Tickets are on sale now for the January 19 event.
Many of the city’s fine restaurants will be serving food that when the Best of the Beat Music Awards and Party returns to Generations Hall. Last year, 20-plus restaurants served our guests, and we expect a similar number this year, including the Gumbo Shop, Aurora Catering, Tee-Eva’s, Barcadia, Little Gem Saloon, Southern Candymakers, Three Muses, the Norwegian Seamen’s Church, Whole Foods Market, Bratz Y’all, Delish Mama, Nacho Mama’s, and many more.
The 2016 Best of the Beat Music Awards and Party will feature performances by Valerie Sassyfras; Mia Borders; Soul Brass Band; the Fortifiers featuring Sonny Boy Schneidau; Khris Royal and Dark Matter; Naughty Professor; and of course a tribute to Johnny Vidacovich with special guests.
A brief history:
OffBeat’s annual Best of the Beat Awards started 22 years ago, in 1995. Better Than Ezra was the big winner and took home Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Deluxe and Song of the Year for “Good.”
Over the last 22 years we’ve seen others dominate the awards. For instance, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews has been the Artist of the Year a total of seven times, five times in a row from 2010 through 2014.
Our Lifetime Achievement Award in music has recognized Aaron Neville, Tommy Ridgley, Dr. John, Earl King, Pete Fountain, Art Neville, Eddie Bo, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Fats Domino, Wardell Quezergue, Bo Dollis, Harold Battiste, Jr., “Deacon John” Moore, Dave Bartholomew, George Porter, Jr., Cyril Neville, Ellis Marsalis and the Radiators, as well as New Orleans R&B legends Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Jean Knight, Frankie Ford, Ernie Vincent, Robert Parker and the Dixie Cups: a Who’s Who of Louisiana artists.
This year we honor drummer extraordinaire Johnny Vidacovich for his Lifetime in Music.
Our process: We solicited nominations from musicians and others in the music community, for excellence in recordings and performances during 2016. We then gave the results to our writers and editors and with input from both, determined the nominations in each category, keeping in mind that these nominations only recognize work done in 2016.
This year we have instituted a “three-year” nomination policy. If you’ve won a Best of the Beat Award three years in a row in a specific category, you cannot be nominated the fourth year. This year we combined Rap and Hip-Hop with Bounce—that eliminated Big Freedia, who has won the Bounce category four years in a row. We hope that this new policy will recognize other hard-working musicians and give them the opportunity to win a Best of the Beat Award.
The public begins voting on the resulting ballot on December 14. Voting ends on January 4, so make sure to get to it before time runs out.
Sponsors for this year’s Best of the Beat include Positive Vibrations Foundation, Generations Hall, The Orpheum Theater, WWL-TV, WWNO, WYES, the New Orleans Advocate. The event will be broadcast live on WHIV-FM 102.3 the night of the event. Tickets for the Best of the Beat are on sale now. They’ll be $45 the day of the show. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Best of the Beat Awards are presented by The OffBeat Music and Cultural Arts Foundation. The OMCAF was developed to create opportunities that support Louisiana artists in leading sustainable creative lives. The OMCAF merges education, advocacy, community engagement and creative collaboration to foster and uplift Louisiana music, arts and culture.
Inspired by the work of OffBeat Magazine, which has a robust history contributing to the promotion, visibility and legitimacy of Louisiana’s music and cultural scene, the OMCAF are committed advocates for the preservation of Louisiana culture.
The nominees for this year’s Best of the Beat Music Awards are listed below. You can cast your ballot here.
Artist of the Year
Anders Osborne
Bobby Rush
Lost Bayou Ramblers
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Revivalists
Album of the Year
Aaron Neville: Apache (Tell It Records)
Allen Toussaint: American Tunes (Nonesuch)
Bobby Rush: Porcupine Meat (Rounder)
Nolatet: Dogs (Royal Potato Family)
Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars: Gulfstream (Octavia Records)
Best Emerging Artist
Alfred Banks
Motel Radio
Renshaw Davies
Sexy Dex and the Fresh
Soul Brass Band
Stoop Kids
Song of the Year
“Gulfstream” by Eric Adcock and Roddie Romero
“Lovely In That Dress” by Sophie Lee Lowry
“No More Crying Today” by Luke Winslow-King
“Stompin’ Ground” by Dave Gutter, Eric Krasno and Aaron Neville
“Wish I Knew You” by David Shaw and Zack Feinberg
Best Blues Performer
Bobby Rush
Kenny Neal
Luke Winslow-King
Sonny Landreth
Walter “Wolfman” Washington
Best Blues Album
Bobby Rush: Porcupine Meat (Rounder)
Dick Deluxe: Turning 61 on Highway 61 (Independent)
Gregg Martinez: Soul of the Bayou (Louisiana Red Hot Records)
Kenny Neal: Bloodline (Cleopatra Blues)
Luke Winslow-King: I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always (Bloodshot Records)
Mike Zito: Make Blues Not War (Ruf Records)
Best R&B/Funk Artist
Corey Henry
Davell Crawford
Dumpstaphunk
Naughty Professor
Tank and the Bangas
Best R&B/Funk Album
Aaron Neville: Apache (Tell It Records)
Cha Wa: Funk ’n’ Feathers (UPT)
Corey Henry: Lapeitah (Louisiana Red Hot Records)
Davell Crawford: Piano in the Vaults, Vol. 1 (Basin Street Records)
John “Papa” Gros: River’s on Fire (Uncle Bud’s Music)
Will Porter: Tick Tock Tick (Ace Records)
Best Rock Artist
Alexis & the Samurai
Anders Osborne
Mountain of Wizard
New Orleans Suspects
The Revivalists
Best Rock Album
Anders Osborne: Flower Box (Back on Dumaine)
Brass Bed: In the Yellow Leaf (Modern Outsider)
Mountain of Wizard: Major Waves of Minor Resolve (Independent)
New Orleans Suspects: Kaleidoscoped (Independent)
ROAR!: La-Di-Da (Independent)
Best Rap / Hip-Hop / Bounce Artist
5th Ward Weebie
AF the Naysayer
Boyfriend
Nesby Phips
Young Greatness
Best Traditional Jazz Artist
Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns
New Orleans Swamp Donkeys
Panorama Jazz Band
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Tuba Skinny
Best Traditional Jazz Album
Charlie Halloran & the Quality 6: Charlie Halloran & the Quality 6 (Independent)
Leroy Jones: I’m Talkin’ Bout New Orleans (Independent)
Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns: Bad Kids Club (Independent)
Smoking Time Jazz Club: Make a Tadpole Holler Whale (Independent)
Tuba Skinny: Blue Chime Stomp (Independent)
Best Contemporary Jazz Artist
Aurora Nealand
Delfeayo Marsalis
Gregory Agid Quartet
Magnetic Ear
Nolatet
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Make America Great Again! (Troubadour Jazz Records)
Gregory Agid Quartet: Words Are Not Enough (Independent)
Herlin Riley: New Direction (Mack Avenue)
Magnetic Ear: Live at Vaughan’s (Independent)
Nolatet: Dogs (Royal Potato Family)
Best Brass Band
Hot 8 Brass Band
New Breed Brass Band
Soul Rebels
To Be Continued Brass Band
Treme Brass Band
Best Cajun Artist
Courtney Granger
Lost Bayou Ramblers
Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars
Steve Riley
T’Monde
Best Cajun Album
Barry Jean Ancelet & Sam Broussard: Broken Promised Land (Swallow Records)
Bruce Daigrepont: Bienvenue Dans le Sud de la Louisiane (Bayou Pon Pon)
Courtney Granger: Beneath Still Waters (Valcour Records)
Michael Doucet and Tom Rigney: Cajun Fandango (Parhelion Records)
Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars: Gulfstream (Octavia Records)
Best Zydeco Artist
Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers
Geno Delafose
Lil’ Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers
Sean Ardoin
Best Roots Rock Artist
Batture Boys
Creole String Beans
Dave Jordan and the NIA
Honey Island Swamp Band
Mia Borders
Best Roots Rock Album
Batture Boys: Muddy Water (Independent)
Creole String Beans: Golden Crown (Independent)
Dave Jordan & the NIA: No Losers Tonight (Independent)
Honey Island Swamp Band: Demolition Day (Ruf Records)
Mia Borders: Fever Dreams (Blaxican Records)
Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Artist
Alexandra Scott
Miss Sophie Lee
Paul Sanchez
Sarah Quintana
The Deslondes
The Kid Carsons
Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album
Amanda Shaw: Amanda Shaw (Independent)
Michael Cerveris: Piety (Low Heat Records)
Miss Sophie Lee and the Parish Suites: Traverse This Universe (Independent)
Paul Sanchez: Heart Renovations (Independent)
The Tumbling Wheels: Play the No Counts (United Bakery)
Best Gospel
Eleanor McMain “Singing Mustangs”
Electrifying Crown Seekers
Johnson Extension
McDonogh #35 High School Gospel Choir
Rocks of Harmony
Best Cover Band
Bag of Donuts
Bobby Cure and the Summertime Blues
Mixed Nuts
The Boogie Men
The Topcats
Songwriter of the Year
David Shaw
Ed Volker
Luke Winslow-King
Mia Borders
Paul Sanchez
Best Female Vocalist
Alexis Marceaux
Mia Borders
Miss Sophie Lee
Robin Barnes
Tonya Boyd-Cannon
Best Male Vocalist
Aaron Neville
Antoine Diel
Bobby Rush
Gregg Martinez
John Boutté
Best Bass Player
Charlie Wooton
George Porter, Jr.
James Singleton
Noah Young
Tony Hall
Best Guitarist
Alex McMurray
Anders Osborne
Andrew Block
Cliff Hines
Russell Welch
Best Drummer
Aaron Hill
Alvin Ford, Jr.
Herlin Riley
Johnny Vidacovich
Sam Shahin
Best Saxophonist
Aurora Nealand
Clint Maedgen
Donald Harrison
Khris Royal
Roger Lewis
Best Clarinetist
Charlie Gabriel
Doreen Ketchens
Evan Christopher
Gregory Agid
Tim Laughlin
Best Trumpeter
Ashlin Parker
Ashton Hines
Eric Benny Bloom
Glenn Hall III
Leroy Jones
Best Trombonist
Carly Meyers
Charlie Halloran
Corey Henry
Craig Klein
Mark Mullins
Best Tuba/Sousaphonist
Ben Jaffe
Edward Lee Jr.
Jason Jurzak
Jon Gross
Matt Perrine
Phil Frazier
Best Piano / Keyboardist
Davell Crawford
David Torkanowsky
Joe Ashlar
Jon Cleary
Josh Paxton
Tom McDermott
Best Accordionist
Andre Michot
Chubby Carrier
Roddie Romero
Steve Riley
Valerie Sassyfras
Best Violin/Fiddle Player
Courtney Granger
Kevin Wimmer
Louis Michot
Matt Rhody
Tanya Huang
Best DJ
Ann Glaviano
DJ Matty
Mannie Fresh
Quickie Mart
Tony Skratchere
Best Other Instrument
Daria Dzurik (steel drums)
Debbie Davis (ukulele)
Helen Gillet (cello)
Mike Dillon (vibes)
Washboard Chaz (washboard)
Best Music Video
5th Ward Weebie and New Breed Brass Band: “What’cha Working it Fa” – directed by 5th Ward Weebie
Bobby Rush “Porcupine Meat” – directed/produced by Patrick Tohill
Brass Bed: “Yellow Bursts of Age” – directed by Makemade, Edited by Allison Bohl DeHart and Peter DeHart
Luke Winslow-King: “No More Crying Today” – directed by Victor Alonso
Miss Sophie Lee: “Lovely In That Dress” – directed by Jason Jurzak (Killer Kowalski Productions)
The Revivalists: “Wish I Knew You” – directed by Mikey Cosentino & Sam Green of Rite Media Group
