BE THE PEOPLE NAMES WINNER OF NATIONWIDE OPEN CALL FOR "GOTTA BE US (BE THE PEOPLE)"

LOS ANGELES-BASED SINGER, SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER VICTORIA IBEK SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 4,000 CREATORS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Be The People, a 10-year call to action that connects community problem solvers with millions of Americans ready to do their part, has selected 25-year-old singer, songwriter and producer Victoria Ibek as the winner of its nationwide #BeThePeopleOpenCall contest. The organization invited creators from across the country to remix, reimagine and reinterpret the original anthem "Gotta Be Us (Be The People)", with Ibek's submission ultimately selected by a panel of music industry leaders for the way she made the song distinctly her own while carrying forward its spirit of agency and contribution. As the Open Call's winner, Ibek will have her contribution professionally produced by three-time GRAMMY®-nominated producer Poo Bear and receive national promotional support from Be The People.

From the start, "Gotta Be Us" was built around a belief that runs counter to so much of what Americans are told today: that we are powerless to change the things around us and that someone else, somewhere else, is going to fix them. But all across the country, people are proving otherwise. No one is coming to solve our problems for us. It's gotta be us. The Open Call was designed to turn that idea into an invitation, asking people across America not just to listen to the song, but to put their own voice into it and make it theirs.

Born in Charlotte and based in Los Angeles, Victoria Ibek's music blends pop, R&B, hip-hop and dance with rhythms shaped by six formative years living in her mother's native Nigeria. A multidisciplinary creator who writes, produces, mixes and masters her own music, Ibek moved to Los Angeles to pursue music full-time and was named 'One to Watch' in 2026 by SPIN. That same drive to contribute extends beyond her music: she previously worked as a nursing assistant supporting children with disabilities and continues to use music therapy — and the ukulele — to connect with young people. It's a lived example of the spirit at the heart of Be The People: finding your own role to play and using what you have to show up for others.

The Open Call encouraged creators to bring their own voices, styles and stories to "Gotta Be Us" and show what the idea behind the song meant to them. Ibek's rendition completely reworks the original, blending Afro-pop and nostalgic '90s R&B with new lyrics and her own perspective. That was the point of the Open Call: not to replicate the original recording, but to hear what "Gotta Be Us" could become when another artist made it distinctly their own.

Victoria Ibek was chosen from more than 4,000 creators who submitted nearly 7,000 videos inspired by "Gotta Be Us," representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Ibek is also the recipient of one-on-one mentorship from leading music and entertainment executives, including members of the Open Call jury from Columbia Records, UTA, Kobalt Music, 7S Management, and Klein Finé & Spector.

Additionally, the Top 10 runners-up are each awarded one-on-one mentorship from music and entertainment executives along with promotional support to help elevate their artistry.

"When I found out about Be The People and how it was using music to get people to step up and solve problems in their own communities, it was very important for me to be part of it and put my own spin on the song. I wanted to create something that felt empowering while making sure my Nigerian roots were part of it," says Ibek, "A lot of times, we get bogged down in all the things we can't do and all the people who think we shouldn't do them. Sometimes you really just have to step out on faith and see where it lands you. I wanted to give myself an opportunity to be bold and create something that reflected that version of me."

Poo Bear commented, "From day one, this wasn't about finding the 'perfect' voice; it was about inviting people to bring their own voice to the song. Victoria took the idea and made it completely her own. That's exactly what we hoped the Open Call would inspire, and I'm excited to get in the studio with her and help bring her version to life."

Open Call submissions were judged by a panel of music and entertainment executives, including Poo Bear, Jen Mallory (President, Columbia Records), Sam Kirby Yoh (Partner & Co-Head of Global Music, UTA), Jeannette Perez (President & CCO, Kobalt Music), Chris Tetzeli (Founder, 7S Management), Toni Wallace (Partner & Head of Global Music Brand Strategy & Partnerships, UTA), and Pamela Klein (Partner, Rossi Baldovia Klein Finé & Spector).

The #BeThePeopleOpenCall launched in June following the release of "Gotta Be Us (Be The People)," an original song created around a simple idea: everyday people are not spectators; each of us has a part to play. The track was co-written and produced by Poo Bear and features Momo Boyd, Trevor Jackson, Smino, Sadie Rose Van, Luke Borchelt and the VCU Black Awakening Choir, bringing together voices across R&B, country, soul, pop and hip-hop. Choosing emerging voices was deliberate: the song was meant to reflect the voice of the people, with each artist contributing something distinctly their own. The Open Call was a natural extension of that idea, opening the song to thousands more voices across the country to reinterpret it through their own perspective, genre and experience.

The progression from listening to creating to showing up is central to Be The People's work through music. Launched on America's 250th, Be The People is a nonpolitical 10-year call to action that showcases people solving problems in communities across the country and gives more Americans a way to join them. Powered by a growing coalition of 58 members on the Be The People National Leadership Council, including the NBA, Martin Luther King III, Aloe Blacc, Imagine Entertainment, Special Olympics, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity and GivingTuesday, Be The People connects people in thousands of communities with ways to get involved. "Gotta Be Us" is its musical entry point: a way to bring people together and help more people find their own role to play.

That invitation also came to life through free Be The People Fests in Nashville and Austin, where more than 2,000 attendees came together for performances from artists including Nathaniel Rateliff, Flatland Cavalry and Devon Gilfillian, alongside "Join Fairs" connecting audiences directly with impact opportunities in their local communities. Across the two events, attendees built 300 hygiene kits for unhoused neighbors and generated hundreds of sign-ups to volunteer, join community efforts and access free skills training.

The #BeThePeopleOpenCall is part of a broader effort to use music as an entry point to sustained impact. The ambition behind "Gotta Be Us" is much bigger than a song. It is to remind people that they are not powerless, that they are not alone and that the future of their communities and country isn't someone else's responsibility. We each have a role to play. It's gotta be us.

ABOUT BE THE PEOPLE
Be The People puts a name to a nationwide movement to reignite the American spirit and help ensure the next 250 years are even better than the last by helping Americans do what they do best — roll up their sleeves and solve problems in their communities. Supported by a broad coalition of organizations, businesses, philanthropies, artists, athletes, and faith and cultural leaders, Be The People is bringing together thousands of proven, community-led solutions into a shared problem-solving platform that shows Americans how to contribute and make a difference where they live.

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SOURCE Be The People