The ninth annual Owensboro Lip Sync Battle, the primary fundraiser for Puzzle Pieces, raised $465,597 for the nonprofit Saturday night. The Cougars from McLean team was voted the event’s Grand Champion.
Eleven teams, made up of 143 performers, battled in the 2026 show, which was sponsored by Integrated Therapy Solutions. The show kicked off with special performances by emcees Chad Benefield and Mary Katherine Maddox, radio personalities from WBKR.
Competitors included the following (winners of each battle noted in bold):
Hometown Business Battle
Envision Contractors vs. Valor Oil
Sponsor: Baird – Settle Group
Education Battle Special Performance
KWC
Sponsor: German American
Best Friends Battle
Cougars from McLean vs. Lady Legends
Sponsor: Miller Lite
Boss Babe Battle
Monica Montgomery vs. Laura Murphy
Sponsor: The Harris Group
Special Performance
Puzzle Pieces
Sponsor: Deaconess Clinic
Regional Rumble Battle
Rehabilitation Performance Institute vs. Wright Implement
Sponsor: Valor Oil
Football Battle
Kids Football League vs. Owensboro-Daviess County Youth Football League
Sponsor: Weedman
Sponsorships, team fundraising, and ticket sales led to Puzzle Pieces’ largest amount raised from the Lip Sync Battle event, nearly doubling the amount raised in 2025. The Valor Oil team led the way with a record-breaking total of more than $126,000 raised, earning them the Community Piece Award.
“Every year I think Lip Sync Battle can’t possibly get bigger, and every year our community proves me wrong,” said Puzzle Pieces Executive Director Amanda Owen. “The amount of money raised by these teams this year left me in complete shock. Their creativity, passion, and commitment resulted in the most successful Lip Sync Battle in our history. This incredible support directly fuels our mission to connect, empower, and include individuals with disabilities, and we are beyond grateful to every sponsor, performer, and supporter who made this unforgettable year possible.”
Puzzle Pieces serves more than 450 clients with disabilities between its main campus and satellite building, providing essential life and vocational skills. They have three residential homes, have placed nearly 150 clients in local jobs, and provide the region’s only after-school and summer autism programming.
