Yesterday morning the Boston Music Awards rolled out their 2016 nominees. It was great to see such a proper light shone on the roots and folk community around town and friends Dan Blakeslee, Honeysuckle, The Ballroom Thieves, Ruby Rose Fox, Nate Leavitt, Session Americana, Randi Millman, Seanny Mac, Dietrich Strause, Will Dailey…man the list goes on and on.
Last year was my first year attending the Boston Music Awards in about 7 years. Typically the announcements come with a backlash of “I should be nominated” or “this is a conspiracy”…read my last year’s recap before all of that and if you still feel that way, well then I won’t stop you. But at the heart of what the folks at the BMAs are doing is celebrating music in the area and the phenomenal, talented people making it. That is what is important.
Hit the link, vote and if you haven’t heard of an artist then check out their music.
The big celebration is slated for December 8th at the House of Blues with a cluster of nominees performing as in years past. Tickets are available
Full List of Noms:
Artist of the Year
Cousin Stizz
Marissa Nadler
Michael Christmas
Palehound
PVRIS
The Ballroom Thieves
Album/EP of the Year
Bearstronaut, “Telecoast”
Cousin Stizz, “Monda”
Julie Rhodes, “Bound to Meet the Devil”
Reks, “The Greatest X”
The Hotelier, “Goodness”
Worshipper, “Shadow Hymns”
Song of the Year
Air Traffic Controller, “On the Wire”
Contact, “Never Stop”
Cousin Stizz, “Where I Came From”
Marissa Nadler, “Janie in Love”
PVRIS, “You And I”
Speedy Ortiz, “Death Note”
New Artist of the Year
Animal Flag
Julie Rhodes
Lady Pills
Salem Wolves
Token
Weakened Friends
Live Artist of the Year
Cousin Stizz
The Ballroom Thieves
The Devil’s Twins
Tigerman WOAH
Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys
Worshipper
Rock/Indie Artist of the Year
Black Beach
Palehound
Pile
Speedy Ortiz
The Devil’s Twins
Vundabar
Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Cousin Stizz
Dutch ReBelle
Michael Christmas
REKS
Slaine
STL GLD
Pop Artist of the Year
Clinton Sparks
Contact
JoJo
Meghan Trainor
PVRIS
Rachel Platten
R&B Artist of the Year
Bad Rabbits
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages
Jesse Dee
Marcela Cruz
Nancia
Shea Rose
Americana Artist of the Year
Honeysuckle
Julie Rhodes
Session Americana
The Ballroom Thieves
These Wild Plains
Tigerman WOAH
Blues Artist of the Year
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages
Matthew Stubbs & the Antiguas
Peter Parcek
Shor’ty Billups
The Silks
Willie J. Laws Band
DJ/Producer of the Year
DJ Knife
DJ Slipwax
Frank White
Joe Bermudez
Kon
Leah V
Electronic Artist of the Year
Bearstronaut
CMB
Contact
Freezepop
Party Bois
Radclyffe Hall
Folk Artist of the Year
Dan Blakeslee
Darlingside
Honeysuckle
Tall Heights
The Ballroom Thieves
The Novel Ideas
International Artist of the Year
Debo Band
Dub Apocalypse
Rebecca Zama
Roberto Morbioli
Shun Ng
Ubuntu Band
Jazz Artist of the Year
Alison Keslow
Amanda Carr
Esperanza Spalding
Grace Kelly
La Vie en Rose
Yoko Miwa
Metal Artist of the Year
Converge
GOZU
I Am Become Death
Protean Collective
Revocation
Worshipper
Punk/Hardcore Artist of the Year
Actor|Observer
Ascend/Descend
Choke Up
Rebuilder
Somos
The Hotelier
Singer-Songwriter of the Year
Abbie Barrett
Lori McKenna
Marissa Nadler
Nate Leavitt
Ruby Rose Fox
Will Dailey
Female Vocalist of the Year
Abbie Barrett
Casey Sullivan (Air Traffic Controller)
Julie Rhodes
Lyndsey Gunnulfsen (PVRIS)
Ruby Rose Fox
Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz)
Male Vocalist of the Year
Chris Cote
Dietrich Strause
Evan Kenney
Louie Bello
Walter Sickert
Will Dailey
Studio Producer of the Year
Benny Grotto
Brian Charles
Dave Brophy
Ed Valauskas
Sean McLaughlin
The Arcitype (Janos Fulop)
Live Production Engineer of the Year (New Category)
Benjamin Stoppelman
Brendon Downey
Chris Johnson
Dan Gonzales
David Hughes
Reid Calkin
Video of the Year
Air Traffic Controller, “The House”
Kyle Bent, “Supplier”
Palehound, “Molly”
PVRIS, “You and I”
Ruby Rose Fox, “Dance of Frankenstein”
Slaine, “Pusher”
Best Music Night
Corrosion at Brighton Music Hall
Emo Night at The Sinclair
Fresh Produce at Good Life
Heroes at Middle East
Soulelujah at ZuZu
The Workout KBX at Laugh Boston
Best Live Music Venue
Brighton Music Hall
House of Blues
Paradise Rock Club
Royale
The Middle East Downstairs
The Sinclair
Best Live Intimate Music Venue (new category)
Club Passim
Great Scott
Lizard Lounge
O’Brien’s Pub
ONCE Ballroom
TOAD
Best Live Ongoing Residency
Baker Thomas Band at TOAD
Dennis Brennan at the Lizard Lounge
OldJack’s Last Saturdays at the Lizard Lounge
The Blue Ribbons at TOAD
The White Owls at TOAD
Tim Gearan at Atwood’s
Session Musician of the Year (New Category)
Dave Brophy
Duke Levine
Jonathan Ulman
Lyle Brewer
Matthew Girard
Paul Ahlstrand
Best Music Blog
Allston Pudding
Boston Hassle
Guestlisted with Jed Gottlieb
Killer Boom Box
Red Line Roots
Vanyaland
Best Promoter
Aaron Gray, Grayskull Booking
Alyssa Spector, Lysten Boston
Jason Trefts, Illegally Blind
Lisa Finelli, Xperience Creative
Randi Millman, Atwood’s Tavern
Ryan Agate, RTT Presents
Best Live Music Photographer
Ben Stas
Coleman Rogers
Eddy Leiva
Johnny Anguish
Joshua Pickering
Rich Gastwirt