It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The 2026 Boston Music Awards ballot is live, and it’s both one hell of a reflection of our city, and a stark reminder that this fertile and expansive music scene is far larger than any of us realize. There are more than 50 categories on this year’s ballot, from Artist of the Year to Radio DJ of the Year, and Vanyaland is honored to be nominated three times, in the Music Publication of the Year category, and for editors and writers Victoria Wasylak and Michael O’Connor Marotta in the Music Journalist of the Year bracket. Voting is now open to the general public until November 16. The party goes down December 16 at Big Night Live in North Station. Have at it.
Artist of the Year
Bebe Stockwell
Clark D
Converge
Couch
Fiddlehead
Haywire
Ripe
The Elovaters
Tiny Habits
Token
New Artist of the Year
4FIVE6 NICE
Autumn Drive
Babe, Wait
Ellisar
Fai Laci
Fortuna 500
Key Found
Lazarus
Sophie’s Body
TIMAA
Album/EP of the Year (1 million+ streams)
Bebe Stockwell – Volume 1
BIA – BIANCA
Converge – Love Is Not Enough
Couch – Big Talk
Dropkick Murphys & Haywire – New England Forever
Fiddlehead – Baby I’ll Change
Ripe – Play The Game
The Elovaters – Shark Belly Motel
Tiny Habits – Keepers
Token – I’m Leaving Soon
Album/EP of the Year
Cape Crush – Place Memory
Clark D – A DREAM FOR A DOLLARDino Gala – Ronny Music
Evan Greer – AMAB/ACAB
Fai Laci – Elephant In The Room
Future Teens – Still Life
Jill McCracken – big dog
Mallcops – 35mm Memories EP
Michael Christmas, Chris Crack, Girl Talk – Don’t Come To My House Sharing Your Location
Paul Wall & Termanology – Repeat Repeat Repeat
Song of the Year (1 million+ streams)
BIA – “HARD WAY” ft. Becky G
Clark D – “CRAZY”
Couch – “On The Wire”
Dropkick Murphys & Haywire – “Citizen I.C.E.”
Ellisar – “TALK SH!T”
Fiddlehead – “Baby I’ll Change”
Millyz & Joyner Lucas – “Corleone”
Ripe – “Letting Go” ft. Lawrence
Tiny Habits – “Anything He Was”
Token & Connor Price – “Bambi”
Song of the Year
Baxter Hall — “The Work”
Fai Laci — “Elephant”
GA-20 & Charlie Musselwhite — “I Can’t Hold Out”
Jake Swamp and the Pine — “Wish You Well”
Juliana Hatfield — “Fall Apart”
Latrell James — “DAYUM!”
Miranda Rae — “My Bag” ft. Najee Janey
Morrissey Blvd. — “Throw It To The Fire”
Senseless Optimism — “HEAT”
Will Dailey — “Sometimes the Night” ft. Alisa Amador
Video of the Year
Dave Herlihy — “Good Trouble”
Fai Laci — “Headlights”
Fiddlehead — “Baby I’ll Change”
Future Teens — “Unmade Bed”
GOZU — “Banacek”
ISHA! & Gasoline Monk — “dream”
Joyner Lucas — “GTA 6”
Miranda Rae — “My Bag” ft. Najee JaneyToken & Connor Price — “Bambi”
Yanna G — “FACE2FACE” ft. Tyler Loyal
Live Artist of the Year
Clark D
Converge
Couch
Dropkick Murphys
Fiddlehead
GA-20
Haywire
Ripe
The Elovaters
Tiny Habits
The Margaret Stewart Lindsay Music Non-Profit of the Year
617Peak
Beat The Odds
Boston Music Project
Cambridge Hip-Hop Collective
Global Arts Live
JazzBoston
Lowell Festival Foundation
Rawkstars, Inc.
Vivo Performing Arts
ZUMIX
Afro/Caribbean Artist of the Year
Balla Kouyaté
Echezona
Kotoko Brass
Mighty Mystic
Niu Raza
Odio
Rara Bel Poze
Roots Alley Collective
Safiya Leslie
UgoBoy
Alt/Indie Artist of the Year
Autumn Drive
Cape Crush
Chainlacing
Dear Maryanne
Dino Gala
Fai Laci
Mallcops
The Grownup Noise
Tiberius
Winterpills
Americana Artist of the Year
Cold Chocolate
Hound & Handler
Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners
Nate Perry & Ragged Company
Other Brother Darryl
Rachel Sumner and Traveling Light
Sam Bergquist
Todd Thibaud
Ward Hayden & The Outliers
Zane Christopher
Blues Artist of the Year
Ali McGuirk
Canyon Lights
Danielle Miraglia
Dennis Brennan
Duke Robillard
Erin Harpe
GA-20
Greg Piccolo
Peter Parcek
Ryan Lee Crosby
Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year
A Far Cry
Amanda Forsythe
Boston Baroque
Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Boston Pops
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Castle of Our Skins
Handel and Haydn Society
Osvaldo Golijov
Yo-Yo Ma
Country Artist of the Year
Dalton & the Sheriffs
Elisa Smith
Fortuna 500
Grace Morrison
Houston Bernard
Lexi James
Overserved Again
Pepper Ryan
Samantha Rae
Timothy James
Dance/Electronic Artist of the Year
Amadeezy
Battlemode
Chalant
Colin Domigan
Ex-Hyena
Freezepop
Jay Sync
Ko-Mai
Lightfoot
Saucy Lady
DJ of the Year
DJ Alcide
DJ Kieh
DJ Rayvino
DJ Real P
DJ Slick Vick
DJ Troy Frost
DJ WhySham
Mez.WAV
SuperSmashBroz
Vyper
Folk Artist of the Year
Bebe Stockwell
Grace Givertz
Ivy Boy
Jake Swamp and the Pine
Jesus The Dinosaur
Lily Fitts
Mark Erelli
Miss Bones
Naomi Westwater
Sweet Petunia
Hip Hop Artist of the Year
BIA
BoriRock
Clark D
EXITFAME
Michael Christmas
Millyz
Montana99
Nay Speaks
Termanology
Token
Jazz Artist of the Year
Club d’Elf
Emma Blanc
Eric Hofbauer and EHX
Gregory Groover Jr.
Sarah Bernadette
Savoir Faire
Sophie Wellington
Temidayo Balogun
Terri Lyne Carrington
Yoron Israel
Latin Artist of the Year
Berta Rojas
Fabiola Méndez
Fauxmenco
Francisco Mela
Jonathan Suazo
Lia Nicole
Ray Liriano
Sol y Canto
Veronica Robles
Zahili Zamora
Metal Artist of the Year
Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean
Converge
Final Gasp
Glacier
GOZU
Ice Nine Kills
Junius
Lesotho
Nailed Shut
Revocation
Pop Artist of the Year
Couch
Ellisar
Future Teens
Layzi
Leo The Kind
Ripe
The Elovaters
Tiny Habits
Wendy Lucas
Zola Simone
Punk/Hardcore Artist of the Year
Awnthay
Black Beach
Dropkick Murphys
Evan Greer
Fiddlehead
Fuming Mouth
Haywire
Landowner
Restraining Order
Unhinged
R&B Artist of the Year
Debo Ray
Dom the Composer
HEYSSIS
Kay Wolf
Miranda Rae
Nahli
Shandelle
Tyler Loyal
Viktoria Vera
Yanna G
Rock Artist of the Year
Alxne
Dinosaur Jr.
Exit 18
Morrissey Blvd.
Ok Goodnight
Otis Shanty
Pile
Sophie’s Body
The Sheila Divine
Weakened Friends
Singer-Songwriter of the Year
Baxter Hall
Bebe Stockwell
Ezra Furman
Jill McCracken
Juliana Hatfield
Lily Fitts
Mel Starr
Najee Janey
Will Dailey
YANINA
Vocalist of the Year
Ali McGuirk
Bebe Stockwell
Jill McCracken
Jo Rivers
Julie Rhodes
Khamari
Lisa Bello
Miranda Rae
Robbie Wulfsohn (Ripe)
Tema Siegel (Couch)
Spoken Word Artist of the Year
Amanda Shea
Devin Bailey
Herisa The Traveler
Legacy Thornton
Letta Neely
Maya Divine
Messi Amaru’Khan
Porsha Olayiwola
Yah-Yah The Wordstress
Yessmaa
Music Festival of the Year
BAMS Fest
Boston Bitdown
Charles River Jazz Festival
Levitate Music & Arts Festival
Lowell Folk Festival
Mojo Boston Music Festival
NICE, a fest
Rat******
Saddest Day
Somergloom
Music Night of the Year
All The Feels
Baile Tropidélico
Cassetti Spaghetti
Colors: Allston Pudding x State Park
Elements
SILK R&B Party
Soulelujah
Spin the Bottle
The Glitter Boys
Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out
Music Venue of the Year (1000+ capacity)
Big Night Live
Boch Center Wang Theatre
Fenway Park
House of Blues
Leader Bank Pavilion
MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Roadrunner
Royale
Symphony Hall
TD Garden
Music Venue of the Year (250+ capacity)
Arts at the Armory
Brighton Music Hall
City Winery
Crystal Ballroom
Middle East Downstairs
Paradise Rock Club
Sonia
Taffeta Music Hall
The Cabot
The Sinclair
Music Venue of the Year (Under 250 capacity)
Club Passim
Deep Cuts
Lilypad
Lizard Lounge
O’Brien’s Pub
Plough and Stars
Scullers Jazz Club
The Burren Backroom
The Rockwell
Warehouse XI
Music Promoter of the Year
24 Hour Concerts
Bowery Boston
Crossroads Presents
Get To The Gig Boston
Grayskull Booking
Illegally Blind
Mojo Boston
MOON
Somergloom
Vasjan Presents
Talent Buyer of the Year
Aaron Gray
Alex Pickert
Blake Pantalena
Jared Dobson
Jennifer Gordon
Jordan Prange
Josh Smith
Justine Faucher
Matt Smith
Tyler Hallett
Production Manager of the Year
Annabeth Kelly
Eliot Pirone
Emma Mitchell
Jamie Groele
Jared Kennen
Joe Sansone
Kat Tevnan
Marc Picard
Parker Woods
Pat Doyle
Live Audio Engineer of the Year
Ben Vosk
Dan Moffat
Ed McGee
Emma Bain
Jesse Vengrove
Johnny Dalton
Josh Sessler
Marc Valois
Reid Calkin
Ryan Ainsworth
Lighting Technician of the Year
Adam Gray
Ben Glasser
Ben Newell
Brittany Trymbulak
Eric Taverna
Evey Connerty-Marin
Jamie Boccia
Mike Lane
Ryan Baker
Stephen Cramer
Box Office Team of the Year
Big Night Live
Crystal Ballroom
Fenway Park
House of Blues
Leader Bank Pavilion
MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Paradise Rock Club
Roadrunner
TD Garden
The Sinclair
Recording Studio of the Year
GodCity Studio
Mad Oak Studios
Phoenix Down Recording Studios
Q Division Studios
Rare Signals
RISE Studios
The Bridge Sound & Stage
The Record Co.
The Soul Shop
The SoundLab Recording Studios
Music Producer of the Year
Akachi
Benny Grotto
Brian “Nox” Eisner
DeevoDaGenius
Jon Glass
Kurt Ballou
L.ucas
Leo The Kind
Sean McLaughlin
The Arcitype
Studio Engineer of the Year
Alex Allinson
Annie Hoffman
Dallas Rose
Dereck Blackburn
Elio DeLuca
J. Rose
JoiBeatz
Mike Midura
Terrance Reeves
Zach Weeks
Session Musician of the Year
Chris Anzalone
Dave Brophy
Duke Levine
Erica Mantone
Imad Coulibaly
Joe McMahon
Jonathan Ulman
Kevin Barry
Matt Zappa
Tim Hall
Artist Manager of the Year
Ceize Gemini
Dalton Sim
Ikenna Ndugba
Jon Bricker
Kristina Latino
Mark Kates
Nicky Rheaume
Olivia Monarch
Sadiq Ervin
Ted Kurland
Music Photographer of the Year
Ben Stas
Brent Goldman
Bri Gately
Brittany Rose Queen
Cam Cavagnaro
Emily Gardner
Faith Nguyen
Lisa Czech
Omari Spears
Samantha Davidson
Music Videographer of the Year
Aaron Cooley
Asher Thomas
Colin Pagnoni
Dom “Tanj” Bruno
Jimmy Del Ponte
Michael Flynn
Moses Sibley
Nic Violets
Nicole da Silva
VRTU Presents
Graphic Designer of the Year
Cameron Teleau
Caytlin Rose
Daniel Danger
Jacob Bannon
Jenny Bergman
Liz Walshak
Madison Arrichiello
Meaghan Cahill
Nate Duval
Nicole Anguish
Music Publication of the Year
Allston Pudding
Boston Compass
If It’s Too Loud
PutInWorkTV
Rock and Roll Fables
Sound of Boston
The ARTery WBUR
The Arts Fuse
The Boston Globe
Vanyaland
Music Journalist of the Year
Amelia Mason
Andrew McNally
Austin “Auzzy” Byrdsell
Dillon Riley
James Sullivan
Lukas Harnisch
Michael O’Connor Marotta
Noah Schaffer
Noble
Victoria Wasylak
Music Podcast of the Year
Allston Pudding Presents The Puddcast
Almost Famous on 95.9 WATD
Bad For The Community
Big Dookie Chain
CWTFB Radio
Get On High Street
ItsLitBoston
Local Threads Podcast
Show and Tell Boston
The Struggling Artist Podcast
Radio DJ of the Year
Adam XII
Brendan Hogan
DJ 4EIGN
DJ E Dubble
DJ Pup Dawg
DJ Rico Suave
Jessica Callahan
Ms. HotSauce
Randall Livingstone
Randi Millman