SAN ANTONIO – A Northside Independent School District band showed why they were the “master of bands” this year during the 2025 Metallica Marching Band Competition.
Sonia Sotomayor High School took home first place and $20,000 for their performance of “Master of Puppets” in the large high school category.
The contest looked at high schools and colleges nationwide, including some from Texas.
Metallica announced the winners for their high school categories, including small, medium and large.
“I never thought like Lars would pick our show and stuff like that. It’s just a really cool thing to happen to us,” said Sotomayor High School Band Director Joseph Espinoza.
Espinoza said they started learning the music at the end of last school year and, by August, were working on their marching performance for the November competition submission.
The school opened just three years ago, and the band has grown from 60 students to over 200.
Drum Major Aubrey Gawd said it feels good to be put on the national map.
“It’s really great considering that this is our third year, and it was just kind of like the first year. We’re trying to make a name for ourselves, and here we are. The members of Metallica know our name, you know what I mean? So that is a really great feeling. We feel very accomplished by that.” Gawd said.
This year, the competition also chose to select a fan favorite voted on by the public.
Sonia Sotomayor High School wasn’t the only Texas high school recognized in the large high school category.
Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas, and Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas, took second and third place.
Last year, Boerne High School was named a winner in Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” competition with a medley of songs. It took home nearly $200,000 in band equipment.
For those competing in the collegiate portion, Metallica said they have extended their competition through November 2025.
Interested bands can apply here.
