The complete performance schedule for OffBeat’s 2019 Best of the Beat Awards has been announced. The annual awards ceremony honors local musicians and their contribution to what makes New Orleans music special. The Best of the Beat Awards will be held on January 30 at the New Orleans Jazz Market and will feature a variety of musical performances as well as food from acclaimed local restaurants. 

The ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a musical performances by Alexey Marti on percussion with Oscar Rossignoli on keys, Pat Casey on bass, Gabriel Velazco on drums, Jon Ram on trombone, and Brent Rose on saxophone. The next performance will be J & the Causeways from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

The presentation of the awards will take place from 7:30 to 8:45.

Following the award presentation will be a performance by the Soul Rebels from 9:00 to 9:45 p.m.

The special performance of the night is Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s tribute to Charlie Gabriel, who received the Lifetime Achievement in Music Award from OffBeat at a ceremony on January 16 (see photos here). This exceptional performance will spotlight Meghan Swartz on piano, Louis Ford on clarinet, Craig Klein on trombone, Shannon Powell on drums, and Mark Braud on cornet. The Charlie Wooton Project featuring Arséne DeLay follows this performance, playing from 11:00 to 11:45. The night will conclude with a performance by DJ Raj Smoove at 11:45.

The nominees for 2019 Best of the Beat Music Awards are:

 

Artist Of The Year

• Leyla McCalla
• PJ Morton
• Samantha Fish
• Tank and the Bangas
• The Soul Rebels

 

Album Of The Year

• Anders Osborne: Buddha and the
  Blues (Back on Dumaine)
• John Boutté: a “well tempered”
  Boutté (Independent)
• Leyla McCalla: The Capitalist Blues
  (Jazz Village)
• PJ Morton: Paul (Morton Records)
• Tank and the Bangas: Green
  Balloon (Verve Forecast)
• The Soul Rebels: Poetry in Motion
  (Mack Avenue)

 

Best Emerging Artist

• Benny Amón
• Chapel Hart
• Esther Rose
• J & The Causeways
• Sierra Green & the Soul Machine

Song Of The Year

• “Buddha and the Blues” written
  by Anders Osborne
• “Empty World” written by
  Mark Mullins
• “Going Straight Crazy” written
  by Ben Ellman, Boyfriend,
  Jeff Raines, Rich Vogel, Robert
  Mercurio, Samantha Michelle
  Montgomery, Stanton Moore
• “Slide Back” written by
  Marcus Hubbard, PJ Morton, Sean Carey, Julian Gosin
• “Walking in Liverpool” written
  by Paul Sanchez, Pete Riley and
  Pete Riley, Jr.

 

Best Blues Performer

• Bobby Rush
• Johnny Sansone
• Marc Stone
• Samantha Fish
• Walter “Wolfman” Washington

 

Best Blues Album

• Bobby Rush: Sitting on Top of the
  Blues (Deep Rush)
• Ghalia: Mississippi Blend
  (Ruf Records)
• Marc Stone: Live At Tipitina’s
  (Independent)
• Samantha Fish: Kill or Be Kind
  (Rounder)
• Smoky Greenwell: Blues and
  the Power of Peace (Greenwell
  Records)

 

Best R&B/Funk Artist

• Galactic
• Khris Royal & Dark Matter
• PJ Morton
• Tank and the Bangas
• Water Seed

 

Best R&B/Funk Album

• Charlie Wooton Project featuring
  Arsene Delay: Blue Basso (Wild
  Heart Records)
• Galactic: Already Ready Already
  (Tchoup Zilla / Thirty Tigers)
• PJ Morton: Paul (Morton Records)
• Tank and the Bangas: Green
  Balloon (Verve Forecast)
• The New Orleans Catahoulas:
  Homegrown (Independent)

 

Best Rock Artist

• Anders Osborne
• Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes
• The Iceman Special
• The Revivalists
• Trombone Shorty &
  Orleans Avenue

 

Best Rock Album

• Anders Osborne: Buddha and the
  Blues (Back on Dumaine)
• Bonerama: Bonerama Plays
  Zeppelin (Basin Street Records)
• Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes:
  Melt Your Face (Full Frontal Records)
• The Iceman Special: The Iceman
  Special (Independent)
• The Rakers: Five (Independent)

 

Best Rap Hip-Hop Artist

• DeeLow Diamond Man
• Fendi P
• Kenneth Brother
• Pell
• The DJ (Ze11a & Paco)

 

Best Hip-Hop Album

• DeeLow Diamond Man: Good
  Vibes Diamond Edition (Tangalang
  Records)
• Fendi P: Fendi P 3 (Jet Life
  Recordings)
• Kenneth Brother: Kenneth Brother
  4 (WSL Productions)
• Pell: Gravity (PayDay Records)
• The DJ (Ze11a and Paco
  Troxclair): The DJ (Independent)

 

Best Traditional
Jazz Artist

• Aurora Nealand and the
  Royal Roses
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band
• Russell Welch
• Tom McDermott
• Tuba Skinny

 

Best Traditional
Jazz Album

• Benny Amón: Benny Amón’s New
  Orleans Pearls (Independent)
• Russell Welch: Acetate Sessions
  (Twerk-O-Phonic)
• Smoking Time Jazz Club:
  Contrapuntal Stomp (Independent)
• The New Orleans Swinging
  Gypsies: Hot Boudin (Independent)
• Tuba Skinny: Some Kind-A-Shake
  (Independent)

 

Best Contemporary
Jazz Artist

• Brad Walker
• Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
• Herlin Riley
• Nicholas Payton
• Quiana Lynell

 

Best Contemporary
Jazz Album

• Brad Walker Quartet: Live at
  Snug Harbor (Independent)
• John Boutté: a “well tempered”
  Boutté (Independent)
• Jon Batiste: Chronology of
  a Dream – Live at the Village
  Vanguard (Verve)
• Nicholas Payton: Relaxin’ With
  Nick (Smoke Session Records)
• Quiana Lynell: A Little Love
  (Concord Jazz)
• Tony Dagradi: Down Time
  (Astral Music)

Best Brass Band

• Big 6 Brass Band
• Da Truth Brass Band
• Hot 8 Brass Band
• Soul Brass Band
• The Soul Rebels

 

Best Cajun Artist

• Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole
• Daiquiri Queens
• Feufollet
• Lost Bayou Ramblers
• Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys

 

Best Zydeco Artist

• Chubby Carrier & the Bayou
  Swamp Band
• Corey Ledet and His
  Zydeco Band
• Dwayne Dopsie & the
  Zydeco Hellraisers
• Lil’ Nathan & The Zydeco
  Big Timers
• Mike Broussard & Nu’Edition
  Zydeco

 

Best Zydeco Album

• Donna Angelle and the Zydeco
  Posse: I’m Just a Country Girl
  (Cypress Records)
• Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco
  Hellraisers: Bon Ton (Louisiana
  Red Hot Records)
• Keith Frank: Keith Frank presents
  the Soulwood All-Stars Vol. 3:
  Legends of the South
  (Soulwood Records)
• Mike Broussard & Nu’Edition
  Zydeco: One Shot (Independent)
• Sean Ardoin: Ven (Zydekool
  Records)

 

Best Roots Rock Artist

• Dave Jordan
• Paul Sanchez
• Sam Price & the True Believers
• Shawn Williams
• Yvette Landry & the Jukes

 

Best Roots Rock Album

• Carlo Ditta: Hungry for Love
  (Orleans Records)
• Dave Jordan: Burning Sage
  (Independent)
• Paul Sanchez: I’m a song, I’m a
  story, I’m a ghost (Independent)
• Sam Price & the True Believers:
  Dragonfly (Independent)
• Warren Storm: Taking the World,
  By Storm (APO Records)

Best Country/Folk/
Singer-Songwriter Artist

• Esther Rose
• Gal Holiday
• Katy Hobgood Ray
• Leyla McCalla
• Sarah Quintana

 

Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album

• Esther Rose: You Made it This Far
  (Father /Daughter)
• Katy Hobgood Ray featuring
  Dave Ray: I Dream of Water (Out
  of the Past Music)
• Leyla McCalla: The Capitalist Blues
  (Jazz Village)
• Lilli Lewis Project: We Belong
  (Louisiana Red Hot Records)
• Sarah Quintana & Christophe
  • Lampidecchia: Love Letters
  (Independent)

 

Best Gospel Group

• Franklin Avenue Music Ministry
• Greater St. Stephens Mass Choir
• Johnson Extension
• Legendary Rocks of Harmony
• McDonogh #35 High School
  Gospel Choir

 

Best Cover Band

• Bag Of Donuts
• Bucktown All-Stars
• Low End Theory Players
• Top Cats
• Where Y’acht

 

Songwriter Of The Year (Allen Toussaint Award)

• Anders Osborne
• Esther Rose
• Leyla McCalla
• Paul Sanchez
• PJ Morton

 

Best Female Vocalist

• Erica Falls
• Meschiya Lake
• Quiana Lynell
• Samantha Michelle Montgomery
  (Princess Shaw)
• Sasha Masakowski

 

Best Male Vocalist

• Anders Osborne
• Cyril Neville
• J’Wan Boudreaux
• John Boutte
• PJ Morton

 

Best Bass Player

• George Porter, Jr.
• James Singleton
• Jesse Morrow
• Peter Harris
• Roland Guerin

 

Best Guitarist

• Anders Osborne
• Jimmy Robinson
• June Yamagishi
• Samantha Fish
• Steve Masakowski

 

Best Drummer

• Billie Davies
• Doug Garrison
• Herlin Riley
• Johnny Vidacovich
• Stanton Moore

 

Best Saxophonist

• Aurora Nealand
• Dan Oestreicher
• James Martin
• Roger Lewis
• Tony Dagradi

 

Best Clarinetist

• Charlie Gabriel
• Dr. Michael White
• Evan Christopher
• Gregory Agid
• Tim Laughlin

 

Best Trumpeter 

• Ashlin Parker
• Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown
• Leroy Jones
• Nicholas Payton
• Shamarr Allen

 

Best Trombonist

• Charlie Halloran
• Corey Henry
• Mark Mullins
• Paul Robertson
• Troy Andrews

 

Best Tuba/Sousaphonist

• Benny Pete
• Jon Gross
• Kirk Joseph
• Matt Perrine
• Phil Frazier

 Best Piano / Keyboardist

• Jon Cleary
• Kyle Roussell
• Oscar Rossignoli
• PJ Morton
• Tom McDermott

Best Accordionist

• Andre Michot
• Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes
• Chubby Carrier
• Michael Ward-Bergeman
• Sean Ardoin

 

Best Violin / Fiddle Player

• Amanda Shaw
• Hanna Mignano
• Joel Savoy
• Louis Michot
• Matt Rhody

 

Best DJ

• Bouffant Bouffant
• G-Cue
• Kelly Green
• Raj Smoove
• RQ Away

 

Best Other Instrument

• Helen Gillet (cello)
• James Rivers (bagpipes)
• Johnny Sansone (harmonica)
• Leyla McCalla (cello)
• Washboard Chaz (washboard)

 

Best Music Video

• Leyla McCalla: “Money is King,” directed by Nisa East.

• Paul Sanchez with Pete Riley and
  Pete Riley, Jr.: “Walking in Liverpool,” directed by John Sanchez and Penchant Productions.

• Preservation Hall Jazz Band:
  “Keep Your Head Up,” directed by TG Herrington.

• The Soul Rebels: “Good Time”
  (Feat. Big Freedia, Denisia &
  Passport P). Video by Chris Haney with Greenhouse Collective.

• Tank and the Bangas: “Hot Air
  Balloons,” directed by Tavia Osbey.

 

For more information on the Best of the Beat Awards, see our previous coverage here. To purchase tickets, click here.