Upcoming Beachcomber Music Awards April 10th

Beachcomber Magazine and Al’s Beach Club to Host 10th Annual Music Awards Tuesday, April 10

Beachcomber magazine—the Emerald Coast’s leading arts and entertainment publication since 2001—announces that Beachcomber Music Awards X will be held at Al’s Beach Club & Burger Bar, at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island Tuesday, April 10.

This is the magazine’s tenth celebration of local musicians, and the event will feature award presentations in 44 categories. A complete list of the 2018 nominees appears below.

All qualified candidates (those submitted to Beachcomber by email) were included on an online nominating ballot posted from late December 2017 through February 18, 2018. After tabulating thousands of votes, the top three nominees in each category were determined. Due to a tie, there are four nominees in the Best Duo category. Final voting took place February 22-March 18, 2018.

Doors open at 6 p.m. on event night, with the awards show kicking off at 7. Beachcomber Editor Chris Manson will host, along with a who’s who of guest presenters. Musical acts performing at Beachcomber Music Awards X include Casey Kearney, The EdMo Blues Project featuring Cat Rhodes, The Good Lookings, and Big Lo. An all-inclusive jam will close out the night’s festivities.

“We always have a great turnout for the awards, and I’m excited that we’re having it at Al’s Beach Club this year,” says Mr. Manson. “You stand on that stage and you’re looking right at the beach!”

Al’s Beach Club will offer their 3•4•5 Happy Hour from 10 pm until close, with food and bar specials ranging from $3 to $5. “We’re all about music here at Al’s Beach Club and are stoked to highlight our local musicians who know how to rock a stage,” says Chris Cassidy, General Manager of Al’s Beach Club.

Additional information on the awards show will be posted online at BeachcomberDestin.com, and in the magazine’s April 5-18 print edition.

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2018 BEACHCOMBER MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

 

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Chris Alvarado

Black Eyed Blonde

Schatzi + the String Boffin

 

BEST BAND

Black Eyed Blonde

Heritage

I’magene

 

BEST SOLO ARTIST

Chris Alvarado

Shane Curle

Dannica Lowery

 

BEST MALE VOCALIST

Chris Alvarado

Anthony O’Shae

Teddy Siren

 

BEST FEMALE VOCALIST

Alexa Burroughs

Cheryl Jones

Dannica Lowery

 

BEST DUO (TIE)

Flash Flood Duo

Qwerty

Schatzi + the String Boffin

The Wide Open

 

BEST GUITARIST

Shane Curle

Brandon Day

Ben Parsons

 

BEST BASSIST

Dan Collins

Matt Moore

Ricky Stanfield

 

BEST KEYBOARDIST

Cheryl Jones

Anthony O’Shae

Donnie Sundal 

 

BEST DRUMMER

Billy Kernen

Greg Mandel

Will Russo

 

BEST HORN PLAYER

Al Alvarado

Rodney Brown

Fly Dents

 

BEST FIDDLE-VIOLIN PLAYER

Jessica Heit

Carol Hayes

Matt Miller

 

BEST HARMONICA PLAYER

Tony Forte

Allen Rayfield

JAB Wilson

 

BEST MANDOLIN PLAYER

Mark Gillespie

Ben Parsons

Neil Sebree

 

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

Alexa Burroughs

Brandon Day

Dannica Lowery

 

BEST ALTERNATIVE ARTIST

Nik Flagstar and His Dirty Mangy Dogs

The Graytones

I’magene

 

BEST AMERICANA ARTIST

Dread Clampitt

The Graytones

Schatzi + the String Boffin

 

BEST BLUES ARTIST

Boukou Groove

Finga FAYA

The Graytones

 

BEST CHRISTIAN-GOSPEL ARTIST

Destiny Worship Music

Cheryl Jones

Yung Salt

 

BEST COMEDY ARTIST

Act4Mystery

Rusty Hammerstrom

Bubbs Harris

 

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST

Casey Kearney

The Luke Langford Band

Mose Wilson and the Delta Twang

 

BEST COVER BAND OR SOLO ACT

Black Eyed Blonde

The Graytones

Shenanigans

 

BEST DANCE BAND

Black Eyed Blonde

Heritage

Shenanigans

 

BEST DJ

DJ Deezy

DJ Serpent

DJ V-Train

 

BEST FOLK ARTIST

Franko “Washboard” Jackson

Schatzi + the String Boffin

Nic Turner

 

BEST JAM BAND

Cadillac Willy

The Graytones

Heritage

 

BEST JAZZ ARTIST

Jones and Company

Matt McCarty’s Jazz Jam Band

The Red Bar Jazz Band

 

BEST RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST

Big Lo

DJ Deezy

Strange Tang / The Strangers

 

BEST R&B-SOUL ARTIST

Boukou Groove

Chase Carter

Jones and Company

 

BEST REGGAE ARTIST

Heritage

Queenie Shaye

Tribe Zion

 

BEST ROCK ARTIST

Nik Flagstar and His Dirty Mangy Dogs

Heritage

Something to Yield

 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Technically, albums released between Nov. 2016 and Oct. 2017.

Nik Flagstar and His Dirty Mangy Dogs, Hard Times

New Earth Army, Rebirth

Various Artists, #IAmDJDeezy

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The Graytones, “In Time”

The Strangers, “Edge Life”

The Wide Open, “Long Road Home”

 

BEST INSTRUMENTALIST

Cheryl Jones

Ben Parsons

Robby Walton

 

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

Further proof that the Beachcomber poll is not rigged.

AJ’s, Destin

Club LA, Destin

Green Door Music Hall, Fort Walton Beach

 

BEST MUSIC EVENT OF 2017

Dan Jam (AJ’s, Destin)

Rock for a Cure (The Block, Fort Walton Beach)

30A Songwriters Festival (Various Locations, Santa Rosa Beach and Miramar Beach)

 

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

Brave New World, “Smiley Boy” (Josh Shelton)

The Graytones, “In Time” (Cole Huffer / Enlightened Studios) 

I’magene, “Faded” (Destyn Patera)

 

BEST LATIN ARTIST

Dalena

Jones and Company

Sal Salaz

 

BEST METAL ARTIST

Accursed Creator

Dark Star Coven

Nik Flagstar and His Dirty Mangy Dogs

  

BEST CLASSICAL ARTIST

Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra

Katie Smith

Carol Yessick

 

BEST PERCUSSIONIST

Ted Cobena

Cheryl Jones

Greg Mandel

 

BEST TRIBUTE ACT

Emerald Coast Blues Brothers

RoshamBeatles

Rust and Gold

 

BEST NEW ARTIST

Previous winners: The Rips (2016) and Mari Gleason (2017).

Alexa Burroughs

The Graytones

Rossi

 

HALL OF FAME

Presented to musicians that have made a significant impact on the Emerald Coast music scene for more than a decade. Previous honorees include Duke Bardwell, Jones and Company, Bill Garrett, Franko “Washboard” Jackson, Donnie Sundal, “Smilin’” Fritz Froeschner, Dread Clampitt, Cadillac Willy and Joe Fingas.

Al Alvarado

Black Eyed Blonde

Forrest Williams