Berklee Songwriters Win 2025 John Lennon Awards
Chloe Southern BM '22 and Julia Kirkwood
Berklee alum Chloe Southern BM ’22 and student Julia Kirkwood were announced as recipients of the 2025 BMI Foundation John Lennon Awards. Southern was awarded second prize for “Blueprints,” an intimate, folk-rock inspired confessional, while Kirkwood won third prize for “Honey,” which infectiously blends indie-pop and alt rock.
Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono, the John Lennon Awards recognize three young songwriters each year for original songs in contemporary musical genres, including alternative, pop, rock, indie, electronica, R&B, and experimental. This year’s winners were chosen from over 650 applicants and took home a total prize of $20,000.
A 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Boulder, Colorado, now based in Brooklyn, Southern recalls her earliest memories dancing in the living room to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, and Revolver. Since graduating from Berklee with a degree in songwriting and music production and engineering, she has established herself in New York’s indie scene with the release of her 2024 EP, The Cure and the Cause. Southern hopes her music helps listeners feel a little more understood—and a little less alone. She even set up a hotline where fans and strangers can leave her a voicemail.
“I am so profoundly grateful to have won something because of my music that will help me make more of it,” Southern said on her website. “I am so thankful and humbled.”
Listen to Chloe Southern’s “Blueprints”:
Music business/management major Julia Kirkwood centers her songwriting on storytelling, and she isn’t afraid to explore the challenges young people face—whether it’s relationships, personal growth, or emotional unrest. The 19-year-old Colorado native blends indie pop and alternative rock, grounding her songs in lyrics that celebrate life’s small moments, as heard in her singles “Rotary Phone,” “Sunshine,” and “Confession.”
Listen to Julia Kirkwood’s “Honey”:
Southern and Kirkwood join a growing list of Berklee songwriters who have earned recognition from the John Lennon Awards. Past recipients include Grace Kelly BM '12, Lisa Occhino BM ’13, Luke Niccoli BM ’16, and Tiffany Chan BM ’15.
