Photo credit: Samer Ghani
Acoustic Musician
Winner: Myles Wangerin
Drawing from artists like Keith Urban, Tom Petty, Vince Gill and James Taylor, Wisconsin singer/songwriter Myles Wangerin specializes in a hybrid of classic rock and modern country, a combination that showcases his smooth but hearty voice. A staple at sports bars, wineries and brew pubs around Southeastern Wisconsin, he released his down-to-earth debut album Wasting Time And Wasting It Well in 2017. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Keith Pulvermacher Derek Sallmann Ben Wagner Jake Williams
Alt Country
unknown
Winner: WhiskeyBelles whiskeybelles.com
The Milwaukee trio WhiskeyBelles celebrate the spirit of old-fashioned, acoustic country and Americana. And, just as they draw from traditional sounds, they take inspiration from country’s classic muses, singing songs about stiff drinks and hard living. That throwback spirit has earned this charming ensemble gigs opening for country icons like Charlie Daniels and Montgomery Gentry, as well as a WAMI award for Americana/Bluegrass Artist of the Year. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Bella Cain Buffalo Gospel Road Crew
Blues Band
Winner: Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys reverendraven.com
Milwaukee’s blues scene is tight-knit and competitive, but over the years, Reverend Raven and his band, the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys, have gradually worked their way to the top of the pecking order thanks to memorable shows at just about every major blues festival in the region. Theirs is a distinctly Midwestern style of the blues: all boogie riffs, searing electric guitars and roaring harmonica. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Altered 5 The Blues Disciples Robert Allen Jr.
Choral Group
Winner: Bel Canto Chorus belcanto.org
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On Easter Sunday, 1931, a small group of singers appeared at the chapel of St. Mary’s Hospital and performed Hans Gruber’s Festival Mass. Within a decade, this “small group” had grown to include some 70 voices. It’s been nothing but a success story ever since for Milwaukee’s Bel Canto Chorus, which not only produces their own choral concert season year after year, but regularly sings with local orchestras as well. The Bel Canto’s amazingly wide repertory and professional polish mean that it’s a major part of Milwaukee’s cultural tapestry. (John Jahn)
Runners-Up: Chant Claire Chamber Choir Master Singers of Milwaukee Wisconsin Lutheran College Choir
Classical Music Ensemble
Winner: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra mso.org
Although Southeastern Wisconsin boasts many talented Classical instrumental and vocal ensembles, the “big kid on the block” once again goes home with all the marbles in the Shepherd Express’ “Best Classical Ensemble” category. Quite understandably so. The MSO is one of the nation’s finest orchestras, and its reputation has only grown throughout the decades (2019 is its 60th year). Its legacy of world-class music director/conductors and full-time professional musicians performing more than 135 classical, pops, family education and community concerts every season around Wisconsin means the MSO is definitely our go-to big ensemble. (John Jahn)
Runners-Up: Early Music Now Master Singers of Milwaukee Present Music
Club DJ
Winner: DJ Shawna djshawna.com
DJ Shawna cut her teeth with gigs at Walker’s Pint in the mid-’00s, where she often performed with Milwaukee’s late DJ Rock Dee. These days, her reach extends far beyond Walker’s Point—she performs her house mixes at clubs all over the city. She has become a favorite of local sports teams, spinning for the Brewers, the Bucks and the Marquette Women’s basketball team. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: DJ Bizzon DJ Breezy DJ Delicioso
Cover/Tribute Band
Winner: FM Rodeo fmrodeo.net
The Dairy State may not be a country music hotbed, but the genre still has a huge following here. FM Rodeo help meet that demand, performing rustic, fiddle-accented covers of old favorites from singers like George Strait, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney. Last year, they were dubbed the Wisconsin State Country Band Champion at the Hodag Country Festival. FM Radio’s Tony Piontek also chalked up a win for Best Guitarist. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Cherry Pie Failure to Launch The Now Band
Electronic Artist
Donny Jankowski, Dashcam
Winner: Dashcam
Under the moniker Dashcam, Milwaukee dream-wave producer Donny Jankowski crafts uncommonly lush, immersive synth-pop, updating the sounds of the ’80s with cinematic flair. His contributions to the local electronic scene don’t end with his own music, though. He’s also one of the driving forces behind NiceFM, a collective that’s helping building a following for electronic artists and producers on the brighter, more accessible side of the electronic spectrum. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Black Lines, Din Sky LUXI The Quilz
Guitarist
Winner: Tony Piontek, FM Rodeo
Though they specialize in country, FM Rodeo (our winner for Best Cover/Tribute Band) don’t shy away from rock, either. They throw a few classic-rock tunes into their sets from time to time, which along with some of their rowdier country covers give lead guitarist Tony Piontek’s blistering lead guitar a chance to shine. He’s quite a showman, to judge from live videos from the band’s recent performances at Summerfest and Harley-Davidson’s 115th anniversary. (Evan Rytlewski)
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Runners-Up: Jon Aulgur, Monorail Central Tony Inzeo, The Prince Experience Aaron Jellish, The Cheap Shots
Jazz Musician
Winner: Neil Davis
Jazz guitarist Neil Davis’s trio and quartet have performed at jazz venues and festivals around the city, though his footprint on the local jazz scene is even greater than those headlining sets would indicate. In addition to mentoring dozens of players as a teacher, Davis also co-founded the West End Conservatory music school and the non-profit Milwaukee Jazz Vision, which over the last few years has helped Milwaukee’s once-neglected jazz scene reclaim its former prominence. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Carlos Adames Jay Anderson Ellen Winters
Metal Band
Winner: Monorail Central
Milwaukee’s Monorail Central played their first show the day they released their self-titled 2017 debut, a brisk but intense record with shades of Underoath’s blistering metalcore and Deafhaven’s skygazing post-metal. Within a year, they’d opened for national acts like Of Mice & Men and Veil of Maya. It’s easy to see why they’ve been on such a fast rise. They cast a wide net, drawing heavily from alt-rock while making every breakdown count. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Arctic Sleep Conniption H1Z1
Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Photo credit: Samer Ghani
Winner: Shle Berry
Rap could always use more unabashed romantics, and Milwaukee’s Shle Berry has never been shy about wearing her heart on her sleeve. She’s a unique presence—part battle rapper, part R&B lothario, part comedian—and that individualism carries her latest EP Parallels, which complements her fierce flow and frizzy hooks with gleaming, top-shelf production from beatmakers like Mike Regal, Canis Major and Renz Young. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Denny Lanez Joe Quinto Vincent VanGREAT
Rap/Hip-Hop Producer
Winner: Klassik iamklassik.com
More than nearly any other musician in the Milwaukee scene, Klassik wears many hats: rapper, soul man, producer, collaborator, mentor, keeper of the American songbook. His modernist, jazz-saturated compositions are unlike anything else coming out of the city, but he has a gift for more traditional styles as well, as he demonstrated on American Klassiks, his recently recorded live album with SistaStrings and Nickel&Rose. Regardless of which side of the booth he’s on, he’s a force. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Gary Lawrence Kevin Christensen Vincent VanGREAT
Rock Band
Winner: Cherry Pie cherrypie.org
Recent years have deflated the popular narrative that Nirvana and the early ’90s alt-rock boom put a permanent end to hair metal. Nearly three decades after the genre’s commercial peak, reunited hair bands continue to draw reliable crowds, as do tribute bands like Milwaukee’s Cherry Pie, who cover hits from acts like Van Halen, Journey, Def Leppard and Skid Row. They commit to the gig, dressing like they stepped out of an old MTV video. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Monorail Central The Now Band Well Known Strangers
Vocalist—Female
Abby Jeanne
Winner: Abby Jeanne abbyjeanne.com
Abby Jeanne possesses one of the city’s most undeniable voices, a massive wail that instantly calls to mind the likes of Janis Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald and Amy Winehouse. But a voice is only as good as the music it’s put in service of, and Jeanne has the knockout material to back up her pipes. Released on the heels of her titanic psych-rock single “Cosmic Beings,” Jeanne’s new album, Music Box Dancer, is a spirited celebration of rock ‘n’ roll in all its shapes and forms. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Betsy Ade Jackie Brown Aly Wangerin
Vocalist—Male
Adam Fettig
The hard-gigging Southeastern Wisconsin country cover band FM Rodeo had a big year in this poll, claiming three prizes, including this one for singer. He’s an apt stand-in for the country singers he covers, and he’s got a capable voice, a powerful bellow that carries over the band’s twangy guitars. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-Up: Josh Quinn Armon Salamati Jake Williams
