Emily Judson

Emily Judson was raised on a beautiful farm in rural Kansas. A combination of prairie living, travel, and a deep commitment to community service helped shape her advocacy-centered songwriting style.  Emily’s parents gifted her a guitar in the third grade, sparking a lifelong passion for creating music with a purpose. 

During high school, Emily joined the band Wur’ship Project, contributing as a writer and performer while touring and recording the album You Called Us Out. After relocating to Wichita, she continued to evolve as an artist, forming the Emily Judson Band and releasing One More Song, a collection of original tracks spanning pop, folk, rock, and jazz. The album featured powerful messages, including calls for immigration reform and awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

In 2023, Emily released Riverside, an alternative folk album born from the rhythms and reflections of life along the river in Wichita’s Riverside neighborhood. The project was a true community collaboration, featuring musicians from the area and recorded right in the heart of the neighborhood. All proceeds from the album are being donated to support Riverside’s public schools and nonprofits. The album earned critical acclaim, landing in NPR for Wichita, KMUW’s Strange Currency host Jedd Beaudoin’s top ten local/regional albums of the year.

In 2024, Emily was honored with the Rising Star award at the International Singer-Songwriters Association Awards held in Atlanta, Georgia. Her track “Stay in Riverside” earned Best Alternative Song from the World Songwriting Awards and claimed victory in the Kansas Soundscapes Songwriting Contest. Adding to her momentum, Emily’s empowering song “Daughter” reached the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Competition and was named a finalist in the Social Causes category.

That same year, Emily embraced collaboration, lending her vocals to two notable releases: “Hold Fast” by Aaron Hymes and “Messed Up” by Andrew Chappell, showcasing her versatility and growing presence in the music scene.

In 2025, Emily made waves with her hit single “It’s My Farm,” featuring Andrew Chappell, which garnered widespread acclaim and a string of accolades. The track won Best Music Collaboration at the World Songwriting Awards and took home Collaboration of the Year at the Elite Music Awards. It also earned nominations at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the Singer-Songwriter category, and at the Josie Music Awards for Folk Song of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year.

Emily’s songwriting prowess extended beyond released material—her unreleased track “Cozy Kind of Love” received a nomination for the Songwriting Achievement Award. That same year, she was honored as Emerging Artist of the Year at the International Singer-Songwriter Awards. This recognition helped propel “It’s My Farm” to Grammy consideration, landing on the Recording Academy’s first ballot for Best American Roots Song and Best Americana Performance.

When Emily is not writing music or spending time with her family, you will likely find her at the Riverside (community) Garden she helps run, happily covered in dirt and surrounded by butterflies, while working to reduce food insecurity in her city.