The 4th Annual Eddies Music Awards Results Are In…

Sean Rowe, Buggy Jive, Girl Blue, and Jocelyn & Chris were the big winners at the 4th annual Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards Sunday night at Proctors. Each received two awards; 42 plaques in all were awarded.

Other big winners include Andy Gregory of WEXT won DJ of the Year, while WEXT Radio, which airs his weekly Local 518 program, won Radio Station of the Year. Nippertown won its fourth straight Eddies Award for Publication of the Year and their publisher Jim Gilbert also won Photographer of the Year. Carolyn Shapiro took home Folk/Traditional Artist of the Year and as Marketing Manager of Caffe Lena also won Best Small Venue. And lastly, Madeline Darby won Electronica Artist of the Year and also shares the award for Presenter of the Year with the incredible team at Super Dark Collective.

Rowe won an Eddies Music Award for Record of the Year for “Squid Tattoo” and Album of the Year for “The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights.” Girl Blue won Solo or Duo Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Buggy Jive won RnB/Soul/Funk Artist of the Year and tied for Music Video of the Year for his “Tiptoes” with Jocelyn & Chris’ “Sugar and Spice.” Jocelyn & Chris also received a Merit Award for their marathon Couch Concert Series during the pandemic, which consisted of over 400 virtual shows presented free to their fans.

Eddies founder/producer Jim Murphy acknowledged during the show that it had been a long two years professionally and personally for everyone in the music community gathered. “It feels much better now. Our goal tonight – and over time – is to shine a light on as many of you as possible… and to have fun in the process. Let’s celebrate one another.”

The awards show returned to the MainStage at Proctors after trimmed-down affairs during the pandemic, including one virtual awards show and one live event at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga.

Special merit awards were given to John Griffith and DJ Hollyw8d. Griffith’s Facebook page, Bar People, has supported local musicians and venues with daily regional live music calendars since 2016. Mario Johnson – aka DJ Hollyw8d – launched a series of live music shows, More Music Less Violence, to help communities suffering from street violence to heal.

AWARD RECIPIENTS

Solo or Duo Artist of the Year – Girl Blue

Solo or Duo Performer of the Year (Covers) – tie – Steve Candlen & Rich Ortiz

Party Cover Band of the Year – Off The Record

DJ of the Year – Intell Hayesfield

Country/Bluegrass Artist of the Year – Jim Gaudet and The Railroad Boys

Country Cover Band of the Year – Skeeter Creek

Americana Artist of the Year – Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter

Rock/Pop Artist of the Year – Super 400

Alt/Indie Artist of the Year – The Sea The Sea

Folk/Traditional Artist of the Year – Carolyn Shapiro

Hip Hop/Rap Artist of the Year – JB!! aka Dirty Moses

Jazz Artist of the Year – Hot Club of Saratoga

Punk/Hardcore Artist of the Year – Candy Ambulance

Metal/Hard Rock Artist of the Year – Bad Mothers

Jam Band of the Year – Let’s Be Leonard

Blues Artist of the Year – Mark Tolstrup & Jill Burnham

RnB/Soul/Funk Artist of the Year – Buggy Jive

Electronica Artist of the Year – Madeline Darby

Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year – Albany Symphony Orchestra

World Music Artist of the Year – Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra

Best Venue Small (up to 299 people) – Caffé Lena

Best Venue Medium (300-999 people) – The Egg

Best Venue Large (1,000 people and up) – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Presenter of the Year – Super Dark Collective

Radio Station of the Year – WEXT

Radio DJ of the Year (terrestrial or streaming) – Andy Gregory

Record Label of the Year – Upstate Records

Live Production Crew of the Year – High Peaks Sound Inc.

Music Recording Studio of the Year – NRS Recording

Arts Publication of the Year (print, TV or new media) – Nippertown

Music Journalist of the Year – tie – Indiana Nash (Daily Gazette) & Liam Sweeny (Xperience Monthly)

Music Photographer of the Year – Jim Gilbert

Songwriter of the Year – Girl Blue

Music Video of the Year – tie – Buggy Jive – “Tiptoes” & Jocelyn & Chris – “Sugar and Spice”

Record of the Year – Sean Rowe – “Squid Tattoo”

Album of the Year – Sean Rowe – “The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights”

MERIT AWARDS

John Griffith – Bar People

DJ Hollyw8d – More Music, Less Violence

Jocelyn & Chris – Pandemic Couch Concert series