(LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) – After weeks of competition and more than 2,000 submissions, Kato On The Track and Audius have crowned Jul Big Green the winner of the inaugural Hot Takes Tournament, earning him over $15,000 in prizes.
The Hot Takes Tournament was launched earlier this summer by Kato On The Track in partnership with Audius to spotlight independent artists making great music outside the industry’s typical popularity-driven models. Over seven weeks, Kato narrowed more than 2,000 song submissions down to a Sweet 16, culminating in Jul Big Green’s winning track.
“The Hot Takes Tournament showed every music creator out there that talent still matters,” said Kato On The Track. “Out of thousands of submissions, I picked Jul Big Green’s ‘Hometown Love’ because it has the infectious energy we need right now. Every finalist was an independent artist making great music, which is exactly why I created Hot Takes – to spotlight talent beyond the industry’s popularity contest.”
Jul Big Green fuses Pop, Hip-Hop, and Rock with an energy that resonates across diverse audiences. Since releasing his debut single “Get Away” in 2014, he has performed at venues including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Ohio State Fair, while also appearing on Fox 8 Cleveland. His music has earned him recognition such as the 2017 Akron High Arts Festival Music Juried Award, and his projects include the EP All Things (2015) and full-length album 5am to Midnight (2019).
Jul Big Green added: “I’m ecstatic over winning. Honestly, I was just happy to make it into the competition, let alone win the whole thing. This was my first time releasing a pop-reggae song, so the positive reception to ‘Hometown Love’ has been incredibly validating. I’m excited to keep growing my music and reach more listeners.”
Listen to Jul Big Green’s “Hometown Love” on Audius: https://audius.co/julbiggreen/hometown-love.
Jul Big Green (L) and Kato On The Track (R)
About Audius
Audius is a global decentralized music community and discovery platform that puts the artist in control. Audius is run by a vibrant, open-source community of artists, music fans and developers from all over the world, which makes it possible for artists to retain control of how their work is distributed and creates new revenue streams for them and other rights holders around the sharing of their music. With millions of unique monthly users, Audius is one of the largest decentralized applications in the world. Sign up today at https://audius.co.