GQ becomes first all-female quartet to win Barbershop Harmony Society gold

The Barbershop Harmony Society crowned GQ its 2026 International Quartet Champion, making the four-singer group the first all-female quartet to win the organization’s top prize in its 88-year history. The contest also produced a second milestone as Sunday Night Social became the first mixed-voice quartet to medal at the international level.

Why it matters: - GQ’s win marks a major shift for the Barbershop Harmony Society, which opened membership to all people in 2018 after starting as an all-male organization in 1938. - Sunday Night Social’s result adds another first for the International Quartet Contest, showing broader representation at the top of the field. - The results reflect the Society’s “Everyone in Harmony” strategy in a marquee competition watched by thousands of attendees.

What happened: - The Barbershop Harmony Society crowned GQ its 2026 International Quartet Champion on Saturday night in St. Louis. - GQ became the first all-female quartet to win the Society’s International Gold Medal. - Sunday Night Social, a mixed-gender “All Voices” quartet from the Rocky Mountain District, finished fifth with 6,544 points and 90.9%, becoming the first mixed-voice quartet to medal in the contest. - The 2026 International Convention ran June 28–July 5 at The Dome at America’s Center and drew more than 5,700 attendees from eight countries.

The details: - GQ formed in college a decade ago as a “Girls Quartet.” - The quartet includes Amanda Sandroni on tenor, Katie Gillis on lead/bari, Ali Hauger on lead/bari, and Samantha Tramack on bass. - GQ scored 93.4% and finished first in a field of 52 quartets from around the world. - Across three rounds, GQ sang six songs spanning Broadway, pop and Americana. - The quartet was noted for tight tuning, rich vocal texture and high-energy stage presence. - GQ placed fourth in 2022, the first year non-male quartets competed at the International level, and placed fifth in 2025 before winning this year. - Sunday Night Social includes Ashley Wigginton, Tim Brooks, Seth Fetzer and Tyler Wigginton. - The five full finishers were GQ at 93.4%, Gimme Four at 93.1%, Full Effect at 92.3%, First Take at 91.0% and Sunday Night Social at 90.9%. - The convention also included chorus finals and youth and next-generation programming, along with public performances across downtown St. Louis.

Between the lines: - The result suggests the competitive field has broadened since BHS expanded eligibility in 2018. - GQ’s climb from fourth in 2022 to fifth in 2025 to first in 2026 shows sustained competitive strength, not a one-off breakout. - The mixed-voice medal finish for Sunday Night Social signals that the International contest is moving beyond legacy voice-format boundaries. - BHS CEO Robert Rund said the record now reflects what the membership already looks like: singers of every voice competing at the highest level.

What's next: - The Barbershop Harmony Society’s next International Convention will be held July 4–11, 2027, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. - More mixed-voice and all-female quartets are likely to build on this year’s visibility at the international level. - The Society will continue its chorus, youth and next-generation programming alongside future international contests.

The bottom line: - GQ’s championship is both a milestone for the quartet and a symbolic reset for one of barbershop’s oldest institutions.