Now in year two, the high stakes, high-profile AcaOpen competition is now ready for finals.

Created with the intention of launching the careers of the next a cappella superstars, the inaugural winner, Women of the World, is out on a world tour, embodying the mission and putting their $25,000 prize money to good use.

Who will be their successor? We find out on Saturday, September 22 at Carnegie Hall.

The West Coast dominates this year’s lineup, with five finalists based in California, four of whom call Los Angeles home. Outside of the scholastic contenders, only one group existed prior to 2017, making it likely that a brand new talent will move into the spotlight.

Here are the contenders:

Legacy 

2018 ICHSA Champion (Los Angeles)

The membership may turn over each year, but the talent level continues to show a meteoric rise. This will be Legacy’s second appearance in the AcaOpen Final, last year qualifying in the West Semifinal. After making quite a statement in their first ICHSA season, they took home first place, the trophy, and tickets back to NYC.

Here’s the performance that earned them the ICHSA title:

See More:

Legacy Sings The Magic Of The Movies

Legacy Clinches Spot In ICHSA Finals

Legacy: 2017 Aca Open Finalist Interview

The SoCal VoCals

2018 ICCA Champion (Los Angeles) 

If there are any guarantees in life, The SoCal Vocals making an impressive showing at ICCA Finals is one of them. Now five-time consecutive champions, the group is a well-established dynasty and they show zero signs of letting their guard down. Their performance at the 2018 ICCA finals was a masterclass in how to win a competition and we expect nothing less when they return to NYC next month.

Here’s the winning set live:

And since you’ll need to watch it again to fully appreciate it, here’s the music video version:

VoCollective

Open International Champion (London) 

Six talented voices out of London come together with attitude. They’ll be warming up for NYC with an appearance at Club A Cappella Chapter III on September 2 alongside The Noteables, Beatboxer James Dempsey, and hosts WeAreTrackless.

Here’s a little Ariana Grande from the UK’s latest stars:

Ember 

Open Northeast Champion (Baltimore, MD) 

This collective fire only started singing together in December, but the individual talents have been lighting up the collegiate, pro, and beatboxing scene for a few years now. This young group showed up ready to win in NYC with an all original set.

Here’s a little taste of them live:

See more:

Exclusive: Ember Releases New Single

HIVE 

Open West Champion (Los Angeles) 

Who didn’t fall in love with HIVE the second the group was announced? Packed with well-known talent and immense personality, we’re not sure there are any limits on what’s possible here. To any group struggling with group identity, pay attention and be like HIVE: Be yourselves.

Check out their latest music video:

See More:

What is HIVE?

New HIVE Music Is Finally Out!

HIVE Brings A New Vibe To BOSS

LUXE 

Open Midwest Champion (Columbus, OH) 

A group so new there’s no trace of them on the internet, at least not as a group. Fans will recognize a lot of these former ICHSA and ICCA stars, including Vocalight’s Holly Gynes and Lilli Wilder, new Backtrack bass and 2017 ICCA Outstanding Bass Jojo Otseidu, and rising pop star Grace Klonoski. Packed with young talent, this is definitely a set to look forward to.

Iris 

Open New England Champion (New York, NY) 

Another brand new group with no virtual trace, Iris faced a tough New England semifinal to earn a spot in the finals. NYC-based and led by Backtrack founder, Andrew John Kim, will a trio earn the same kind of reaction that earned Women of the World the prize? One thing’s for sure: as a cappella gets more complicated and crunchy, there is clearly still room for smaller and simple if it’s done right.

RISE 

Open Virtual Champion (Arlington, TX) 

The AcaOpen will look a little more scholastic this year, with ICCA Finalists and fourth-place finishers, Rise, winning a very talent-packed Virtual Semifinal. This young group out of UT Arlington is fearless and hungry. Carnegie Hall seems like the perfect next step for them.

See the fierce set from their appearance at ICCA Finals:

COLLAB

Open Wild Card (Los Angeles) 

A wild card in the truest sense of the word, COLLAB is a new project comprised of talented singers from multiple Southern California groups. This new group placed second to HIVE and won the Wild Card round, so new is nothing to write off.

Business Casual 

Open Wild Card (San Mateo, CA) 

This might be the best year yet for reigning Harmony Sweepstakes Champions, Business Casual. Can they add a new piece of hardware to their ever-growing list of accolades? Not only does this Bay Area group know what it takes to win a competition, they come in with a battery of great covers and originals, all perfectly suited to their voices and personalities.

Enjoy a little studio version of “Faith”: