The 2018 Best of the Beat Business Awards were held at Roussel Hall on the campus of Loyola University in New Orleans on January, 24, 2019.

As per each year ahead of the Best of the Beat Music Awards, the OffBeat Foundation gathered music professionals from all fields to acknowledge the work of the many dedicated individuals and organizations involved in the functioning of New Orleans’ vibrant music scene. OffBeat, with the help of the Positive Vibrations Foundation, also delivered the Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Recipients of the 2018 Music Business Awards were:

Best Club: Tipitina’s  

 

Best Radio Station: WWOZ  

 

Best Large Festival: Buku Music & Art Project  

 

Best Festival Outside of New Orleans: Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival

 

Best Neighborhood Festival: Treme Creole Gumbo Festival

 

Best Recording Studio: Marigny Studios

 

Record Label of the Year: Louisiana Red Hot Records

 

Producer of the Year: Ben Ellman  

 

Best Record Store: Louisiana Music Factory  

 

Best Instrument Store: Webb’s Bywater Music

 

Best Studio Sound Engineer: Mike Harvey, NOLA Recording Studio

Best Booking Agency: White Oak Productions

 

Best Manager: MidCitizen Enterainment

 

Best Music Attorney: Edgar “Dino” Gankendorff

 

Best Club Owner or Manager: Wesley Schmidt (Snug Harbor)

 

Best Concert Promoter: Winter Circle Productions

 

Musician Resource Award: The Sync Up Conference

 

Community Music Award: Send Me A Friend

 

Music Business of the Year: Live Nation

 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:

 

Lifetime Achievement in Business: Doris Bastiansen, Kerry Irish Pub

Lifetime Achievement in Music Education: John Snyder, Loyola Music Business Studies

Positive Vibrations HeartBeat Award, Culture Bearer: Herreast Harrison

Positive Vibrations HeartBeat Award, Musician: Dr. Michael White

Lifetime Achievement in Music: Walter “Wolfman” Washington

 

All photos by Brandt Vicknair for OffBeat.