Nominees Announced for 5th Annual Beachcomber Music Awards

This just in from Christopher C. Manson at The Beachcomber -

For the past couple months, we’ve solicited nominations for The Fifth Annual Beachcomber Music Awards, to be held at John Wehner’s Village Door in the Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin Monday, March 4, at 7 p.m. Many folks responded, especially musicians, and I’d like to thank them for bringing some very worthy first-time nominees to our attention.

Mail in ballots will NOT be accepted this time around, but you are not required to vote in each category in the online ballot. UPDATE - click here to vote online.

There are a few new categories this year, including Best Solo Artist, Best Americana Artist and Best Comedy Artist. The Best DJ category is back for the first time since we started the awards in 2008.

Anyway, congratulations to all the talented folks listed below, and I hope to see each and every one of you on the Village Door stage next March in the biggest jam session this area has ever seen!

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Chris Alvarado
Geoff McBride
Donnie Sundal
Forrest Williams (2011-12 Winner)

BEST BAND
Boukou Groove
Dread Clampitt (2011-12 Winners)
Heritage
Hotel Oscar
Forrest Williams Band

BEST SOLO ARTIST (New Category)
Chris Alvarado
Bill Garrett
Kelsey Anna
Kyle LaMonica
Donnie Sundal

BEST MALE VOCALIST
Geoff McBride
Donnie Sundal
Forrest Williams (2011-12 Winner)
Mose Wilson (Hotel Oscar)

BEST FEMALE VOCALIST
Season Ammons
Cheryl Jones
Kelsey Anna (2011-12 Winner)
Dannica Lowery
Ashley Wing (The Bottoms Up Band)

BEST GUITARIST
Doug “Dr. D” Dickerson (Something Fishy, Hubba Hubba)
Derwin “Big D” Perkins (Boukou Groove)
Scott Rockwood
Zack Rosicka
Forrest Williams (2011-12 Winner)

BEST BASSIST
Dan Collins (Black Eyed Blonde)
Bill Garrett (2011-12 Winner)
John Hoormann (Mike and the Micros)
EdMo Lanier
Kenny Oliverio (Dread Clampitt)

BEST KEYBOARDIST
Joe Fingas
Shawn Hartung
Cheryl Jones (2011-12 Winner)
Donnie Sundal
Pherrel Williams

BEST DRUMMER
Fred Domulot
Rigel Forte (New Earth Army)
Greg Mandel (Black Eyed Blonde)
Brent Purcell (Jones and Company)
John Reinlie (Dread Clampitt and About a Dozen Others)

BEST HORN PLAYER
Al Alvarado (2011-12 Winner)
Ike Bartley
Fly Dents

BEST DANCE ARTIST
Black Eyed Blonde
The Dream Band  (John Wehner’s Village Door)
Flash Flood
Heritage (2011-12 Winners)

BEST ALTERNATIVE ARTIST
Nik Flagstar and His Dirty Mangy Dogs
Hotel Oscar
The Owsley Brothers

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER
Chris Alvarado
Season Ammons
Kelsey Anna
Donnie Sundal
Forrest Williams (2011-12 Winner)

BEST AMERICANA ARTIST (New Category)
Dread Clampitt
Hotel Oscar
Old Bull/Young Bull
The Steenos
Forrest Williams

BEST BLUES ARTIST
Boukou Groove
Blue Lew Hogue (2011-12 Winner, as Blue Lew’s Groove)
Emerald Coast Blues Brothers
JB Lawson
Zack Rosicka

BEST COMEDY ARTIST (New Category)
Act4Murder
Bryan Kennedy
Teddy Lehmann (“Elwood”)

BEST “COVER” ARTIST
Black Eyed Blonde (2011-12 Winners)
Nobody’s Outlaw
Something Fishy

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST
Jason Clark
Bryan Kennedy
Red Rocket (Jeremiah Campbell)

BEST DJ (This Category Returning for First Time Since 2008)
DJ Boom
DJ Spinzy
DJ Vladi

BEST JAM BAND
Cadillac Willy (2011-12 Winners)
The Funky Projekt
Something Fishy

BEST JAZZ ARTIST
The EdMo Project
Jones and Company
The Red Bar Jazz Band (2011-12 Winners)
Michael J Thomas

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Boukou Groove, “Stay Broke”
Heritage, “Spread Love”
Forrest Williams, “Gonna Take Love”

BEST INSTRUMENTALIST (Not Covered in Other Categories)
Mark “The Harp” Cassady (Harmonica)
Heidi Jamila (Fiddle/Violin – Wes Heath and the Whiskey Band, Sweater Puppets)
Sue Kittredge (Fiddle/Violin – Coconut Radio)
Balder Saunders (Mandolin – Dread Clampitt)
Patrick Wilson (Pedal Steel Guitar – Cadillac Willy)

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE
Club LA (Destin) (Hosted 2010-11 Beachcomber Music Awards)
Funky Blues Shack (Destin)
HarborWalk Village (Destin) (Hosted 2011-12 Beachcomber Music Awards)
Pandora’s (Grayton Beach)
Williams Backyard Boogie (Santa Rosa Beach)

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST
Boukou Groove
Geoff McBride
Donnie Sundal

BEST ROCK ARTIST
The Bottoms Up Band
Nik Flagstar and His Dirty
Mangy Dogs
The Helvetica Effect
Hotel Oscar (2011-12 Winners)
The Owsley Brothers

BEST “HOMEGROWN” CD
Boukou Groove, A Lil Boukou in Your Cup
Nik Flagstar and His Dirty Mangy Dogs, Chase Pussy
Heritage, Out Here…
Hubba Hubba, Live at the Red Bar
Forrest Williams, Gonna Take Love

BEST MUSIC EVENT OF 2012
Destin Seafood Festival
Share the Shelter Music Fest
30A Songwriters Festival (2011-12 Winner)

HALL OF FAME
(Individual/Group That Has Made Extraordinary Contributions to the Local Music Scene for a Decade or More. Past honorees are Duke Bardwell, Jones and Company, Bill Garrett and Franko “Washboard” Jackson)
Pat Boone
Doug “Dr. D” Dickerson
Rusty Hammerstrom
Mike and the Micros
Donnie Sundal