Poster art by Billie Buck
Though the details wiggle around annually, the meat-and-potatoes mission of the Austin Music Awards sticks. The Austin Chronicle celebrates the year in citywide music-making with a springtime party/concert, now for the 42nd year. For the first time, the party moves to Antone’s Nightclub on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 7pm.
Tickets are on sale now at austinchronicle.com/ama, with all proceeds directly benefiting the SIMS Foundation. Check out the full lineup of winners, nominees, and special guests here.
Alongside live music, the show will include a curated presentation of select awards. Unlike in past years, all 51 award categories will not be announced live onstage, but rather unveiled here, as well as in a keepsake special issue of the Chronicle on stands now. (Revisit our rundown of these less-stuffy, still-glitzy changes in “An Austin Music Poll FAQ,” Jan. 5.) Thanks to everyone who voted, and we hope to see you on Sunday!
BEST OF THE YEAR
Black Pumas (Photo by David Brendan Hall)
Band of the Year:
Black Pumas
Nominees:
Being Dead
Die Spitz
Fuck Money
Nemegata
Song of the Year:
Black Pumas
“More Than a Love Song”
Nominees:
DAIISTAR, “Star Starter”
Grace Sorensen & Magna Carda, “Digits”
Walker Lukens, “The One Who Loves You”
Wild Child, “Dear John”
Musician of the Year:
Shinyribs
Nominees:
Ben Kweller
Blakchyl
BLK ODYSSY
S.L. Houser
Caroline Rose (Photo by CJ Harvey)
Songwriter of the Year:
Caroline Rose
Nominees:
Abhi the Nomad
Cactus Lee
Laura Colwell (Sun June)
Will Johnson
Album of the Year:
Die Spitz
Teeth
Nominees:
A Giant Dog, Bite
alexalone, ALEXALONE TECHNICAL RESEARCH
Being Dead, When Horses Would Run
BLK ODYSSY, DIAMONDS & FREAKS
DAIISTAR, Good Time
Nemegata, Voces
Portrayal of Guilt, Devil Music
Tele Novella, Poet’s Tooth
Various artists, Texas Wild
Farmer’s Wife (Photo by David Brendan Hall)
Best New Act:
Farmer’s Wife
Nominees:
Grocery Bag
Nuclear Daisies
SKATELAND
Slow Pulse
Die Spitz’s “Hair of Dog” video (Image via YouTube)
Music Video of the Year:
Die Spitz
“Hair of Dog” (Dir. Kent Shinnick)
Nominees:
Being Dead, “The Great American Picnic” (Dir. Kai Winikka)
Malik Baptiste, “Who!?” (Dir. Wes Ellis)
Mike Melinoe, “Clichés” (Dir. Michael Whitsett & Shelly Knicks)
Tele Novella, “Funeral” (Dir. Vanessa Pla)
LEGACY AWARDS
Cherubs (Photo by Jana Birchum)
AUSTIN MUSIC HALL OF FAME:
Cherubs
Austin Music Industry Hall of Fame:
Jim Franklin
The Margaret Moser Award:
Rosa Madriz
The Zev Award:
Lila + Sofia
BEST BY GENRE
Ruthie Foster (Courtesy of Ruthie Foster)
Best Blues:
Ruthie Foster
Nominees:
Buffalo Nichols
Henri Herbert
Jesse Dayton
Zach Person
Croy and the Boys (Photo by John Anderson)
Best Country:
Croy and the Boys
Nominees:
Harvest Thieves
Sentimental Family Band
The Tender Things
Theo Lawrence
Tropicana Joe (Photo by Studio Vibin)
Best DJ:
Tropicana Joe
Nominees:
Ashmar
DJ Jester the Filipino Fist
DJ Kay Cali
King Louie
Bayonne (Photo by John Anderson)
Best Electronic:
Bayonne
Nominees:
Felt Out
LP Giobbi
Lucía Beyond
SEWA
Best Experimental:
Blank Hellscape
Nominees:
Alex DL
Attic Ted
fibril
Water Damage
Best Folk / Bluegrass:
Little Mazarn
Nominees:
Batty Jr.
Briscoe
Large Brush Collection
Lost Patterns
Ben Buck (Courtesy of Ben Buck)
Best Hip-Hop / Rap:
Ben Buck
Nominees:
Blakchyl
Malik Baptiste
Mike Melinoe
Norman BA$E
Best Jazz:
Sarah Sharp
Nominees:
Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet
JaRon Marshall
Mockjaw
Pamela Hart
Bidi Bidi Banda (Photo by Natalie Vidal)
Best Latin:
Bidi Bidi Banda
Nominees:
Como Las Movies
El Combo Oscuro
Lesly Reynaga
Nemegata
Portrayal of Guilt (Photo by Addrian Jafaritabar)
Best Metal:
Portrayal of Guilt
Nominees:
Bridge Farmers
Deep Cross
Sadistic Force
Spirit Adrift
Pussy Gillette (Photo by David Brendan Hall)
Best Punk:
Pussy Gillette
Nominees:
BÖNDBREAKR
Fuck Money
mugger
User Unauthorized
TC Superstar (Photo by Sydney Mike Mayer)
Best Pop:
TC Superstar
Nominees:
Jane Leo
Primo the Alien
Redbud
Sun June
Best R&B:
Mélat
Nominees:
Alesia Lani
Eimaral Sol
Grace Sorensen
THEBROSFRESH
Best World:
Atash
Nominees:
Atlas Maior
Nagavalli
Oliver Rajamani
Paula Maya
The Stacks (Photo by John Bergin)
Best Rock:
The Stacks
Nominees:
Font
Magic Rockers of Texas
Never
On Being an Angel
BEST AUSTIN MUSICIANS
Sabrina Ellis (Photo by David Brendan Hall)
Best Vocalist:
Sabrina Ellis
(A Giant Dog)
Nominees:
Kalu James (Kalu & The Electric Joint)
Nnedi Agbaroji (Trouble in the Streets)
Quentin Arispe (The Past Lives)
Uncle Roy & Spice (US, Sir Woman)
Best Guitarist:
Eve Monsees
Nominees:
alexalone
Ezra Rodriguez
John Morales
Wilson Marks
Kaylin Martinez (Courtesy of Kaylin Martinez)
Best Drummer / Percussionist:
Kaylin Martinez
Nominees:
Alton Jenkins
Daniel Coborn
Daniel Dufour
Jeffrey Olson
Best Horns:
Mike St. Clair
Nominees:
Andre Hayward
Aubrey Logan
Daniel Fears
Gene Centeno
KindKeith (Courtesy of KindKeith)
Best Pianist / Keyboardist:
KindKeith
Nominees:
David Alvarez
JaRon Marshall
Jonathan Deas
Rae Mascardo
Best Miscellaneous Instrument:
Zack Wiggs
pedal steel
Nominees:
AJ Castillo, accordion
Carolyn Trowbridge, vibraphone
Kym Warner, mandolin
Thor Harris, marimba
Best Bassist:
Kate Halter
Nominees:
Daniel Foose
Greg Gonzalez
Nora Predey
Sam Pankey
Best Strings / Fiddle:
Carrie Rodriguez
Nominees:
Beth Chrisman
Christabel Lin
Erik Hokkanen
Katie Shore
MUSIC INDUSTRY AWARDS
Best Record Store:
Waterloo Records
Nominees:
Antone’s Record Shop
Big Henry’s Vinyl & Gifts
BLK Vinyl
Breakaway Records
End of an Ear
Feels So Good Records
Love Wheel Records
Best Live Music Venue:
Mohawk
Nominees:
ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Antone’s Nightclub
Hotel Vegas
The Saxon Pub
Ty Segall plays Stubbs during Levitation (Photo by Isabella Martinez)
Best Music Festival:
Levitation
Nominees:
ACL Festival
Austin Blues Festival
Oblivion Access Festival
South by Southwest
Ismael Quintanilla III, at work (Photo by Grant Pal)
Best Music Photographer:
Ismael Quintanilla III
Nominees:
David Brendan Hall
Pooneh Ghana
Roger Ho
Samantha Tellez
Best Live Music Booker:
Zach Ernst
(Antone’s Nightclub, Paramount Theatre)
Nominees:
Happen Twice
Howdy Gals
Katelynn Garza (Hotel Vegas)
Resound Presents
Best New Club:
Radio / East
Nominees:
The Coral Snake
dadaLab
Friendly Rio Market
Superstition
Best Record Label:
Feels So Good Records
Nominees:
Chicken Ranch Records
Keeled Scales
Portrayal of Guilt Records
Spaceflight Records
Best Recording Studio:
Ice Cream Factory Studio
Nominees:
Alnico Studio
Bud’s Recording Services
Estuary Recording
Orb Recording Studios
Best Producer:
Adrian Quesada
Nominees:
Beto Martinez
Danny Reisch
Walker Lukens
Wiardon
Best Radio Personality:
Jody Denberg
(KUTX)
Nominees:
Andy Langer (ACL Radio)
Deejay Slyce (KAZI)
Loris Lowe (Sun Radio)
Suzanna Choffel (Sun Radio)
Best Radio Station:
KUTX 98.9FM
Nominees:
KAZI 88.7FM
KOOP 91.7FM
KVRX 91.7FM
Sun Radio 100.1FM
Aaron “Fresh” Knight and Confucius Jones (Photo by Jana Birchum)
Best Radio Show:
The Breaks with Confucius Jones and Aaron “Fresh” Knight
(KUTX)
Nominees:
101X Homegrown with John Laird (KROX-FM)
Double Heads Variety Hour (KOOP)
A Hill Country Saturday with Kevin Connor (Sun Radio)
Stronger Than Dirt with Scott Gardner (KOOP)
Billie Buck (Photo by Jana Birchum)
Best Poster Artist:
Billie Buck
Nominees:
Billy Perkins
Cat Barrera
Ishaq Fahim
Taylor Rushing
Lydia Fortuna (Photo by Darrin Commerford)
Best Live Sound Engineer:
Lydia Fortuna
Nominees:
Chris Corbo
Connor Schwanke
Dan Richardson
Myles Crosby
Best Instrument Repair:
South Austin Music
Nominees:
Austin Vintage Guitars
Straight Frets
Strait Music
Switched On
Best Equipment Rental:
Rock n Roll Rentals
Nominees:
ILIOS Production Design
Limitless Lights and Sound
Nomad Sound
The Werd Company
Best Music Residency:
Jackie Venson
at Antone’s Nightclub
Nominees:
Club X at the 13th Floor
Farmer’s Wife at Hotel Vegas
Fresh Fridaze at Independence Brewing
Sketch at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul
The staff at HAAM (Courtesy of HAAM)
Best Music Nonprofit:
Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM)
Nominees:
Anthropos Arts
Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action (DAWA)
SIMS Foundation
Sonic Guild
Most Creative Event:
Black Pumas
Live From C-Boy’s
Nominees:
Bill Ball 6
A Celebration of Bobbie Nelson
Fusebox Festival
Wizard Rodeo 3