PlaqueBoyMax Hands Matt Proxy $25,000 After Rising Star Finale

PlaqueBoyMax turned Matt Proxy’s weekend in Los Angeles into a five-figure payday after naming him his first Rising Star winner. The Minneapolis rapper collected $25,000 at the November 8 finale at The Belasco after six contestants spent a weekend making music together.

The streamer had put stage presence at the center of his judging before anyone collected the prize.

Red Bull partnered on the three-day competition, which placed emerging artists in a shared house while viewers followed their work.

A 90-minute songwriting and performance challenge was part of the schedule, alongside a label meeting and a timed styling assignment at Wasteland. Wiz Khalifa, Coi Leray and Lil Yachty were among the celebrity guests who offered critiques as the contestants worked through their assignments.

The artists weren’t only competing for attention from celebrity guests and the people inside the venue. Online voting helped determine their rankings, with Tana entering the final day on 13 stars and Matt Proxy just behind him on 12.

Both rappers ultimately led the voting after their performances, and PlaqueBoyMax asked the room to respond before announcing his winner. Raud, Hawsa, Boohavinn and Earfzilla also performed in the finale, which reached viewers through Twitch and YouTube.

Matt Proxy arrived with a recording career already underway, not an empty catalog. His June project trojan horse featured Current Joys and fakemink, and his music mixed live instrumentation with the Hip-Hop influences he’d grown up hearing in Minneapolis.

The win follows a New York headline show where he performed the project for an audience already familiar with his music. Onstage at the Rising Star finale, he also asked the audience to sit down for a tribute to his late sister.

For PlaqueBoyMax, the contest comes as his music streams receive recognition beyond his channel. He’s among the nominees for Best Music Streamer at the 2026 Streamer Awards, alongside DDG, Bishu and AriAtHome.

Matt Proxy’s prize also includes access to Red Bull Music Studios in Los Angeles.