Early November in New England means one thing: Boston Music Awards szn is upon us. And today (November 5), the 2021 BMA ballots are officially out, with 10 nominees in each of the 37 categories across a wide spectrum of genres and subjects. Nominees were determined by the BMAs nomination committee, and now the ballot goes to a public vote — winners will be announced at the official BMAs party December 8 at Brighton Music Hall in Allston.
New to the ’21 ballot are designations around 1 million streams for Album/EP of the Year and Song of the Year, similar to how venues are broken up by capacity, giving new and emerging bands and artists a shot separate from the region’s national acts. Also new is the addition of Talent Buyer of the Year, now a separate category from Music Promoter of the Year.
Vanyaland has been nominated for Music Publication of the Year for the ninth straight time, and we are honored to have won this award in seven of the eight years since our 2013 launch. Off the V masthead, Music Editor, Boston Victoria Wasylak and Editor-In-Chief Michael Marotta are both up for Music Journalist of the Year. Past Vanyaland contributors Candace McDuffie, Karen Muller, and Rob Duguay are also nominated for Music Journalist of the Year, and similarly, the ballot for Live Music Photographer of the Year includes bylined photographers Ben Stas, Bryan Lasky, Emily Gardner, Matthew Shelter, and Yazi Ferrufino.
Check all the nominees below, and begin casting those ballots as we count down to the BMAs at BMH in December.
Boston Music Awards 2021 Ballot
Artist of the Year
Anjimile
BIA
Clairo
Frances Forever
Joyner Lucas
Lake Street Dive
Millyz
PVRIS
Squirrel Flower
Van Buren Records
New Artist of the Year
$hayBand$
Brandon Tory
Connis
Gatch
Izzy Heltai
Layzi
Neemz
Senseless Optimism
The Q-Tip Bandits
Zola Simone
Album/EP of the Year (1 Million+ Streams)
BIA – For Certain
Clairo – Sling
Darlingside – Fish Pond Fish
Dinosaur Jr. – Sweep It Into Space
Fiddlehead – Between The Richness
Frances Forever – paranoia party
Lake Street Dive – Obviously
Millyz – Blanco IV
Squirrel Flower – Planet (i)
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – When God Was Great
Album/EP of the Year
Future Teens – Deliberately Alive
GA-20 – Live Vol. 1
House of Harm – Vicious Pastimes
Izzy Heltai – Day Plan
Kaiti Jones – Tossed
Latrell James – Under
Really From – Really From
shallow pools – headspace
Van Buren Records – Black Wall Street
Zola Simone – Now You See Me
Song of the Year (1 Million+ Streams)
BIA ft. Nicki Minaj – ‘Whole Lotta Money’
Clairo – ‘Amoeba’
Darlingside – ‘Ocean Bed’
Dinosaur Jr. – ‘I Ran Away’
Fiddlehead – ‘Million Times’
Frances Forever ft. Chloe Moriondo – ‘space girl’
Joyner Lucas – ‘Ramen & OJ’
Lake Street Dive – ‘Hypotheticals’
Millyz – Emotions
PVRIS – ‘Monster’
Song of the Year
Anjimile – ‘In Your Eyes (Reflection)’
Future Teens – ‘Guest Room’
Izzy Heltai – ‘Day Plan’
Kaiti Jones – ‘Light On’
Layzi – ‘Shoes’
Neemz – ‘Awake’
shallow pools – ‘ice water’
Squirrel Flower – ‘Hurt A Fly’
Van Buren Records – ‘Cult’
Zola Simone – ‘Easy’
Video of the Year
BIA – ‘Whole Lotta Money’
Fiddlehead – ‘Million Times’
Frances Forever – ‘Space Girl’
Joyner Lucas – ‘Zim Zimma’
Millyz – ‘Himalayas’
Oompa – ‘Lebron’
PVRIS – ‘Monster’
Red Shaydez – ‘Lemme Go Talk My Sh**’
Token – ‘Dentures’
Van Buren Records, AzizTheShake ft. Jazz Cartier – ‘CULT’
Alt/Indie Artist of the Year
Anjimile
Bent Knee
Blue Light Bandits
Colleen Green
Coral Moons
Future Teens
House of Harm
Juniper
Squirrel Flower
Weakened Friends
Americana Artist of the Year
Airport
Alice Howe
Jake Swamp and the Pine
Jesse Ahern
Lenny Lashley
Lula Wiles
Mark Erelli
Session Americana
Town Meeting
Twisted Pine
Blues Artist of the Year
Ali McGuirk
Anthony Geraci
Danielle Miraglia
Dwight and Nicole
Erin Harpe
GA-20
Peter Parcek
Roomful of Blues
Sonya Rae Taylor
Veronica Lewis
Country Artist of the Year
Annie Brobst
Chris Moreno
Dalton & The Sheriffs
Elisa Smith
Grace Morrison
Houston Bernard
Kristian Montgomery & The Winterkill Band
Lyssa Coutler
Morgan Johnston
Ward Hayden and the Outliers
Dance/Electronic Artist of the Year
Amadeezy
Entangled Mind
Ex-Hyena
Freezepop
Honeycomb
lavagxrl
Lightfoot
Rilla Force
The Breakbomb Project
Zebbler Encanti Experience
DJ of the Year
Baby Indiglo
DJ Knife
DJ Papadon
DJ Real P
DJ Slick Vick
DJ Snax
DJ Stamz
DJ Towfu
DJ WhySham
SuperSmashBroz
Folk Artist of the Year
Anjimile
Darlingside
Grace Givertz
Honest Mechanik
Honeysuckle
Izzy Heltai
Kaiti Jones
Tall Heights
The Ballroom Thieves
The Wolff Sisters
Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
BIA
Billy Dean Thomas
Cousin Stizz
Joyner Lucas
Latrell James
Millyz
Oompa
Slaine
Token
Van Buren Records
Jazz Artist of the Year
Carlos Odria Trio
Couch
Ezra Platt
Grace Kelly
Jerry Bergonzi
Lake Street Drive
Really From
Terri Lyne Carrington
The Yoko Miwa
Tom Dowd Group
Metal Artist of the Year
Blood Lightning
Cortez
Glacier
Inverter
KIND
SEA
SEED
Seven Spires
Severed Boy
Vaulted
Pop Artist of the Year
Clairo
Frances Forever
Kaylee Federmann
Layzi
Leo The Kind
PVRIS
Ripe
shallow pools
Yavin
Zola Simone
Punk/Hardcore Artist of the Year
BEDTIMEMAGIC
Bicycle Inn
Evan Greer
Fiddlehead
Knock Over City
Linnea’s Garden
Oh The Humanity!
Old Moon
SkyTigers
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
R&B Artist of the year
Alejandro Blanco
Amandi
CD Rose
Destiny Claymore
Miranda Rae
Najee Janey
Notebook P
Onbloom
Shaya
Teamarrr
Rock Artist of the Year
Carissa Johnson
Circus Trees
Dinosaur Jr.
Dutch Tulips
Exit 18
Fiddlehead
Motel Black
Pile
Salem Wolves
The Freqs
Singer-Songwriter of the Year
Adi Sun
Clairo
Frances Forever
Izzy Heltai
Liz Bills
Marissa Nadler
Naomi Westwater
Senseless Optimism
Squirrel Flower
Will Dailey
Vocalist of the Year
Aaron Garcia (Pillbook)
Ali McGuirk
Carlheb Cemesca (MyCompiledThoughts)
Destiny Claymore
Ella O’Connor Williams (Squirrel Flower)
Jill McCracken
Julie Rhodes
Lynn Gunn (PVRIS)
Natalie Joly
Walter Alice Sickert
Session Musician of the Year
Chris Anzalone
Chuck Fereirra
Cody Neilson
Duke Levine
Erica Mantone
Joe McMahon
Jonathan Ulman
Kevin Barry
Marco Marcel
Tim Hall
Live Music Venue Of The Year (250+ Capacity)
Big Night Live
Brighton Music Hall
City Winery
House Of Blues
Leader Bank Pavilion
ONCE Somerville at Boynton Yards
Paradise Rock Club
Royale
The Middle East Downstairs
The Sinclair
Live Music Venue Of The Year (Under 250 Capacity)
Club Passim
Dorchester Art project
Midway Cafe
O’Brien’s Pub
Starlight Square
The Burren
The Jungle Community Music Club
The Lilypad
The Middle East Upstairs
Thirsty First
Talent Buyer of the Year
Aaron Gray
Alex Pickert
Dustin Labbe
Heather Timmons
Jared Dobson
Josh Bhatti
Josh Smith
Justine Faucher
Matt Smith
Ryan Vangel
Music Promoter of the Year
24 Hour Concerts
BAMS Fest
Big Night Entertainment
Bowery Presents Boston
Crossroads Presents
Greyskull Booking
Indie Rock Ranger
Leedz Edutainment
Showoff Marketing
Vasjan Presents
Production Manager/Live Engineer Of The Year
Brittany Sirois
Chris Johnson
Dana Filloon
Ian Nault
Jesse Vengrove
Joyce In
Mike Green
Ryan Ainsworth
Salim Akram
William Powell
Recording Studio of the Year
37′ Productions
Henley Row
Mad Oak Studios
New Alliance
Q Division
The Bridge Sound & Stage
The Record Co.
Ugly Duck
Wooly Mammoth Studio
Zippah Recording
Studio Producer of the Year
AzizTheShake
Benny Grotto
Brian Charles
Dephrase
Ed Valauskas
IAmTash
Jay Maas
Jon Glass
Sean McLaughlin
The Arcitype
Live Photographer of the Year
Adam Parshall
Angel “Hal” Ocasio
Ben Stas
Bryan Lasky
Corwin Wickersham
Emily Gardner
Greg Wong
Matthew Shelter
Omari Spears
Yazi Ferrufino
Music Videographer of the Year
Ben Proulx
Colin Pagnoni
Dom “Tanj” Bruno
Mitchell Jean-Louis
Jay Hunt
Katherine Otuechere
Matt Arnold
Myster DL
Ramón Golden
Reko M
Music Publication of the Year
Allston Pudding
Boston Compass
Boston Hassle
DigBoston
Lowell Spin
Second Society Report
Sound of Boston
The ARTery
The MUSEUM TV
Vanyaland
Music Journalist of the Year
Amelia Mason
Candace McDuffie
Harry Gustafson
Jed Gottlieb
Karen Muller
Lillian “Lilz” Martin
Michael Marotta
Rob Duguay
Victor Infante
Victoria Wasylak
Music Podcast / Radio Show Of The Year
Above The Basement – Boston Music and Conversation
Allston Pudding’s The Puddcast
Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood
Bumble Bee Brunch
CWTFB Radio
Everything You Know is Wrong
ItsLitBoston Podcast
LFOD Radio
On The Town With Mikey Dee
Pipeline!
617Sessions Song of the Year
ANSON RAP$ – ‘Value’
DATCHA – ‘Still Learning’
Jake Swamp & The Pine – ‘Hard To Spot A Fish’
Juniper Youth – ‘Chaos Engine’
King Fiya – ‘Game Room’
Mallcops – ‘IDLY’
Michael Minelli – ‘Somebody Else’
Salem Wolves – ‘Paraffin’
Senseless Optimism – ‘Yesterdayz’
The Wolff Sisters – ‘I Used To Be The One’