NIVA Loan Recipients: Where Are They Now?

The National Self-reliant Venue Association began publishing its annual Live List in ⁣2023, a poll​ of independent‌ venues and promoters, curated by NIVA’s membership to select the most exciting up-and-coming live performers on independent stages across ​America. ⁣With the NIVA’s 2026 Live List on the way ​soon, here’s a look⁣ back at a few of⁣ the artists​ who made ​the ⁣list in previous years, and how their careers have taken off since‌ then.

Doechii

Jayla “Doechii” Hickmon was already arguably the fastest rising rapper in ⁤the music industry when she⁣ appeared on NIVA’s 2025 ⁣Live List after signing to ⁢Top Dawg Entertainment and releasing her breakthrough Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape. ‍As then, though, Doechii’s ascent has only accelerated with⁢ the official release of‌ one of‍ her early independent tracks, ⁣”Anxiety,” ⁣wich became the Florida-born MC’s first top ten hit on the Hot 100. After winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album in February 2025, “anxiety” received six more Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the ‍Year. Highly in demand for guest verses, the self-proclaimed “swamp⁣ princess” appeared on tracks by The ‌Weeknd, A$AP⁣ Rocky, Westside Gunn, Jennie, Banks, and Alameda. She wound down 2025 by headlining​ halls and theaters for the first time on her Live from the‌ Swamp⁣ Tour, and⁣ opened stadium dates for Kendrick Lamar and SZA in Australia. ​Reteaming with her TDE labelmate SZA, Doechii recently released “Girl, Get Up,” the first single from her highly anticipated ​2026 debut album.

Dijon

Dijon Duenas’s unique,forward-thinking take on modern R&B,first with⁤ the duo Abhi//Dijon ⁤and then​ as a ⁤mononymous solo artist on the 20

MJ​ Lenderman

As appearing on NIVA’s 2023 Live List on the strength of his 2022 word-of-mouth hit Boat ⁢Songs,26-year-old MJ Lenderman⁣ signed to Anti-,and ⁣has become‌ one of busiest people in indie rock. In addition to ​his 2024 ⁢solo album​ Manning Fireworks, which spawned the Triple A radio “She’s Leaving ‌You”⁣ and ‍”Wristwatch” and gathered rave ‍reviews, the Asheville, North Carolina native ​released two albums with his longtime band Wednesday, as well ⁣as⁢ the debut by Snocaps, a supergroup with Katie and Allison ⁤Crutchfield.  By the end⁣ of 2025, Lenderman​ had been ‍featured in ​ GQ‘s Men of⁢ the Year ‌issue, performed with Waxahatchee on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, guested‌ on the latest ⁣album from soul ⁢legend Mavis Staples, and jammed onstage with one ⁢of Asheville’s other hometown heroes, Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes.

Gianmarco Soresi:‍ Rising Stand-Up Comedian

About Gianmarco Soresi

Gianmarco Soresi, a New York-based‍ comedian, has gained meaningful recognition in ​2024 and 2025 for his stand-up performances and appearances on major platforms. He was included on NIVA’s Live⁤ List in 2024, ‌acknowledging his success as ⁣a live performer.

Soresi’s career has included appearances on Comedy Central, Netflix, and⁣ The Late Late Show with James Corden. In 2025, he completed 119 sold-out⁣ shows, including performances at⁤ the Edinburgh Fringe festival. His comedy special, Thief of Joy, ‌released in 2025, gained traction through viral social media posts.He also appeared⁤ on CNN’s Have I ‍Got News For ​You. As of late 2025, Soresi, age 37, is frequently cited as a “comic to ⁤watch” due to his comedic style ‌which blends playful ​absurdity with commentary on⁣ American politics.

verification Status (as ⁣of January 24, 2026, 21:46:39 PST):

* ⁢ Appearances: Confirmed through listings‍ on the official websites​ of Comedy Central (https://www.comedycentral.com/), Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/), The Late Late Show with James Corden (archived content available via CBS (https://www.cbs.com/)), ‌and‌ CNN (https://www.cnn.com/).
* NIVA Live list: NIVA (National Independent Venue ​Association) publishes a Live List annually. Verification of Soresi’s inclusion in the 2024 list requires accessing the archived ‌NIVA Live⁤ List ‌for that year⁣ (https://www.nivassoc.org/).
* ⁣ Edinburgh⁢ Fringe: The‌ Edinburgh Fringe Festival website (https://www.edfringe.com/) can be searched for Soresi’s 2025 performances.
* ⁤ Comedy special Thief of ⁣Joy: Data regarding‍ the release ​and ‍availability of Thief ​of Joy can be found through⁢ Soresi’s official website and social media⁤ channels (see below).
* CNN’s Have I Got News ​For You: Confirmed through ​CNN program listings and news ⁤reports.
* Gianmarco Soresi Official Website: https://gianmarcosoresi.com/

* Gianmarco Soresi on ⁣X ⁣(formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/gianmarco