Yankton Native Receives Recognition For Rocking Talent | Community

NASHVILLE — Rachel DeeLynn’s music career is rocking to new heights with the recent recognition she has received.

The Yankton native’s high-energy, worldwide single, “Dopamine,” has officially been nominated in the category of “Song of the Year — Indie Rock/Alternative Rock” at the 12th annual Josie Music Awards. Her single is competing against 13 other tunes for the title.

The 2026 edition of the awards ceremony — described as “the premier award show honoring independent talent and legends since 2015” — is scheduled for Sunday at the legendary Grand Ole Opry House in the “Music City” of Nashville.

DeeLynn, an independent alternative rock singer-songwriter and performer with leanings in pop and punk, told the Press & Dakotan that she has never been nominated for a Josie Music Award before. She has been based in Nashville — Tennessee’s capital and most populous city — for about four years.

“It’s a little bit of validation for the work that you put in,” she said. “The Josies are just a really cool way to celebrate independent artists. It’s really cool to have this celebration of artists from all over the country that are working independently to pursue their careers. I’m very grateful for that outlet for independent artists. It’s cool to go and see all my friends from Nashville there, too. The Josies are just obviously local, so it’s cool to see everybody gathered in one space for that.”

DeeLynn said she admires the Josie Music Awards for welcoming all genres of music. The Grand Ole Opry House is home to country music’s biggest stage.

“It’s cool to be at the Grand Ole Opry for something that is not just country,” she said. “I was raised on country. I love country, but to be able to be there and represent a different genre is really cool.”

“Dopamine” was DeeLynn’s first release of 2026, following her singles — “Egomaniac” and “Can You Hear Me Now?” — that shot to No. 1 on several Top 100 indie music charts last year. She has shared her talents with venues across the globe and honed her skills through training at the acclaimed Berklee College of Music in Boston.

In January, she was featured as a panelist at the National Association of Music Merchants Show in Los Angeles and released her single, “Dopamine,” to international streaming and radio stations. The song is available to stream or purchase on all platforms.

DeeLynn explained the inspiration behind “Dopamine.” She referred to Generation Z — of which she is a member of — a term used to describe Americans born starting from the late 1990s to the early 2010s.

“My generation is struggling with the fact that we had to go through school during (the COVID-19 pandemic) and are now facing the world right now as it is, trying to find ways to stay preoccupied and keep your mind off of things,” she said. “I just wrote that (song) about dealing with feeling addicted to anything that could make me feel something and how I realized that wasn’t good for me. Sometimes, it’s really hard to come to terms with that and find healthy ways to cope.

“As creatives, too, we overthink everything,” she said. “What that song is about is just finding that hit of dopamine in little things in life. It’s funny how you can write something out of a dark place and then it ends up being something that brings so much light into your life and hopefully into other people’s lives. That’s really cool that song is nominated just because of where it came from.”

In addition to the Josie Music Award nomination, DeeLynn received the “USA Female Emerging Artist of the Year” gold award — out of about 30,000 submissions — on Aug. 22 in Atlanta during the 2026 International Singer-Songwriters Association (ISSA) awards ceremony. According to its website, “ISSA’s mission extends to encouraging aspiring and professional singers and songwriters across various music genres on a global scale.”

DeeLynn was nominated in five categories overall after becoming an ISSA member earlier this year.

“It was a bit of a shock,” she said. “When they were calling the bronze and silver, I was like, ‘OK, I’m probably not going to get it, but I’m still happy that I did this.’ I had the best time at the show. Then they called (her name for the gold), and it was just a shock. It was awesome. … It’s my first year as a member, so that was really cool. Everyone was very supportive.”

This year’s ISSA awards nomination period opened on Jan. 1 and closed on March 30. During this time, self-nomination forms were available for artists who meet the eligibility criteria. To qualify, artists must have a dedicated website, at least five songs available on major platforms like iTunes or Spotify and an engaged fan base. This fan support played a key role in helping nominees advance to the finalist stage.

From April 2-30, fans had the opportunity to vote for their favorite nominees. After the fan voting period concluded at the end of April, the official finalists were announced on May 2. The selection process continued throughout the spring and summer. During this time, ISSA judges — comprised of gold-level winners from the past two years — reviewed the finalists and selected the winners. Those chosen received crystal awards from the ISSA.

DeeLynn recalled that she and her band — in which she is the lead vocalist, backed up by two guitarists, a bass guitarist and a drummer — had performed at the pre-party the night prior to this year’s ISSA awards ceremony.

“It was so much fun,” she said. “That was one of the best shows that we’ve had. We just had a ton of fun with it. … There’s something to be said about feeling validated in getting the (ISSA) award, but it’s also that event was really special to me because I feel like I left with a lot of new connections and new friends. … I left with a lot more than just a trophy.”

Alongside iconic Nashville venues, DeeLynn — her professional name — has also played several venues, fairs and festivals throughout New England and the Midwest. Even before the recent recognition she has received, she said her career as an independent music artist was “always crazy,” with all of the different hats she has had and continues to wear.

“You’re your own creative director,” she said. “You’re your own booking agent. You do everything. … The industry is always changing, so you have to be on your ‘A’ game at all times. It can be exhausting to find that balance.”