, Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey has inspired nearly 1,000 students from all 21 counties to create original music with prevention messages about the impact of drug and alcohol use. Finalists’ songs are featured on ShoutDownDrugs.com, where the public can listen and vote for their favorites. Since online voting began in 2010, over 1.5 million votes have been cast, with approximately 100,000 votes cast each year. Over the years, program participants have gone on to pursue careers in music and media, including contestants who have appeared on national platforms such as The Voice.

The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA), and 95.9 WRAT are sponsors of the competition.

For rules and further information on entering the competition, visit www.shoutdowndrugs.com.

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Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

Lisa Batitto
Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey
973-467-2100
news@drugfreenj.org

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