As is September tradition, the Boston Music Awards unveiled its nominees for 2020 on Friday morning (September 25), and it’s a massive list that spans 38 categories and hundreds of bands, artists, and other figures and entities in the Boston music scene.
Leading the pack is Anjimile, scoring seven nominations, including Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year (for “Maker”). Elsewhere, Cliff Notez is recognized in six categories, and Squirrel Flower received looks in five. For the eighth straight year, Vanyaland is nominated for Music Publication of the Year (formerly a blog category), and two of our editors, Michael Marotta (Editor-In-Chief) and Victoria Wasylak (Music Editor, Boston) are up for Music Journalist of the Year. Vanyaland’s Emily Gardner is nominated in Music Photographer of the Year.
Voting is open to the public via bostonmusicawards.com/vote, and runs to 11:59 p.m. (EST) on November 1. Winners will be announced virtually on December 11, with prohibitions on public gatherings still in effect due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
There are some new categories on this year’s ballot, including Breakthrough Artist of the Year, which last year was Unsigned Artist of the Year. The new category reflects, according to the BMAs, an artist — new, old, signed, unsigned — that has improved or experienced “growth from one point to another over the 12 months.”
The Music Artwork of the Year category has also returned, and the Music Podcast / Radio Show of the Year category is a hybrid of two separate categories from years past. In reflecting 2020, Live Music Stream of the Year has also been added to the ballot, replacing Live Performer of the Year.
The BMAs also announced the People’s Choice Award, presented by MusicSpace, which is described as such: “The past year has been an incredibly tough one on multiple levels, so this award hopefully goes some way in bringing back a little bit of a feel-good factor. The People’s Choice Award, presented by MusicSpace, is completely driven by the general public and fans. It’s also not limited to artists — if there’s a booker, promoter, manager, producer, or anyone else involved in Boston music that you want to see recognized, let us know.”
Now in its 33rd year, the BMAs have also announced an expansion to other states across New England, and unveiled its 617Sessions, which gives free studio time to local musicians. Hit both links for more.
Check out the full ballot below.
BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS | 2020 NOMINEES
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Anjimile
BIA
Clairo
Cliff Notez
Joyner Lucas
Latrell James
Leo The Kind
Millyz
PVRIS
The Ballroom Thieves
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
8 Zipp
All The Time Always
Cakeswagg
Gish
Hyber
Kaylee Federmann
Luke Bar$
MAYA LUCIA
Pillbook
Saint Lyor
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Anjimile
Austin Fair
Brandie Blaze
Camp Blood
House of Harm
Jazzmyn RED
Mallcops
Optic Bloom
Red Shaydez
Squirrel Flower
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Austin Fair – PIONEER
Cliff Notez – Why the Wild Things Are
Luke Bar$ – GoodEvil
Mallcops – We Made Plans to Self-Destruct and Return to the Stars
Optic Bloom – Space Garden
Red Shaydez – Feel the Aura
Sasha Sloan – Self Portrait
Squirrel Flower – I Was Born Swimming
Saint Lyor – IF MY SINS COULD TALK
The Ballroom Thieves – Unlovely
SONG OF THE YEAR
Anjimile – “Maker”
BIA – “COVER GIRL”
Cliff Notez & Dephrase – “Voodoo Doll feat. Latrell James”
House of Harm – “Vicious Pastimes”
Jazzmyn RED – “We Gon Make It”
Luke Bar$ – “Die With Pride”
PVRIS – “Dead Weight”
Saint Lyor – “Gossip”
STL GLD – “My Block”
Squirrel Flower – “Headlights”
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Alec Hutson – “Zebra feat. Cliff Notez”
Bad Rabbits – “WWYD (What Would You Do?)”
Coral Moons – “Winnebago”
Hayley Sabella – “Flew The Nest”
Joyner Lucas – “Revenge”
Millyz – “Stay Awhile”
Parts Per Million – “2020 Vision”
Sasha Sloan – “Lies”
SuperSmashBroz – “Knew Dat feat. Luke Bar$ & Lord Felix”
Vintage Lee – “Draw 2 (Short Film)”
ALT/INDIE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Anjimile
Bent Knee
Coral Moons
Future Teens
Honey Cutt
House of Harm
Sidney Gish
Squirrel Flower
Vundabar
Weakened Friends
AMERICANA ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Airport
Jake Swamp and The Pine
Lula Wiles
Magen Tracy & the Missed Connections
Mark Erelli
Session Americana
Susan Cattaneo
The Wolff Sisters
Town Meeting
Twisted Pine
BLUES ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ali McGuirk
Anthony Geraci & The Boston Blues All-Stars
Danielle Miraglia
GA-20
Julie Rhodes
Peter Parcek
Sonya Rae Taylor
The Barrett Anderson Band
Tim Carman & the Street 45s
Veronica Lewis
COUNTRY ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ashley Jordan
Ayla Brown
Dalton & the Sheriffs
Hayley Thompson-King
Houston Bernard Band
Lonely Leesa & the Lost Cowboys
Monica Rizzio
Scarlett Drive
These Wild Plains
Ward Hayden & The Outliers
DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR
André Obin
Camino 84
Honeycomb
Leo The Kind
Lightfoot
Optic Bloom
Rilla Force
Saucy Lady
Smigonaut
Zebbler Encanti Experience
DJ OF THE YEAR
BEARLY YVNG
DJ Alcide
DJ Chubby Chub
DJ Frank White
DJ Knife
DJ ReaL P
DJ Ryan Brown
DJ Slipwax
DJ WhySham
SuperSmashBroz
FOLK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Alex & the People
Anjimile
Darlingside
Gentle Temper
Hawthorn
Honeysuckle
Lisa Bastoni
Prateek
Tall Heights
The Ballroom Thieves
HIP HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
BIA
Cliff Notez
Cousin Stizz
Joyner Lucas
Latrell James
Lord Felix
Luke Bar$
Millyz
Red Shaydez
Vintage Lee
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Carlos Odria Trio
Crocodile River Music
Dub Apocalypse
Dzidzor
Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band
Greg Roy
Kotoko Brass
Layth Sidiq
Soul Rebel Project
Yazhi Guo
JAZZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ezra Platt
Fully Celebrated Orchestra
George Garzone
Jason Palmer
Jerry Bergonzi
Kevin Harris
Terri Lyne Carrington
The Woo Factor
Tom Dowd
Yoko Miwa Trio
METAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Armpits
Black Mass
Glacier
Lesser Glow
Needle Play
SEA
SEED
Seven Spires
Vaulted
Worshipper
POP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Clairo
Jonny Glenn
Kaylee Federmann
Leo The Kind
MyCompiledThoughts
PVRIS
Pillbook
Ripe
Sasha Sloan
Yavin
PUNK/HARDCORE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Actor|Observer
Art Thieves
BRIX’N MORTAR
Camp Blood
Knock Over City
Leopard Print Taser
Mallcops
Rebuilder
Sapling
SkyTigers
R&B ARTIST OF THE YEAR
$ean Wire
Ava Sophia
Eva Davenport
KAE
Marcela Cruz
Miranda Rae
Najee Janey
Nancia
Rey Royale
Sleeping Bela
ROCK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Carissa Johnson
Caspian
Circus Trees
Fire in the Field
Kal Marks
Major Moment
Pile
PowerSlut
Salem Wolves
Set Fire
SINGER-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Adi Sun
Anjimile
GHOST GRL
Jenee Halstead
Hayley Sabella
Latrell James
Linnea Herzog – Powerslut
Liz Bills
Tanya Donelly
Will Dailey
VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Aaron Garcia – Pillbook
Anjimile
Drew Zieff – Jake Swamp and The Pine
Ella O’Connor Williams – Squirrel Flower
Eva Davenport
Gianna Botticelli – GHOST GRL
Josh Knowles
Julie Rhodes
Tanya Donelly
Wren Gathers – Optic Bloom
SESSION MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Chris Anzalone
Dave Brophy
Duke Levine
Ed Valauskas
Erica Mantone
Joe McMahon
Jonathan Ulman
Stud Green
Tim Carman
Tim Hall
LIVE MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR
Big Night Live
Brighton Music Hall
House of Blues
ONCE Somerville
Orpheum Theatre
Paradise Rock Club
Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion
Royale
The Palladium
The Sinclair
INTIMATE LIVE MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR
Atwood’s Tavern
Club Passim
Dorchester Art Project
Great Scott
Lizard Lounge
Midway Cafe
O’Brien’s Pub
The Burren Backroom
The Milky Way
TOAD
LIVE PRODUCTION ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Chris Johnson
Dana Filloon
Grace Reader
Ian Nault
Jesse Vengrove
Joel Simches
Joyce In
Mike Green
Reid Calkin
Samuel Willgoose
RECORDING STUDIO OF THE YEAR
37’ Productions
Cybersound Recording Studio
Mad Oak Studios
New Alliance Audio
Q Division
Red 13 Studios
Revolution Sound Studio
The Bridge Sound and Stage
The Record Company
Zippah Recording Studios
STUDIO PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Avery Humber (Humbeats)
Benny Grotto
Brian Charles
Ed Valauskus
Janos Fulop (The Arcitype)
Jay Maas
Jon Glass
Justin Pizzoferrato
Miranda Serra
Sean McLaughlin
MUSIC PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Gray – Grayskull Booking
Brandon Matthews – ShowOff Marketing
Carl Lavin – Bowery Boston
Catherine Morris – BAMS Fest
Dustin Labbe – Crossroads Presents
Heather Timmons – TinyOak Booking
Lisa Finelli Fallon – Xperience Creative
Ned Wellbery – Leedz Edutainment
Ryan Agate – RTT Presents
Tom Bianchi – 24 Hour Concerts
MUSIC PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR
Allston Pudding
Boston Compass
DigBoston
Graduation Music
KillerBoomBox
Sound of Boston
The ARTery – WBUR
The Lowell Spin
TheMUSEUM TV
Vanyaland
MUSIC JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Amelia Mason
Arielle Gray
Candace McDuffie
G Valentino Ball
Jed Gottlieb
Karen Muller
Lillian “Lilz” Martin
Michael Marotta
Victor Infante
Victoria Wasylak
MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Adam Parshall
Ben Stas
Corwin Wickersham
Emily Gardner
Jay Hunt
Jenny Bergman
Matt Lambert
OJ Slaughter
Omari Spears
Yazi Ferrufino
MUSIC ARTWORK OF THE YEAR
Bent Knee – You Know What They Mean
Cliff Notez & Dephrase – Social Absence
CZARFACE – The Odd Czar Against Us
Esh & The Isolations – Idiot Fingerz
Jazzmyn RED – REDvolution
Juliana Hatfield – Sings The Police
Luke Bar$ – GoodEvil
Mallcops – We Made Plans to Self-Destruct and Return to the Stars
Millyz – Pandemic Pandemonium
Needle Play – Death by Detail
MUSIC PODCAST / RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR
Above The Basement
Backpacks and Magazines – 88.1FM WMBR
Beat Club Podcast
Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood
Boston Venue: The Channel Story
ItsLitBoston
LFOD Radio
On The Town with Mikey Dee – 91.5FM WMFO
Stuck On Stuff
The Launch Pad – JAM’N 94.5
LIVE MUSIC STREAM OF THE YEAR
TogetherAtHome Sessions – Above The Basement
BUNKER BUDS – Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys
Club Passim Live Stream
Friends of Allston Great Scott Benefit – Allston Pudding & Disposable America
GroundBeat – BAMS Fest
HipStory House Party – HipStory
Isolation Tour – Will Dailey
The New Sh*t Show – Oompa
Virtual Happy Hour – Bill Janovitz
Virtual Venue – ONCE Somerville
617SESSIONS ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Juniper – “Better Days”
Red Shaydez – “Lemme Go Talk My Sh*”
Eli Olson – “By A Thread”
Yavin – “Insecurities”
Ava Sophia – “Love Language (feat. Tashawn Taylor)”
Rebuilder – “Monuments”
Prateek – “Diamonds”
Mint Green – “Changing”
Heath240 – “Secs”
Naomi Westwater – “Goodbye Asus4”