With songs featured in Grey’s Anatomy and Love Is Blind: Japan, alternative/indie rock artist BANNERS will headline Kenyon’s annual Summer Sendoff on April 25. Following careful deliberation guided by a student vote, Social Board announced the news in an email to the student body last week. Though BANNERS received only 15.3% of student votes, the final selection came down to budget and scheduling availability.

Active since 2015, BANNERS is an English musician best known for his 2017 single “Someone to You,” which has over 900 million streams on Spotify. His songs have appeared in TV shows such as Suits and The Good Doctor, as well as the movie “Beautiful Boy.”

Social Board selected BANNERS to headline Summer Sendoff following a process that began in the fall. After members of the organization narrowed choices down to five possible artists, Social Board sent the final ballot to the student body in an Oct. 18 email, with voting closing on Oct. 24. In addition to BANNERS, the ballot included La Roux, Joshua Bassett, Peach Tree Rascals and Aidan Bissett. According to Social Board President Chloe Goldstein ’25, a total of 397 students voted — 180 for La Roux, 95 for Joshua Bassett and 61 for BANNERS. 

Some students expressed confusion over the announcement. “While I’m clearly not the target audience since I don’t at all plan to attend Sendoff, it’s a strange choice to me given that I’ve never even heard of this artist,” Aiden Williams ’27 wrote in a message to the Collegian.

Others expressed enthusiasm for BANNERS’ upcoming performance. “I’m really excited,” Abigail Conklin ’27 wrote in a message to the Collegian. “I’ve been listening to Banners since high school, so I can’t wait to see them live at Summer Sendoff.” 

Charlotte Ward ’27 voiced a similar sentiment. “He is amazing!” Ward wrote. “I can’t wait to hear him play (and hear ‘Someone To You’ live).”

Selecting the event’s headliner is just one way in which Social Board has been preparing for the event. Back in February, Social Board hosted the third annual Battle of the Bands to determine which three student bands would open for Sendoff. Of the nine bands, Morganized Crime, Holy F*ck Holy F*cking F*ck That Body of Yours Is Absurd and All Goof No Ball emerged victorious.

In addition to the music, this year’s Sendoff will feature food trucks, inflatable games, a photo booth and a mechanical bull, according to Goldstein. Social Board will also be giving out free Sendoff T-shirts in two colors, featuring Emilia Thompson ’25’s winning design from the February Sendoff T-shirt contest. After the event, students can grab free empanadas from an empanada food truck that will park on campus from 9 until 11 p.m.

Goldstein suggested that students stay on the lookout for information on upcoming Sendoff-related events. “Similar to last year, we will be doing various events leading up to Sendoff to get the campus excited and ready for the concert,” Goldstein wrote in an email to the Collegian. “We are so excited for this year’s Sendoff and are looking forward to sharing all of the amazing things we have planned.”