Cousin Stizz, Clairo win big at the 2019 Boston Music Awards

The 2019 Boston Music Awards are currently going down with a bang at The House of Blues, courtesy of a rousing closing set from Brockton hip-hop collective Van Buren, but the list of winners has emerged.

Leading a diverse field of 2019 BMA recipients are Dorchester rapper Cousin Stizz (Artist of the Year, Video of the Year for “Trying To Find My Next Thrill”, and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year) and Carlisle alt-pop phenom Clairo (Album of the Year for Immunity, and Pop Artist of the Year). Beyond that duo, no other band or artist took home more than a single award across nearly 40 categories.

In the media categories, Vanyaland was named Music Publication of the Year for the sixth time in seven years, and our Music Editor, Boston, Victoria Wasylak, was named Music Journalist of the Year. Vanyaland contributor Emily Gardner secured Live Music Photographer of the Year honors for the second straight year.

The BMA’s awards ceremony Wednesday night (December 11) was a fast-paced, rapid fire affair that saw a handful of guest presentations and 10 live performances that represented a new guard of Boston music. Highlights included 617 Sessions Artist of the Year winners House of Harm delivering a thunderous post-punk set early on; Alt-Indie Artist of the Year recipients Future Teens dropping a slowed down, emo-inspired cover of Smash Mouth’s “All-Star” with help from members of Weakened Friends, Lady Pills, and Hawthorn; and Unsigned Artist of the Year winner Jefe Replay hustling out a tireless set that showed why hip-hop has taken over the city’s music scene.

A mid-ceremony tribute to the late Ric Ocasek featured touching recollections by David Bieber of the David Bieber Archives, and Eddie Japan performing the music of The Cars with keyboardist Greg Hawkes.

It was a pretty fun night all around. Check out the full list of winners below.