The University of Vermont recently hosted a Kahan look-alike contest, celebrating the Grammy-nominated artist Noah Kahan, known for his hit “Stick Season.” The event, organized by UVM senior Casey O’Toole, saw a turnout of 150-200 attendees and featured 16 participants, including some who wore painted-on beards. Among them, Sam Spanierman particularly caught the crowd’s attention due to his remarkable resemblance to Kahan, prompting many attendees to mistake him for the singer.

Spanierman, a 2018 UVM graduate employed at the university’s Student Financial Services office, has a long history of being compared to Kahan. He noted that people have been commenting on their likeness since Kahan’s rise to fame. The confusion extends to technological mishaps, such as a friend’s phone incorrectly identifying Kahan as Spanierman during a concert photo. The two have similar builds, dark beards, and are nearly the same age—Spanierman is 28, while Kahan will turn 28 on January 1.

Despite winning the contest and receiving a vinyl copy of “Stick Season,” Spanierman displayed a generous spirit in his interactions with fellow students. After speaking with one student who wished to own the album, Spanierman, who doesn’t own a record player, decided to give away his prize. This act of kindness further highlights Spanierman’s warm personality, akin to Kahan’s, reinforcing not just their physical similarity but also shared values of generosity and community connection.