Wow – what a year 2016 has been for indie music. So much great music has come out that it has been a painstakingly hard effort to sort through it all and bring you our nominees for the LA Music Critic Awards for the second half of 2016.
Remember – you the fans get to nominate your favorite artists for the Fan Favorite award, and your comments and feedback are considered by our panel when we decide who will be the winners. So comment below, share this article with your friends, and let’s break 1000 comments.
You can also help us by nominating people who have either had a long indie career or have helped indie artists by nominating them for the Icon Award.
We look forward to your thoughts on our nominations, but above all, remember to support indie music. It is the best music around. Without further ado, here are the nominations for the second half of 2016:
Best EP Female: Katie Costello (From the Vault), Amie Miriello (Seeya When I Seeya), Gina Sicilia (Sunset Avenue)
Best EP Male: McDougall (Reaching for Some Light), Year of Suns (Songs for Silence)
Best EP Band: Stereo Off (EP III), The Spider Accomplice (LA: The Abduction), JERK (Jerk)
Best CD Female: Camille Bloom (Pieces of Me), Lauren Adams (Somewhere Else), Sonia Rao (Meet Them at the Door), Janey Street (Janey Street), Cindy Alexander (Deep Waters), Kari Kimmel (Poppyfields)
Best CD Male: Sharif (Tangled Dreams and Empty Bottles), Bobbo Byrnes (Motel Americana), Patrick Joseph (Hindsight), Josh Farrow (Trouble Walks With Me), Michael Hornbuckle (Soul Repo)
Best CD Band: Streets of Laredo (Wild), Spiritual Rez (Setting in the West), The Congress (The Game), Spelling Reform (No One’s Ever Changed), Daddy Issues (Handle It)
Best Christmas Single: Shannon Hurley ft. Brandon Schott (“Fairytale of New York”), Cindy Alexander (“Christmas Song”), Katie Garibaldi (“Tomorrow is Christmas Morning”), Frank Shiner (“Please Come Home for Christmas”), Kaylee Keller (“Christmas in Your Arms”)
Best Video (Holiday): Katie Garibaldi (“Tomorrow is Christmas Morning”), Redhead Express (“Away in a Manger”), Frank Shiner (“Please Come Home for Christmas”)
Best Video (cover): No Small Children (“Ghostbusters”), Redhead Express (“Chocolate on my Tongue”), Redhead Express (“Clean”)
Best Video (live): Patrick Joseph (“Piece of Your Love”), India Carney (“You”), Mitch Hayes (“All Fall Down”), The Congress (“Oh Babe”)
Best Video (lyric): Jess Penner (“Together”), War and Pierce (“On and On”), Mikey Wax (“Helium”)
Best Video (official) Female: Lucy Woodward (“Live Live Live”), Alexis Keegan (“Empty Heart”), Camille Bloom (“Pieces of Me”), Caitlin Eadie (“Don’t Want to Be”), Alyssa Jacey (“I Want it to Rain”), Shannon Hurley (“Heartbeat on the Radio”), Katie Garibaldi (“Delightful”)
Best Video (official) Male: Jon Mullane (“Born Beautiful”), Dan Franklin (“Live to Dream Again”), Brian Travis (“Shipwreck”)
Best Video (official) Band: The Spider Accomplice (“You Still Lie”), The Show Ponies (“The Time it Takes”), Spiritual Rez ft. Hirie (“Together Always”), The Congress (“Home Again”), Roots of Creation (“Struggle”), Sleep Machine (“Animal High”)
Best Video (Collaboration): Earwig and Lydia Loveless (“Wasted on You”)
Best Rock Band: The Spider Accomplice, Daddy Issues, Pollen Rx, Sleep Machine
Best Pop Band: Lovers and Poets, Foxtraxx, The Congress, Ray and Remora, No Nets
Best Country/Americana Band: Elouise Deep Water, The Show Ponies, Riddle and the Stars, Honey County
Best Pop/Rock Male Artist: Patrick Joseph, Year of Suns, McDougall, Mikey Wax
Best Pop/Rock Female Artist: Jess Penner, Katie Costello, Cindy Alexander, Janey Street, Camille Bloom
Best Blues Artist: Peach & the Almost Blues Band, The King Brothers, Papermoon Gypsys, Michael Hornbuckle
Best Country/Americana Artist: Alice Wallace, Lauren Adams, Brian Travis, Katie Garibaldi, Mitch Hayes
Best Jazz Artist: Lucy Woodward, Nancy Sanchez
Best Reggae Band: Roots of Creation, Spiritual Rez
Rising Star: Juliana Wilson, Meresha, Kaylee Keller, Rachel Brett
Fan Favorite: (To be nominated by the fans)
Icon Award: (To be announced)