Minnesota Singer/Songwriter Showcase

Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Department of Performing Arts presents a showcase of award-winning Minnesota singer/songwriters.

• Sarah Morris is a musician who spent the first years of her career in Nashville losing herself in the art of writing timeless Americana melodies. She crafts endearingly honest, expertly penned songs. Morris has been a finalist in a host of national songwriting competitions. In 2018, Morris won first place in the Kerrville New Folk songwriting contest.
• Emily Haavik is a musician, audio producer and journalist. She writes “terrific songs with honest lyrics and infectious hooks,” (The Bluegrass Situation). She spent a decade working in public radio and television news, and her work has been honored with a Peabody and a DuPont, as well as multiple regional Emmy and Murrow awards. She loves to write stories that focus on the environment and criminal justice.
• Hailey James is a talented singer/songwriter and recording artist. She has garnered recognition as a four-time award winner from the Midwest Country Music Organization, receiving prestigious titles such as 2022 Female Vocalist and Songwriter of the Year, as well as the 2021 Midwest CMO New Artist and Song of the Year for her track “Wide Awake”. She collaborates with up-and-coming Nashville artists and accomplished, chart-topping hit songwriters, shaping her unique musical style.