At the opening night of Ford Amphitheater, Mayor Yemi Mobolade presented a Mayor's Spirit of Colorado Springs Award to Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, members of the pop band OneRepublic, which was founded in Colorado Springs in 2002. He was joined by Tedder and Filkins' high school choir teacher Dena Flanagan in the presentation.

"Through their music, Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins have taken the spirit of Colorado Springs and shown us the power of following your dreams and using your talents to make a difference in the world," said Mayor Yemi.

Tedder and Filkins met at Colorado Springs Christian School, quickly bonded over their shared love of music, and decided to form a band. During this time, Tedder and Filkins played a few small shows at local coffee shops that were attended by friends and family. Following high school, the duo parted ways and attended different colleges. After reuniting in 2002, Tedder and Filkins created OneRepublic, eventually signed with a label and released their first album in 2007. The album proved to be a huge international success, reaching number one in sixteen different countries.

Since that time, OneRepublic has won several awards including Radio Eska's International Band of the Year in 2010 and iHeart Radio Music Award Best Duo/Group of the Year in 2024. In addition, Tedder also won three Grammy Awards for his songwriting credits for Adele and Taylor Swift. Their music continues to inspire and uplift people from around the world.

The Mayor's Office welcomes the opportunity to recognize exceptional individuals within the City of Colorado Springs whose leadership inspires others with a Mayor's Spirit of Colorado Springs Award. These awards are presented to recipients by the mayor or an official designee to honor them for their influence. For more information, visit ColoradoSprings.gov/SpiritoftheSprings.