“Now ain’t that something — an OffBeat award, Best of the Beat,” said Marvin Frey (Michael Cerveris) to Annie Tee (Lucia Micarelli) in a recent episode of HBO’s Treme. Marvin, Annie’s manager, then goes on to ask her, “You happy? Song of the year. You’ve come far… you’ve worked hard.”

Louisiana’s musicians do indeed work hard, and OffBeat’s annual Best of the Beat Awards show, which originally started as a holiday party for its musicians, aims to acknowledge their hard work. Keeping with that sentiment, OffBeat proudly presents the nominees for the 2013 Best of the Beat Awards (see below) and hands the fate of those who will take home an “OffBeat award” over to you. Simply, visit OffBeat’s online ballot to vote for your favorite Louisiana musicians right now!

Voting will close at 5:00 p.m. (CST) on Friday, January 10, 2014, and 2013’s Best of the Beat Award winners will be announced at the Best of the Beat Awards show on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at Generations Hall. Please note that you do not have to vote on every category to submit your ballot; however, multiple ballots submitted from the same computer or email address will not count. Ultimately, keep in mind that the Best of the Beat Awards show is really just a big party that celebrates Louisiana music that you, the fans, get to be a part of.

VOTE HERE NOW!

As for the party itself, the 2013 Best of the Beat Awards show will feature live music on two stages with performances from Feufollet, Glen David Andrews, Cheeky Blakk, Robin Barnes, and Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, as well as an all-star tribute to Lifetime Achievement honoree Cyril Neville. Additionally, more than two dozen of New Orleans’ top restaurants will serve complimentary dishes on site. Sponsors for this year’s Best of the Beat Awards show include: Generations Hall, Glazer’s of Louisiana, WWNO, WWOZ, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation and WVUE Fox 8.

Discounted tickets to the 2013 Best of the Beat Awards show are currently available via OffBeat’s online store. Don’t hesitate to pick up a pair, as ticket prices will increase as the show nears. Online ticket sales will close on Friday, January 17, 2014. Tickets will be sold at Generations Hall on January 18 for $40. The doors will open at 5:00 p.m., and the music will get underway at 6:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Now, without further ado, here are the nominees for OffBeat Magazine’s 2013 Best of the Beat Awards:

Artist of the Year

• Glen David Andrews
• Big Freedia
• Dumpstaphunk
• Hurray for the Riff Raff
• Trombone Shorty

 

Album of the Year

• Dumpstaphunk: Dirty Word
• Shannon McNally: Small Town Talk: The Songs of Bobby Charles
• Cyril Neville: Magic Honey
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band: That’s It!
• Trombone Shorty: Say That To Say This

 

Best Emerging Artist

• Corey Henry’s Treme Funktet
• Maggie Koerner
• Sarah McCoy
• Royal Teeth
• Sweet Crude

 

Song of the Year

• “If you can’t Make it Here” by Alex McMurray (Tin Men)
• “Fire and Brimstone” by Troy Andrews, Michael Ballard, Pete Murano, Alonzo “Novel” Stevenson, Taura Stinson (Trombone Shorty)
• “Magic Honey” by Cyril Neville
• “Creole Man” by Davell Crawford
• “The Night the Pie Factory Burned Down” by Johnny Sansone
• “Natural Born Days” by Johnny Allen, Dave Malone, Tommy Malone

Best Blues Performer

• King James & the Special Men
• Cyril Neville
• Bobby Rush
• Johnny Sansone
• Walter “Wolfman” Washington

 

Best Blues Album

• Spencer Bohren: Tempered Steel
• Joe Krown, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Russell Batiste, Jr.: Soul Understanding
• Cyril Neville: Magic Honey
• Bobby Rush: Down in Louisiana
• Johnny Sansone: Once it Gets Started

 

Best R&B/Funk Artist

• Davell Crawford
• Dumpstaphunk
• PJ Morton
• George Porter, Jr.
• Trombone Shorty

 

Best R&B/Funk Album

• Davell Crawford: My Gift to You
• Dumpstaphunk: Dirty Word
• New Orleans Suspects: Caught Live at the Maple Leaf
• Soul Project: Music for Movers and Shakers
• Trombone Shorty: Say That To Say This

 

Best Rock Artist

• Junior League
• Anders Osborne
• The Revivalists
• Royal Teeth
• Star & Dagger

 

Best Rock Album

• Bipolaroid: Twin Language
• The Junior League: You Should Be Happy
• Anders Osborne: Peace
• R. Scully & the Rough 7: Codebreaker
• Ratty Scurvics: A Wooden Nickel on Fire

 

Best Rap / Hip-Hop Artist

• 3D Na’Tee
• Ballzack
• Dee-1
• Jealous Monk
• Truth Universal

 

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album or Mixtape

• Ballzack and Odums: Ballzack and Odums Present Ace N Ernie
• Dee-1: Psalms of David II
• Jealous Monk: I Love, I Hustle
• Soul Rebels Brass Band: Power = Power
• Truth Universal: Invent the Future

 

Best Bounce Artist

• Big Freedia
• Cheeky Blakk
• Katey Red
• Ricky B
• Sissy Nobby

 

Best Traditional Jazz Artist

• Leroy Jones
• Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns
• Kristina Morales & the Bayou Shufflers
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band
• Kermit Ruffins

 

Best Traditional Jazz Album

• Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns: Foolers’ Gold
• Tom McDermott: Bamboula
• Kristina Morales & the Bayou Shufflers: Louisiana Fairytale
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band: That’s It!
• Kermit Ruffins: We Partyin’ Traditional Style
• Miss Sophie Lee: Love Street Lullaby

 

Best Contemporary Jazz Artist

• Terence Blanchard
• Kidd Jordan
• Jason Marsalis
• Nicholas Payton
• James Westfall

 

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

• Jon Batiste and Stay Human: Social Music
• Terence Blanchard: Magnetic
• Gillet Singleton Duo: Ferdinand
• Kidd Jordan & Hamid Drake: A Night in November: Live in New Orleans
• Jason Marsalis: In a World of Mallets
• Nicholas Payton with the Sinfonieorchester Basel: Sketches of Spain

 

Best Brass Band

• Brass-A-Holics
• Hot 8 Brass Band
• The Original Pinettes Brass Band
• Rebirth Brass Band
• Soul Rebels Brass Band

 

Best Brass Band Album

• Brass-A-Holics: I Am a Bras-A-Holic
• Hot 8 Brass Band: Life and Times of the Hot 8 Brass Band
• Hot 8 Brass Band: Tombstone
• The Original Pinettes Brass Band: Finally
• Stooges Brass Band: Street Music

 

Best Cajun Artist

• BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
• Bruce Daigrepont
• Feufollet
• Lost Bayou Ramblers
• Zachary Richard

 

Best Cajun Album

• Ray Abshire and Friends: All Night Long
• BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet: From Bamako to Carencro
• Bruce Daigrepont: Jamais de la Vie
• Travis Matte: Old Time Cajun Songs
• Zachary Richard: Le Fou

 

Best Zydeco Artist

• Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
• Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers
• Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band
• Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Cha’s
• Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience

 

Best Zydeco Album

• JJ Callier & the Zydeco Knockouts: I Can’t Give You What You Want
• Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band: Destiny
• Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Cha’s: A New Road
• Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience: Dockside Sessions
• Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express: By Special Request

 

Best Roots Rock Artist

• Creole String Beans
• Honey Island Swamp Band
• Ingrid Lucia
• Tommy Malone
• Shannon McNally

 

Best Roots Rock Album

• John Fohl: Teeth & Bones
• Honey Island Swamp Band: Cane Sugar
• Ingrid Lucia: Living the Life
• Shannon McNally: Small Town Talk: The Songs of Bobby Charles
• Tin Men: Avacado Woo Woo

 

Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Artist

• Andrew Duhon
• Hurray for the Riff Raff
• Yvette Landry
• Beth Patterson
• Luke Winslow King

 

Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album

• Andrew Duhon: The Moorings
• Hurray for the Riff Raff: My Dearest Darkest Neighbor
• Maggie Koerner: Neutral Ground
• Kelcy Mae: The Fire
• Jim McCormick: The Middle of the River
• Beth Patterson: Hippocampus

 

Best Gospel Artist

• Bishop Paul S. Morton Sr.
• The Electrifying Crown Seekers
• Tyronne Foster & the Arc Singers
• Franklin Avenue Baptist Church Choir
• Shades of Praise New Orleans Interracial Community Gospel Choir

 

Best Cover Band

• Boogie Men
• Bucktown AllStars
• Dominick Grillo & the Frenchmen Street All-Stars
• King James & the Special Men
• Top Cats

 

Songwriter of the Year

• Alex McMurray
• Cyril Neville
• Anders Osborne
• Paul Sanchez
• Alynda Lee Segarra (Hurray for the Riff Raff)

 

Best Female Vocalist

• Robin Barnes
• Maggie Koerner
• Meyschia Lake
• Ingrid Lucia
• Alexis Marceaux
• Alynda Lee Segarra (Hurray for the Riff Raff)

 

Best Male Vocalist

• John Boutte
• Davell Crawford
• Gregg Martinez
• Cyril Neville
• Dave Shaw (The Revivalists)

 

Best Bass Player

• Nick Daniels (Dumpstaphunk)
• Roland Guerin
• Matt Perrine
• George Porter, Jr.
• James Singleton

 

Best Guitarist

• Tab Benoit
• Alex McMurray
• Anders Osborne
• Jimmy Robinson
• Shane Theriot
• Walter “Wolfman” Washington

 

Best Drummer

• Joe Dyson
• Jason Marsalis
• Stanton Moore
• Herlin Riley
• Johnny Vidacovich

 

Best Saxophonist

• Donald Harrison
• Kidd Jordan
• James Martin
• Aurora Nealand
• Khris Royal

 

Best Clarinetist

• Gregory Agid
• Evan Christopher
• Charlie Gabriel (Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
• Aurora Nealand
• Dr. Michael White

 

Best Trumpeter

• Troy Andrews
• Terence Blanchard
• Jeremy Davenport
• Irvin Mayfield
• Nicholas Payton
• Kermit Ruffins

 

Best Trombonist

• Glen David Andrews
• Troy Andrews
• Craig Klein (Bonerama)
• Mark Mullins (Bonerama)
• Rick Trolsen

 

Best Tuba/Sousaphonist

• Phil Frazier
• Jon Gross
• Kirk Joseph
• Jason Jursic
• Matt Perrine

 

Best Piano/Keyboardist

• Jon Cleary
• Davell Crawford
• Joe Krown
• Tom McDermott
• Ivan Neville

 

Best Accordionist

• Chubby Carrier
• Bruce Daigrepont
• Dwayne Dopsie
• Terrance Simien
• Norbert Slama

 

Best Violin/Fiddle Player

• Theresa Andersson
• Gina Forsythe
• Louis Michot (Lost Bayou Ramblers)
• Matt Rhody
• Amanda Shaw

 

Best DJ

• DJ Black n Mild
• DJ RQaway
• DJ Soul Sister
• Mannie Fresh
• Quickie Mart

 

Best Other Instrument

• Helen Gillet (cello)
• Jason Marsalis (vibraphone)
• Washboard Chaz (washboard)
• Beth Patterson (bouzouki)
• Seva Venet (banjo)
• James Westfall (vibraphone)

 

Best Music Video

• “Ants” by Jealous Monk, directed by Kasso for Dapture Nova
• “Dancin’ to the Truth” by Dumpstaphunk, directed by Jon Phillips
• “Fire and Brimstone” by Trombone Shorty, directed by Brandan “B-Mike” Odums
• “I Will Love You” by Miss Sophie Lee, directed by Curtis Casados
• “Laisse le Vent Souffler” by Zachary Richard, directed by Janet Baus
• “Working Man” by Cyril Neville, directed by Mark Bergeron

 

VOTE NOW