Aug 13 - 23, 2026
Fair Spirit
August 13-23, 2026
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Talent has been abundant at the Bill Riley Talent Search. Acts have ranged from contemporary dance, to oboe solos, to ventriloquists, to vocalists and more. Peruse the Iowa State Fair's archive to see if you know anyone who has won the show-stopping award.
| YEAR | PERFORMER | WINNING TOWN | TYPE OF ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Caleb Meiners | Ottumwa | Contemporary Solo |
| 2025 | Aleesha Smith | Waterloo | Vocal Solo |
| 2024 | Lily Schloss | North Liberty | Vocal Solo |
| 2023 | Elle Clark | Humboldt | Vocal Solo |
| 2022 | Grace Wood | Indianola | Baton |
| 2021 | Lily Gast | Cedar Falls | Vocal Solo |
| 2019 | Samuel Fine | Johnston | Contemporary Dance |
| 2018 | Ana Yam | Ames | Piano Solo |
| 2017 | Ridge McGinley | Pella | Lyrical Ballet |
| 2016 | Shana Liu | Urbandale | Piano Solo |
| 2015 | Britta Fults | Rowley | Vocalist |
| 2014 | Roberto Gemignani | Gilbert | Piano Solo |
| 2013 | Adrian Oldenburger | Altoona | Ballet |
| 2012 | Micah Wright | West Des Moines | Clarinetist |
| 2011 | Chelsea Wang | West Des Moines | Solo Pianist |
| 2010 (Juniors) | Daniel Burgess | Iowa City | Solo Pianist |
| 2010 (Seniors) | Isaac Marvin Stauffer | Wayland | Tap/Acrobat |
| 2009 (Juniors) | Laura Jean Perry | Shenandoah | Tap Soloist |
| 2009 (Seniors) | Paul Child | Des Moines | Solo Pianist |
| 2008 | Alex Bogh Adam Bogh Michael McAndrew Jeremy Gussin Michael Penick | Coralville Coralville Coralville Iowa City Iowa City | Vocal Quintet |
| 2007 | Zach Villa | Clinton | Tap Dancer |
| 2006 | Amanda Hardy | Prole | Oboe Solo |
| 2005 | Stephanie March | Sioux City | Cellist |
| 2004 | Diana Reed | Norwalk | Baton Performance |
| 2003 | Alexander Van Dorpe | Iowa City | Cellist |
| 2002 | Thomas McCargar | Pleasant Hill | Vocalist |
| 2001 | John Moore | Milford | Vocal |
| 2000 | Chris Petersen | Earlham | Tap |
| 1999 | Luke & Jamie Freml | Denison | Tap |
| 1998 | Eddie Neimann | Fort Dodge | Pianist |
| 1997 | David Swindler | Cedar Falls | Pianist |
| 1996 | Lisa Dondlinger | Des Moines | Violinist |
| 1995 | Jennifer Wibben | Bondurant | Flutist |
| 1994 | Bryan Eyberg | Creston | Pianist |
| 1993 | Chad Trierweiler | Denison | Tap |
| 1992 | John Osborn | Sioux City | Vocalist |
| 1991 | Mark Wilson | Hartford | Vocalist |
| 1990 | Mistie Metten | Ankeny | Pointe Toe Dancer |
| 1989 | Andrew Tam | Jewell | Pianist |
| 1988 | Charlotte Brekke | Klemme | Lyrical Ballet |
| 1987 | David Raim | North Liberty | Vocalist |
| 1986 | James Leonard | Waukee | Vocalist |
| 1985 | Katy McGee | Jefferson | Modern Jazz |
| 1984 | Brett Baker Dennis Lee Doug Morse Brad Wright | Mason City Mason City Mason City Mason City | Quartet |
| 1983 | Heide Brende | Decorah | Pianist |
| 1982 | Doug Cline Dennis Goodwin Aaron Kjenaas Tom Lee | Cherokee Cherokee Cherokee Cherokee | Quartet |
| 1981 | Anthony Turner | Des Moines | Vocalist |
| 1980 | Alan Cemore | Cedar Falls | Vocalist |
| 1979 | Linda Wadle | Indianola | Vocalist |
| 1978 | Paul Munsen | Story City | Magician |
| 1977 | Kem & Kern Poyner | Waterloo | Ventriloquist |
| 1976 | Bill Whittenberg, Jr. | Washington | Vocalist |
| 1975 | Joel Mosher | Des Moines | Vocalist |
| 1974 | Linda Wilson | Cedar Falls | Baton |
| 1973 | Patti Whiting | West Des Moines | Vocalist |
| 1972 | Bill Nolan | Guthrie Center | Vocalist |
| 1971 | Linda McDonald | West Des Moines | Vocalist |
| 1970 | Kim Sienkiewicz | Des Moines | Vocalist |
| 1969 | David DeHamer | Des Moines | Vocalist |
| 1968 | Kay Bruce | Hastings | Acrobat |
| 1967 | Bill Lauritzen | Des Moines | Vocalist |
| 1966 | Denny Naughton | Pocahontas | Ventriloquist |
| 1965 | Duilio Mordini | Madrid | Accordionist & Vocal |
| 1964 | Beverly Vratny | Sac City | Ventriloquist |
| 1963 | Jack Briggs | Grand Junction | Vocalist |
| 1962 | Susan Hoppes | Redfield | Vocalist |
| 1961 | Phyllis Surber Linda Surber Virginia Surber Carolyn Surber | What Cheer What Cheer What Cheer What Cheer | Gospel Quartet |
| 1960 | Bill Bond | Des Moines | Accordion |
| 1960 | Jeff Jeffries | Des Moines | Accordion |