What's ingenious about RadioMilwaukee's Milwaukee Music Awards is they don't purport to give a fully representative or even non-biased view of the city's music scene. They are essentially another form of advocacy for the artists that the station supports and plays the most, the station's way of giving these musicians their formal stamp of approval. That's part of what makes these awards so much fun, but also so divisive. Last year the station turned heads when it showered five awards on Kings Go Forth, longtime station favorites.
It'll be interesting to see whether any band dominates as completely this year. RadioMilwaukee began its online voting for the listener choice Milwaukee Music Awards this week. You can vote here through Feb. 21. The station will announce the winners on air at 4 p.m. on Feb. 25, in advance of a benefit concert that night at Whiskey Bar on North Jackson Street.
The full list of nominees is below:
Listener Choice Categories:
Artist of the Year: Jaill, Kid Millions, Pezzettino, The Championship
Milwaukee’s Best DJ Night: Chalice In The Palace, Flirt Thursday w/ No Request Sound, Laser Sweat, The Get Down, Wisco-Jazz Fridays
Saturday Session Set of the Year: DJ Bizzon, DJ Kruser, DJ e. Rich, Michael Wenz, The Glamour
Most Memorable Live Show: Evan Christian & Paul Cebar at “Still Bill” Screening at Hi Hat, Fresh Cut Collective @ Stonefly, Lab Partners CD Release Party @ Mad Planet, Pezzettino Vinyl Release Party @ Hot Pop, The Championship @ Turner Hall (Halloween Party)
Blog of the Year: Fan-Belt (fanbelt.wordpress.com), JosephJunior (josephjunior.blogspot.com/), Music in Revolt (theattackonmars.wordpress.com), Muzzle of Bees (muzzleofbees.com), YesYesYall (yesyesyall.org)
Best Music Video: Codebreaker, KHB, Kid Millions, Pezzettino, Reckless Hearts
Non-listener choice categories:
Song of the Year: “Continental Drift” – The Subcontinentals; “Don’t Take My Shadow” – Kings Go Forth; “I Can’t Run” – Will Phalen & The Stereo Addicts; “The Sword” – The Championship; “Victim To The Beat” – Kid Millions; “Wha Wha Song” – The Buskers
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Album of the Year: “Moving At The Speed Of Darkness” – The Championship; “Recession Proof Rap” – Kid Millions; “The Early Years” – The Subcontinentals; “Unmap” – Volcano Choir
Urban Artist of the Year: KHB, Prophetic, Sona, The Lab Partners
Vocalist of the Year: Blackwolf, Jeanna Salzer, Liv Mueller
Best New Artist: Pezzettino, The Jeanna Salzer Trio, The Lab Partners
TNT Award (Artist Most Likely To Blow Up): Decibully, Jaill, Prophetic, Will Phalen & The Stereo Addicts
Power Pop Tart: “Jezebel” – Boxing Day; “Mashup Dreams” – The Wooldridge Brothers; “Please Don’t Walk Away” – The Saltshakers; “Yer A Blur” – The Reckless Hearts
Earwig Award (Catchiest Song): “Big Dreamer” – Prophetic; “Continental Drift”- The Subcontinentals; “Specks Of Light” – Figureheads; “Wha Wha Song” – The Buskers
414 Music Award (In-Studio Performance of The Year): Cat House Drifters, John The Savage, The Subcontinentals, The Vega Star, Wizard Of Cause
Best CD Artwork: “Middle West” – Will Phalen & The Stereo Addicts; “Moving At The Speed Of Darkness” – The Championship; “Recession Proof Rap” – Kid Millions; “The Early Years” – The Subcontinentals; “The Night” – The Vega Star