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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The University of South Carolina’s Carolina Band won first place in Division 1 of Metallica’s 2025 Collegiate Edition of the “For Whom the Band Tolls” marching band competition. Metallica announced the winners on January 30, 2026. This was not the competition’s first-ever winner announcement: the inaugural contest results were announced in January 2024.
2025 Collegiate Edition winners
The 2026 announcement named winners in seven award categories across two collegiate divisions and a fan-favorite vote. Metallica said the awards carried more than $165,000 in total prizes. The full results are listed below.
| Category | Place | School | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division 1 | First | University of South Carolina | $50,000 plus an opportunity to record |
| Division 1 | Second | Virginia Tech | $25,000 |
| Division 1 | Third | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $10,000 |
| Division 2/Division 3 | First | Riverside City College | $40,000 |
| Division 2/Division 3 | Second | Bridgewater College | $20,000 |
| Division 2/Division 3 | Third | Indiana Wesleyan University | $10,000 |
| Fan Favorite | Winner | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $10,000 |
Metallica’s January 30, 2026 results announcement lists the placements and awards. The University of South Carolina also reported that Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo announced the winners.
What the Carolina Band won
The University of South Carolina’s Division 1 first-place award was $50,000, along with an opportunity to record a Metallica song and the EA SPORTS College Football theme song for inclusion in a future edition of the game. USC identifies the theme as “Campus Clash.” The announcement describes an opportunity; it does not establish that the recordings or game inclusion have since taken place.
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Music in the winning performance
USC says the Carolina Band performed “Master of Puppets” and “Lux Aeterna” in arrangements for marching bands by Metallica, as well as “Enter Sandman,” arranged by Ben Pouncey, a graduate assistant in USC’s School of Music. The university’s account of the performance and award is available in its report on the Carolina Band’s win.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who won the inaugural Metallica marching band competition?
Metallica announced the inaugural competition results on January 7, 2024. Auburn University won College Division 1 and the college fan-favorite award; Eastern New Mexico University won College Divisions 2 and 3. In the high-school categories, Dobyns-Bennett High School won large, Boerne High School and Malverne High School tied in medium, and Oakton High School won small. Metallica said more than 450 schools accepted the original challenge. These results are separate from the 2025 Collegiate Edition announced in 2026. See Metallica’s inaugural results announcement.
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