Anthony "Soundshaker" Lamarr, Droho’s bandmate in their group The Compass Rose, said Droho’s performance set him apart. "Mike put on the show of a lifetime," Lamarr said. "It was definitely a glorious night last night."

During his set, Droho attempted a personal first — playing piano live — to great success. "That was one of the things that won the judges over," Lamarr said.

"I didn’t know what was going to happen with the judging," Droho said. "I think I really did have the best performance."

Droho, who grew up in Baraboo as Mike Drohomyreky, launched his career with The Profits as a University of Wisconsin-Madison student about 10 years ago.

Winning the contest means one Droho song will be played in regular rotation on 105.5 FM — eight to 12 times a day — for a month. Plus, he gets to open for an Atlantic Records artist and meet with one of the label’s representatives for career advice. He hasn’t yet chosen which song to air, but is excited about the prospect. "Getting radio play for an independent artist is really, really hard to come by," Droho said.

The victory is the latest career boost for Droho, who recently secured financial backing for a new independent album and is planning a fall tour.

"The whole experience was really great for me in that it brought upon a resurgence and refocus to my career, which has seemingly caused a domino effect of positive occurrences for myself as a musician and person," he said. "I would like to express my deepest gratitude for those in the community who voted, or have supported me in any way."