2026 Your Song! Your Voice! Finalists Lead the Call to End Impaired Driving
February 26, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 26, 2026
Contacts: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org
2026 Your Song! Your Voice! Finalists Lead the Call to End Impaired Driving
MILLBURN, NJ — Four talented high school acts from across New Jersey are raising their voices against impaired driving as finalists in the 22nd Annual Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey competition, organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ).
This year’s competition focuses on preventing driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs through a partnership with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS). Students were challenged to write and perform original songs that speak directly to their peers about the risks of impaired driving and the importance of making safe, responsible choices.
“Through our partnership with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, we asked students to tackle one of the most urgent issues facing young drivers today, impaired driving,” said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ. “These finalists didn’t hold back. They used their creativity and honesty to send powerful messages about the real-life consequences of driving under the influence. Their voices have the power to reach other young people in ways traditional messaging often cannot.”
Online voting runs from March 1 - 31 at www.shoutdowndrugs.com, where the public can listen to the finalists’ songs and cast their votes. The winner will receive a $5,000 music contract and perform at schools and community events across the state throughout the coming year, helping amplify their prevention message.
2026 Finalists
Dewa Gede Permana
Rochelle Park (Bergen County)
Sophomore, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest
Song: Help Yourself
“My song is about quitting drugs, and the strength one must have to pursue it,” Dewa said. “It includes the dangers of drugs, how even the smallest dose of it can destroy everything one has built in their life, and the risks of peer pressure. The message listeners can take away from my song is that to quit addiction, you must tell yourself you have a problem. You cannot make up any stories or excuses, you must realize the truth that you try to hide from. Once you realize, you must find help, instill discipline, and work to better yourself. Only you can stop what you are addicted to, only you can control what you can control. While quitting and freeing yourself from addiction isn’t an easy road, it all begins with accepting the truth, letting yesterday pass, and vowing to work hard and fix what must be fixed.”
Nanami Ishihara
Fort Lee (Bergen County)
Sophomore, Bergen County Academies
Song: Listen
“When writing this song, I wanted to focus on something deeper than just the general risks of drug use: the moment before taking the first step,” Nanami said. “Even whilst knowing the harmful consequences, people convince themselves that trying something once is ‘small’ or ‘harmless,’ and that single step can be what starts an addiction. That’s why I wanted to remind my listeners of the voice that tries to protect them—the voice that’s still fighting. So, whether it’s someone who’s already struggling with addiction or someone who may be tempted to start, I wanted my song to encourage people to pause, listen to that inner voice, and remember their future, their dreams, and the people who care about them.”
Chloé Cheng
Princeton Junction (Mercer County)
Junior, The Peddie School
Song: Sober
“‘Sober’ aims to illustrate the journey from addiction to recovery, highlighting the need for self-driven motivation to pick oneself back up,” Chloé said. “The lyrics acknowledge that the process is not easy and requires time, effort, and sustained belief and courage—but also that there is so much worth living for and so much to enjoy in a sober environment.”
The Capobianco’s
Mays Landing (Atlantic County)
Amber Capobianco, Senior, Oakcrest High School
Thomas Capobianco, Junior, Oakcrest High School
Song: What If, If Only
“Our song tells the story of someone who goes out drinking and, on the way home, is involved in a head-on collision with a pregnant woman,” Amber said. “No one survives. The second verse reflects a family member of the drunk driver wishing they could have done something to prevent the tragedy. The final verse takes place at a funeral, where the pastor speaks about the loss caused by a drunk driver. It’s a harsh story, but impaired driving is not pretty. We hope listeners understand how serious this is and never allow alcohol or drugs to impair their decisions. If our song can help prevent even one tragedy like this, it matters.”
Finalists’ songs will be showcased in a virtual concert on April 16, hosted by Jimmy Steal, Creative Services Director and PM Drive Host for WRAT 95.9. The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, and WRAT 95.9 are sponsors of the competition.
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Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
