OffBeat’s 2023 Best of The Beat Music Awards took place on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at Tipitina’s. The Best of The Beat Awards™ is a program of the OffBeat Music & Cultural Arts Foundation and was presented by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, with support from OffBeat Magazine and WWL-TV.
Forty-eight awards were given out to local musicians for their performances and albums for the year 2023. The awards were designed and created by Ginger Kelly Glass, with food provided by Jacques-Imos, Shaggy’s, Cochon King BBQ and New Orleans Crepes a la Cart.
Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to David R. Batiste, Sr. (Music); Don Marshall (Music Business); Ricky Sebastian (Music Education); and Fred Johnson, Jr. (HeartBeat) for their accomplishments. The Music Awards, which were voted on by almost 9,000 individuals from around the world are as follows:
Best Blues Artist: Samantha Fish
Best Blues Album: Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton: Death Wish Blues
Best R&B / Funk Artist: Jon Batiste
Best R&B / Funk Album: Jon Batiste: World Music Radio
Best Rock Artist: The Revivalists
Best Rock Album: The Revivalists: Pour it out into the Night
Best Roots Rock / Americana Artist: Lucinda Williams
Best Roots Rock / American Album: Lucinda Williams: Stories from a Rock N Roll Heart
Best Country / Folk / Singer-Songwriter Artist: Alex McMurray
Best Country / Folk / Singer-Songwriter Album: Paul Sanchez: Between Friends… And Me
Best Rap / Hip-Hop / Bounce Artist: Flagboy Giz
Best Rap / Hip-Hop / Bounce Album: Flagboy Giz: I Got Indian In My Family
Best Traditional Jazz Artist: Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Best Traditional Jazz Album: Tuba Skinny: Hot Town
Best Contemporary Jazz Artist: Terence Blanchard
Best Contemporary Jazz Album: Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Uptown on Mardi Gras Day
Best Brass Band: The Soul Rebels
Best Brass Band Album: The New Orleans Nightcrawlers: Too Much To Hold
Best Cajun Artist: Lost Bayou Ramblers
Best Cajun Album: Lost Bayou Ramblers and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra: Lost Bayou Ramblers and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (Live)
Best Zydeco Artist: Buckwheat Zydeco, Jr. & the Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
Best Zydeco Album: Buckwheat Zydeco, Jr. & the Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band: New Beginnings…
Best Cover Band: Bag of Donuts
Allen Toussaint Award Songwriter of the Year: Jon Batiste
Best Female Vocalist: Erica Falls
Best Male Vocalist: John Boutte
Best Bass Player: George Porter, Jr.
Best Guitarist: Samantha Fish
Best Drummer: D. Russell Batiste, Jr.
Best Clarinetist: Doreen Ketchens
Best Saxophonist: Donald Harrison, Jr.
Best Trombonist: Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews
Best Trumpeter: Terence Blanchard
Best Tuba / Sousaphonist: Kirk Joseph
Best Piano / Keyboards: Ivan Neville
Best Accordionist: Dwayne Dopsie
Best Violin / Fiddle Player: Louis Michot
Best DJ: Mannie Fresh
Best Other Instrument: Jason Marsalis (vibes)
Best Music Video: Deathwish by Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton
Artist of the Year: Jon Batiste
Album of the Year: Jon Batiste: World Music Radio
Best Emerging Artist: Victor Campbell
Song of the Year: “Butterfly” by Jon Batiste
Lifetime Achievement in Music Education: Ricky Sebastian
Lifetime Achievement in Music Business: Don Marshall
HeartBeat Award: Fred Johnson, Jr.
Lifetime Achievement in Music: David R. Batiste, Sr.
Congratulations to all!!
