LOCAL GENRE BASED CATEGORIES
Best indie bands from the Philadelphia, Central PA, NY, NJ, DE, MD, and DC area on a local/regional touring level. (Not yet emerging towards a national spotlight)
INDIE ELECTRO / ROCK BAND OF THE YEAR
Dream Safari
Suburban Living
City Rain
INDIE ACOUSTIC ARTIST/BAND OF THE YEAR
Mike McMonagle
Ronnie Gallo
Andrea Nardello
INDIE PUNK BAND OF THE YEAR
Cayetana
Amanda X
Sheer Mag
INDIE DJ OF THE YEAR
DJ SYLO
Dave P
DJ Phsh
INIDE HIP HOP ARTIST/BAND OF THE YEAR
Chill Moody
Rich Quick
Kuf Knotz
INDIE JAM BAND OF THE YEAR
Out Of The Beard Space
Flux capacitor
Catullus
INDIE POP BAND OF THE YEAR
Cheerleader
Commonwealth Choir
CRUISR
INDIE FOLK / AMERICAN ROOTS BAND OF THE YEAR
Levee Drivers
The Lawsuits
Kalob Griffin Band
INDIE ROCK BAND OF THE YEAR
Toy Soldiers
DRGN KING
Satellite Hearts
INDIE JAZZ BAND / ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Fresh Cut Orchestra
Laurin Talese
Max Swan
INDIE SOUL R&B BAND/ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Aaron Parnell Brown
Good Girl
Milton
INDIE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Chelsea Mitchell
Jacqueline Constance
Kate Faust
INDIE HARD ROCK BAND OF THE YEAR
In The Presence of Wolves
Kid Felix
Mach22
INDIE FUNK BAND OF THE YEAR
Swift Technique
The Royal Noise
Supreem and The New Experience
REGIONAL CATEGORIES
Best indie bands from the Philadelphia, Central PA, NY, NJ, DE, MD, and DC area on a local/regional touring level. NOT GENRE SPECIFIC (Not yet emerging towards a national spotlight)
INDIE NYC METRO BAND OF THE YEAR
Fort Lean
Anthony D’Amato
Cinema Cinema
INDIE MARYLAND / DC BAND OF THE YEAR
Sweet Leda
Pasadena
Bumpin Uglies
INDIE NEW JERSEY BAND OR ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tess Emma w/ Lou
The Quixote Project
Pine Barons
INDIE DELAWARE BAND OF THE YEAR
Mean Lady
Teen Men
New Sweden
INDIE PHILADELPHIA BAND OF THE YEAR
Lawsuits
DRGN KING
Cruisr
INDIE CENTRAL PA BAND OF THE YEAR
Jake Lewis and The Clergy
Ton Taun
Maitland
EMERGING CATEGORIES
Best indie bands from the PHILLY, CENTRAL PA, NY, NJ, DE, MD, DC, area on a emerging/touring level. Must be independent/unsigned or signed to an indie label. Each Nominee is headed towards the national spotlight and have made the leap past a local/regional following.
EMERGING INDIE ACOUSTIC BAND/ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Chris Kasper
Peter Matthew Bauer
Sean Rowe
EMERGING INDIE ELECTRO/ROCK BAND OR ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Pattern Is Movement
Work Drugs
Marian Hill
EMERGING PUNK BAND OF THE YEAR
Pissed Jeans
Modern Baseball
Hop Along
EMERGING VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Aaron Camper
Nicole Atkins
Sharon Van Etten
EMERGING INDIE HIP HOP ARTIST/BAND OF THE YEAR
OCD: Moosh & Twist
Ground Up
Reef The Lost Cauze
EMERGING INDIE JAM BAND OF THE YEAR
Tauk
Rubblebucket
Dopapod
EMERGING INDIE POP BAND OF THE YEAR
Vacationer
Front Bottoms
Jukebox The Ghost
EMERGING INDIE FOLK / AMERICAN ROOTS BAND OF THE YEAR
Lone Bellow
Cabinet
Stray Birds
EMERGING INDIE ROCK BAND OF THE YEAR
J Roddy Walston and Business
The Districts
Strand of Oaks
EMERGING INDIE SOUL/R&B BAND OR ARTIST OF THE YEAR
GoGo Morrow
Son Little
Caleb Hawley
EMERGING INDIE FUNK BAND OF THE YEAR
Red Baraat
Turkuaz
Lettuce
FESTIVAL & VENUE CATEGORIES
Best Festival and Venues that are located within the region (PA, NJ, NY, DE, MD, DC).
INDIE LOCAL FEST OF THE YEAR
(Under 2,500 Fan Attendance)
Dewey Beach Music Festival
2nd Street Festival
River City Fest
REGIONAL INDIE FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
(2,500- 15,000 Fan Attendance)
XPoNential
Philadelphia Folk Fest
MusikFest
REGIONAL INDIE MEGA FEST OF THE YEAR
(15,000+ Fan Attendance)
Firefly Music Festival
Governors Ball
Made in America
VENUE OF THE YEAR
(Under 500 Capacity)
Johnny Brendas
Boot and Saddle
Bourbon & Branch
VENUE OF THE YEAR
(500-2000 Capacity)
Union Transfer
World Cafe Live Philly
The TLA
VENUE OF THE YEAR
(2000+ Capacity)
Electric Factory
Tower theater
Mann Center
NATIONAL CATEGORIES
Best ‘indie’ bands from anywhere in the world and are nationally known. These bands/artists headline large venues and festivals but still considered to be independent/unsigned with management, or signed to indie/ subsidiary labels.
NATIONAL INDIE RECORD (SINGLE) OF THE YEAR
Hozier “Take Me To Church”
Ryan Adams “Gimme Something Good”
War On Drugs “Red Eyes”
NATIONAL INDIE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
War On Drugs- Lost in Dream
St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Hozier – Hozier
NATIONAL INDIE LIVE PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
St. Vincent
Jenny Lewis
Future Islands
NATIONAL OVERALL INDIE BAND/ARTIST OF THE YEAR
War on Drugs
St. Vincent
Hozier
INDUSTRY CATEGORIES
Recognizing the best of the best professionals and brands in the industry.
BEST PR FIRM
Big Picture Media
Shorefire Media
Big Hassle
BEST MANAGEMENT FIRM
Red Light
C3 Management
Mick Management
BEST INDIE RECORD LABEL
Fat Possum Records
Sub Pop
Merge
BEST INDIE RECORDING STUDIO
Milkboy Studio
Cambridge Studios
Kawari Sounds
BEST ENGINEER / PRODUCER
Will Yip
Bill Moriarty
Ivan Barias