In early December OffBeat solicited nominations from musicians and others in the music community. We gave these results to our writers and editors and, with input from both, determined the nominations in each category. Public voting on the resulting ballot began on December 17 with voting ending on Tuesday, January 5. Winners will be announced at the Best of the Beat, which returns to Generations Hall on Thursday, January 21.
OffBeat will recognize our Lifetime Achievement honorees: The Radiators (Music); Germaine Bazzle (Music Education); Roland and Mary Von Kurnatowski (Music Business); and Catherine Lasperches, nurse practitioner at the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and LSU Health Network, will receive our Heartbeat Award. Publisher Jan Ramsey will host the awards on January 21 with an assist from WWL-TV’s Eric Paulsen at the Music Business Awards on January 13 at the Orpheum Theater.
The 2015 Best of the Beat Awards will feature performances by Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters, Young Fellaz Brass Band, ROAR!, Roddie Romero and the Hub City Allstars, DJ Quickie Mart, A Tribute to Allen Toussaint featuring Tony Hall, Cyril Neville, Davell Crawford, David Torkanowsky, and Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes pay homage to the Radiators and more.
Many of the city’s finest restaurants will be serving complimentary cuisine, including Barcadia, Bratz Y’all, Bittersweet Confections, Gumbo Shop, Custom Catering, Dat Dog, Fulton Alley, Creole Cuisine Concepts, Praline Connection, Nola Foods & Whoodoo BBQ, The Norwegian Seaman’s Church, Whole Foods, Susan Spicer’s Mondo, Tee-Eva’s and many more.
The Best of the Beat Awards are presented by the OffBeat Music and Cultural Arts Foundation. The Foundation was developed to create opportunities that support Louisiana artists in leading sustainable creative lives. The OffBeat Music and Cultural Arts Foundation merges education, advocacy, community engagement and creative collaboration to foster and uplift Louisiana music, arts and culture.
Sponsors for this year’s Best of the Beat Awards include OffBeat Media, Generations Hall, The Orpheum Theater, WWL-TV, New Orleans Live!, WWNO, WYES, WWOZ, the Voice of The Wetlands Foundation, the Positive Vibrations Foundation and the New Orleans Advocate.
Discounted advance tickets for the Best of the Beat are on sale now at OffBeat.com; tickets purchased day-of are $45. We hope to see you at the Best of the Beat: two stages, plenty of food, mingling with your favorite musicians—all for the cost of a good lunch.
Artist of the Year
Jon Cleary
Kristin Diable
Galactic
Steve Riley
Christian Scott
Album of the Year
Terence Blanchard: Breathless (Blue Note)
Jon Cleary: Go Go Juice (Thirty Tigers)
Galactic: Into the Deep (Provogue)
Aurora Nealand and Tom McDermott: City of Timbres (Independent)
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: Voyageurs (Independent)
Write Brothers: First Flight (Independent)
Best Emerging Artist
The Deslondes
New Breed Brass Band
Jamison Ross
Kyle Roussel
Jamie Lynn Vessels
Song of the Year
“Boneyard” by Jon Cleary
“Does it Really Make a Difference” by Galactic and John Michael Rouchell
“I’ll Make Time for You” by Kristin Diable
“It’s How You Hold Me” by Dayna Kurtz
“Everything That Ends Begins Again” by Paul Sanchez
“Cane River Waltz” by Malcolm Welbourne
Best Blues Performer
Brint Anderson
Sonny Landreth
Little Freddie King
Johnny Sansone
Walter “Wolfman” Washington
Best Blues Album
Brint Anderson: Covered in Earl (Independent)
Colin Lake: One Thing That’s for Sure (Louisiana Red Hot Records)
Sonny Landreth: Bound by the Blues (Provogue)
Johnny Sansone: Lady on the Levee (Shortstack Records)
Marc Stone: Poison & Medicine (Louisiana Red Hot Records)
Best R&B/Funk Artist
Jon Cleary
Galactic
Naughty Professor
New Orleans Suspects
Nigel Hall
George Porter, Jr.
Best R&B/Funk Album
Jon Cleary: Go Go Juice (Thirty Tigers)
Galactic: Into the Deep (Provogue)
Naughty Professor: Out on a Limb (Independent)
Nigel Hall: Ladies & Gentlemen… Nigel Hall (Feel Music/Round Hill Records)
George Porter, Jr.: It’s Time to Funk (Independent)
Royal Southern Brotherhood: Don’t Look Back: The Muscle Shoals Sessions (Ruf Records)
Best Rock Artist
Bantam Foxes
Breton Sound
Lonely Lonely Knights
The Revivalists
Sweet Crude
Best Rock Album
Givers: New Kingdom (Glassnote)
Junior League: Also Rans (Kool Kat Musik)
Lonely Lonely Knights: Lonely Lonely Knights (Independent)
The Revivalists: Men Amongst Mountains (Wind-Up)
Yojimbo (now ROAR!): Ghost Birthday (Independent)
Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Boyfriend
Chase N. Cashe
Dee-1
Pell
Nesby Phips
Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album/Mixtape
Boyfriend: Love Your Boyfriend: Pts, 1 & 2 (Independent)
Dee-1: 3’s Up (RCA Inspiration)
Lil Wayne: Sorry 4 The Wait 2 (Be Music)
Pell: Limbo (Federal Prism Records)
Young Greatness: I Tried To Tell Em (Independent)
Best Bounce Artist
5th Ward Weebie
Big Freedia
Cheeky Blakk
Katey Red
Sissy Nobby
Tenth Ward Buck
Best Traditional Jazz Artist
Tom McDermott
Leroy Jones
Steve Pistorius Trio
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Kermit Ruffins
Best Traditional Jazz Album
Sasha Masakowski & the Sidewalk Strutters: Old Green River (Independent)
Aurora Nealand and Tom McDermott: City of Timbres (Independent)
New Orleans Jazz Vipers: Going! Going! Gone (Independent)
Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers: #imsoneworleans (Basin Street Records)
Seva Venet: Revisiting New Orleans String Bands: 1880-1949 (Threadhead Records)
Best Contemporary Jazz Artist
Terence Blanchard
Nicholas Payton
Jamison Ross
Christian Scott
James Singleton
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Terence Blanchard: Breathless (Blue Note)
Nicholas Payton: Letters (Paytone Recors)
Jamison Ross: Jamison (Concord)
Christian Scott: Stretch Music (Ropeadope)
James Singleton: Shiner (Independent)
Best Brass Band
Hot 8 Brass Band
Original Pinettes Brass Band
Rebirth Brass Band
Soul Rebels
Young Fellaz Brass Band
Best Cajun Artist
Feufollet
Magnolia Sisters
Roddie Romero & the Hub City Allstars
Steve Riley
T-Monde
Best Cajun Album
Feufollet: Two Universes (Feufollet)
Doug Kershaw & Steve Riley: Face to Face (Valcour Records)
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: Voyageurs (Independent)
Sweet Cecilia: Sweet Cecilia (Old Man Records)
T-Monde: Yesterday’s Gone (Valcour Records)
Best Zydeco Artist
Chris Ardoin
Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band
Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers
Ruben Moreno
Lil’ Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers
Best Zydeco Album
Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band: Zydeco Stuff (Swampadelic)
Doghill Stompers: We On the Rise (Independent)
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers: Calling Your Name (Sound of New Orleans)
Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys: Raw! (Independent)
Ruben Moreno: Complique (Indep.)
Best Roots Rock Artist
Dash Rip Rock
The Deslondes
Papa Mali
Paul Sanchez
Write Brothers
Best Roots Rock Album
Dash Rip Rock: Wrongheaded (Drag Snake)
The Deslondes: The Deslondes (New West Records)
Papa Mali: Music is Love (429 Records)
Paul Sanchez: The World is Round Everything That Ends Begins Again (Independent)
Write Brothers: First Flight (Independent)
Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Artist
Spencer Bohren
Kristin Diable
Dayna Kurtz
Kelcy Mae
Sarah Quintana
Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album
Spencer Bohren: Seven Birds (Valve Records)
Kristin Diable: Create Your Own Mythology (Speakeasy Records/Thirty Tigers)
Dayna Kurtz: Rise and Fall (Kismet/M.C. Records)
Louie Ludwig with the Moss Pickers: Elevation 13 (Independent)
Sarah Quintana: Miss River (Indep.)
Best Gospel
Electrifying Crown Seekers
Tyrone Foster and the Arc Singers
Joyful
McDonough 35 High School Gospel Choir
Best Cover Band
Bag of Donuts
Bucktown All-Stars
Bobby Cure & the Summertime Blues
Gris Gris
Topcats
Songwriter of the Year
Jon Cleary
Danya Kurtz
Jim McCormick
Alex McMurray
Paul Sanchez
David Shaw
Best Female Vocalist
Germaine Bazzle
Susan Cowsill
Kristin Diable
Erica Falls
Maggie Koerner
Meschiya Lake
Best Male Vocalist
John Boutte
Antoine Diel
Nigel Hall
Colin Lake
Jamison Ross
Best Bass Player
Roland Guerin
Tony Hall
Matt Perrine
George Porter, Jr.
James Singleton
Best Guitarist
Colin Lake
Sonny Landreth
Alex McMurray
Jimmy Robinson
Walter “Wolfman” Washington
Best Drummer
Derrick Freeman
Joe Lastie, Jr.
Jason Marsalis
Stanton Moore
Johnny Vidacovich
Raymond Weber
Best Saxophonist
Derek Douget
Rex Gregory
Donald Harrison
Derek Huston
Aurora Nealand
Best Clarinetist
Gregory Agid
Evan Christopher
Charlie Gabriel
Tim Laughlin
Aurora Nealand
Dr. Michael White
Best Trumpeter
Jeremy Davenport
Irvin Mayfield
Nicholas Payton
Kermit Ruffins
Christian Scott
Best Trombonist
Glen David Andrews
Troy Andrews
Corey Henry
Craig Klein
Mark Mullins
Best Tuba/Sousaphonist
Edward Lee, Jr.
Phil Frazier
Jon Gross
Ben Jaffe
Jason Jurzak
Matt Perrine
Best Piano/Keyboardist
Jon Cleary
Nigel Hall
Tom McDermott
Josh Paxton
David Torkanowsky
Best Accordionist
Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes
Chubby Carrier
Andre Michot
Steve Riley
Roddie Romero
Best Violin/Fiddle Player
Kelli Jones-Savoy
Louis Michot
Matt Rhody
Amanda Shaw
Kevin Wimmer
Best DJ
Captain Charles
DJ Matty
DJ Soul Sister
Mannie Fresh
Quickie Mart
Best Other Instrument
Debbie Davis (ukulele)
Mike Dillon (vibes)
Helen Gillet (cello)
Johnny Sansone (harmonica)
Seva Venet (banjo)
Washboard Chaz (washboard)
Best Music Video
“A Fine Romance” Alia Shawkat, James Williams & the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, by Ramell Ross
“Dangerous” Big Freedia, by Bert Company Media
“I’ll Make Time for You” Kristin Diable, by Scott McKibben
“It’s How You Hold Me” Dayna Kurtz, by Cameron Wheeless
“Run” Helen Gillet, by Michael Lancaster
“The World Alive” Colin Lake, by Nathan Tape
“That’s It!” Lyrics Born/Preservation Hall Jazz Band, by Jermaine Quiz
