Noah Kahan’s 'Georgia On My Mind' Cover Draws Mixed Reactions

Noah Kahan is the latest artist chosen by ESPN to cover Georgia On My Mind for the Masters Tournament, but not everyone’s thrilled about it. The Vermont-born singer-songwriter. known for his Grammy nods and platinum tracks, re-recorded the iconic song to build hype for the 2025 Masters, starting April 10 at Augusta National. ESPN says the goal was attracting younger viewers, but online reactions quickly turned sour.

Fans criticized ESPN’s choice of Kahan, pointing out he’s from New England, not the South, and questioned replacing Ray Charles’ legendary original. One viral comment joked, “No one captures one of Georgia’s most sacred traditions like checks notes New England native Noah Kahan.” ESPN defended their choice, sticking by Kahan as the face (and voice) of their campaign.

ESPN will air the first two rounds (April 10–11), and you can see Noah’s full behind-the-scenes video on April 7.