38th Annual REVIEW Music Awards FINAL FIVE NOMINEES

All of us at  The REVIEW  are extremely pleased and excited to announce this year’s 38th Annual REVIEW Music Awards Celebration will be returning to Bay City and will once again be held within the historic spacious splendor of The Westown Theater on Sunday, April 28th. Doors will open at 4:00 PM and the Awards Celebration will run from 5:00 PM until approximately 11:00 PM.

This annual celebration has evolved over nearly four decades into one of our region’s most significant entertainment extravaganzas of the year in which we celebrate and gather to honor the expansive range of musical artistry populating the Great Lakes Bay Region with their creativity and talent.

Since its inception, the Review Music Awards has grown in both stature and recognition throughout the State of Michigan, presenting an exceptional evening where we turn the spotlight on our area’s top musical artists in genres of Jazz, Blues, Rock, Country, Hip-Hop and Alternative music as determined by readers and fans throughout the region.

Guest presenters and local personalities will award trophies to the winners, and we will feature an incredible line-up of musical performances by the newly formed Jazz combo The Jeff Grassl Trio, last year’s award-winning newcomers Pesky Kid, the powerful  Alt/Country/Rock fusion of the award-winning ADABOY!, a special collaborative set between singer/songwriters Amy Petty, Laurie Middlebrook, and LoraDale, last year’s award-winning Alternative Rock band 20 Dollar Dog, the engaging sound of newcomers Val Hazel, and the madcap musical madness of Vlad’s Skeletal Circus.

The nomination and final voting round for this year’s 2024 Music Awards Celebration was conducted between the months of February & March and this year we had an unprecedented number of 8,565 votes cast with a total of 1,093 artists & bands represented.

Only the top five nominees in each division moved on from the nomination round to the final round, where the winners will be announced at this year’s awards celebration.

Invitations for this year’s celebration will be going out to nominees on Monday, March 18th  and tickets will be go on sale Saturday, March 16th and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com.

Tickets are only $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door. You may also purchase a table of 6 tickets for only $100.00 and receive a 20% discount over purchasing them on an individual basis. 

Tickets are also available at the following fine locations: SAGINAW: Review Magazine • White’s Bar • Records & Tapes Galore • Cork & Ale • The Listening Room • Hamilton St. Pub • Old Town Junction. BAY CITY: The Westown & Lucky’s • Electric Kitsch • Herter Music • Puff Dispensary • Scotty’s Sandbar. MIDLAND: Radio Wasteland • MI Element • Tim Boychuck’s State Farm Insurance.

Here are the nominees that made it to the Final Round of voting.  The total number of musicians or bands nominated in each division is notated at the top before listing the names of those artists who made it to the ‘Top Five’ in the final voting round. If you see more than five names that means there was a tie for the 5th place position.

Congratulations to all the nominees and look for more details and a full itinerary and schedule of the evening’s festivities in our April 3rd edition of The REVIEW!

MISCELLANEOUS

Best Musical Fundraising Project • Total Nominees: 8

Band Roulette • REDBURN - Suicide Awareness • Saginaw Onstage • TwinTerror Presents "Party at the Pavilion" • The Banana Convention - 20 year Anniversary Vinyl

Best Metal Band • Total Nominees: 8

Shadow People • Legend Scroll • Here After Six • Them Heels • Vera Noir

Best Streaming Musical Series • Total Nominees: 9

Kris Pride-Helm • Michigan Music History Podcast • Pickin’ in the Kitchen with Dean and Tyler • Timetravelers Music Page • Watash Listening Lounge

Best Live Music Club or Bar • Total Nominees: 10

Bemo's • Whites Bar • The Vault • Scotty’s Sandbar • The Willew Lounge

Best Radio Station • Total Nominees: 12

Z93 The Rock Station • 90.1 Delta Collage Radio • WXTF 97.9 FM LP • 106.3 The Core • 98.1 KCQ

Best Videographer • Total Nominees: 12

Amelia Jo • Justin Edward - Pork Haus - Rugs and Garbage feat. DJ KIT • Kari Helm (Pride-Helm Productions) • Mike Beattie • M.L. Jiminez - Creatavid

Best Live Performance Venue • Total Nominees: 13

Bemo's • The Vault • Whites Bar • Lolobees Lounge • Scotty’s Sandbar

Best Live Streaming Production • Total Nominees: 13

The Mid-Michigan Sound Operative • PapaDoc Studios • Kris Pride and the Pride-a-Doodles • Michigan Music History Podcast • Pickin’ in the Kitchen with Dean and Tyler

Best Band Website • Total Nominees: 14

ADABOY! • Hiding Salem.com • Them Heels • Scottbakermusic.com • Twenty Dollar Dog • Lori & The Darlings

Best Music Video • Total Nominees: 18

WinaSchnitzel - Could it Be? • Pork Haus - Rugs and Garbage feat. DJ KIT • Mike Spitz - Reach For Me • REDBURN - In the End • ROKITA - She Is

Best Recording Studio • Total Nominees: 18

Reed Recording • PapaDoc Studios • Kris Pride • Todd Allyn Music Group • CARokita Music LLC

Best Alternative Band • Total Nominees: 18

Hiding Salem • Twenty Dollar Dog • Them Heels • ADABOY! • Kush Robinson

Best Sound Technician • Total Nominees: 19

Carey Limberg • Bud Riebenack • William LaFrance of Level 47 Productions • Tim Reed • Scott Causley

Best Recorded LP, CD or EP Release • Total Nominees: 22

Hiding Salem - Transgenre • WinaSchnitzel - Extended Stay • Mike Spitz - Comfortable In My Chaos • Time (Voices Run) / ADABOY! • Twenty Dollar Dog - Demos

Best New Album or CD Release • Total Nominees: 22

Hiding Salem-Transgenre • WinaSchnitzel - Extended Stay • Lori & The Darlings - Main Street • Mike Spitz - Comfortable In My Chaos • Time (Voices Run) / ADABOY!

Best New Artist of the Year • Total Nominees: 23

Val Hazel • Robin Abbott • ROKITA • Pork Haus • Krisfire Reunion

Best New Single Release • Total Nominees: 24

Pork Haus - Rugs and Garbage feat. DJ KIT • ROKITA - She Is • Time (Voices Run)  ADABOY! • Loren Kranz - Play all Night • Better Off Dead - Vlad’s Skeletal Circus • Henry Walters - Crazy For You

Best Duo • Total Nominees: 28

Melissa May & Brian Coonan • WinaSchnitzel • Kris Pride and Kris Goodwin • Sarah Hyde and Clayton C. (Hyde & C) • Just Folkin’ Witcha

Best Original Band • Total Nominees: 31

ADABOY! • Pork Haus • Twenty Dollar Dog • Hiding Salem • WinaSchnitzel

Best Multi-Instrumentalist • Total Nominees: 33

Bob Hausler • Joe Balbaugh • Sarah Hyde • Justin Edward • Joseph Gerring

Best Variety Band • Total Nominees: 35

Kush Robinson • Just Folkin’ Witcha • Hiding Salem • WinaSchnitzel • Vlad's Skeletal Circus • ADABOY!

Most Innovative Artist • Total Nominees: 37

Chris Rokita • Justin Edward • Twenty Dollar Dog • Kush Robinson • Vlad's Skeletal Circus

Best Solo Artist • Total Nominees: 38

Robin Abbott • Aaron Johnson • Bob Hausler • Joe Balbaugh • Mike Spitz • Chris Rokita

ROCK

Best Rock Video • Total Nominees: 10

WinaSchnitzel - Could it Be? • REDBURN - In the End • ROKITA - She Is • Mike Spitz ft. Woody Gates - Love Myself • HumanShield - Be Not Afraid (Playthrough/Studio Tracking)

Rock Keyboardist • Total Nominees: 19

Bob Hausler • Kris Schmitt • Bob Holtzapple • Dave Banks • Tim Cary • Noel Howland • Dion Mason

Rock Female Vocalist • Total Nominees: 26

Sarah Hyde • Lori Keisler • Melissa May • Shannon Schnettler aka Wina • Teresa Pryor

Best Rock Songwriter • Total Nominees: 29

ADABOY! • Lori Keisler • Chris Rokita • Henry Walters • Carrie Westbay • Justin Edward - HumanShield • Melissa May • Scott Baker

Rock Bassist • Total Nominees: 37

Joe Balbaugh • Marcela Gonzalez • Matt Nyquist • Kyle O’Keefe • Paul Alcorn

Rock Drummer • Total Nominees: 42

Dan Fish • Steven Schnettler • Doug (Preacherman) Wio • Scotty McKimmy • Bill Hahn • Eric D'Aigle • Jake Nowosad • Steve Bennett • Eric Thorp

Rock Male Vocalist • Total Nomineea: 43

Jason Dean • Kurt Dahlberg • Henry Walters • Chris Rokita • Ron Lounds

Rock Guitarist • Total Nomineea: 50

Matt Hyatt • Henry Walters • Darrian Loehne • Brian Coonan • Josh Muehlfeld • Carrie Westbay • Conor Larkin • Chuck Pryor

Best Rock Band • Total Nominees: 53

Domestic Disturbance • ROAD DAWGZ • ADABOY! • Kush Robinson • ROKITA

 RAP & HIP-HOP

Best DJ • Total Nominees: 12

Chris Redburn • DJ KIT • DJ Fresco • DJ 9Milly • DJ Campus Legend

Best Rap/Hip Hop Video • Total Nominees: 19

Kyng Laine Ft P3SO - Codeine • Mike Spitz - Reach For Me • BxG5 • Astray - Coming to You ft. Jellyroll • DJ KIT

Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year • Total Nominees: 27

Kyng Laine • Mike Spitz • BxG5 • TwinTerror • Jake Buzzard • McNast • DJ Fresco

Best Rap/Hip Hop Songwriter • Total Nominees: 28

Kyng Laine • Mike Spitz • BxG5 • TwinTerror • Jake Buzzard • Chris Redburn

Best Performer • Total Nominees: 29

Kyng Laine • Mike Spitz • DJ KIT • TwinTerror • HBK Boom

COUNTRY

Best Country Video • Total Nominees: 5

We Are Never Alone or Helpless - Dada Veda & Kris Pride • Taylor Mountain - Rock Train • Small Town - Lonny Ray • Whisky Shakedown - Family Tradition • Steve Armstrong & the 25 Cent Beer Band - Her Taillights

Country Female Vocalist • Total Nominees: 12

Renee Belden • Mandi Layne • Laurie Middlebrook • Lori Keisler • Michele Spitz • Kris Pride

Best Country Band • Total Nominees: 14

Just Folkin’ Witcha • Family Tradition • Mandi Layne and the Lost Highway • Adaboy! • 25 Cent Beer Band • Michele Spitz • The JR Band • Jasper Creek

Country Songwriter • Total Nominees: 17

Renee Belden • Bob Hausler • Lori Keisler • Tyler Hughey & Kevin Rousse • Mandi Layne & Greg Kevorkian • Randy Badour

Country Male Vocalist • Total Nominees: 17

Randy Badour • Tyler Hughey • Bob Hausler • Michael Thomas Richards • Greg Kevorkian

Best Country Musician (Instrumentalist) • Total Nominees: 18

Bob Hausler • Darrian Loehne • Tyler Hughey • Gary Carson • Vincent Modern

JAZZ

Best Small Combo • Total Nominees: 3

Jim Pagel Tro • Jeff Grassl Organ Trio • Krisfire

Female Jazz Vocalist • Total Nominees: 4

Lori Keisler • Julie Mulady • Kristine Goodwin • Kris Pride

Best Big Band • Total Nominees: 5

23 North • Voortex Jazz & Blues Band • Kush Robinson • Stone Street Revival

Jazz Songwriter • Total Nominees: 5

Jeffrey Grassl • Bob Hausler • Robert Lee Balderrama • Bryan Rombalski • Timothy Jay Ross

Best Male Jazz Vocalist • Total Nominees: 5

Jeffrey Grassl • Mike Brush • William Patrick Hystad • Robert Lee Balderrama • Mitchell Lewis

Best Jazz Musician (Keyboards, Bass, Percussion, Horns, Guitarist) • Total Nominees: 11

Jeffrey Grassl • Jim Pagel • Robert Lee Balderrama • Sean Drysdale • Bob Hausler • Mike Brush

 BLUES

Best Blues Video • Total Nominees: 5

Larry McCray - Breaking News • Mitchell Lewis - Born from the Darkness • Bob Hausler - They're Coming for You • Whole Lotta Love - Charles Allen & The Vibe • Sharrie Williams - Live La Brasov

Best Funk Band • Total Nominees: 11

Kush Robinson • Twenty Dollar Dog • William Patrick & The Smoke • WinaSchnitzel • Count 'n Change • Them Heels • Krisfire • The Unk of Funk

Best Blues Band • Total Nominees: 12

The Euclid Motel • Larry McCray Band • The Blue OG's • The Rhett Yocom Blues Band • Hedgerow

Blues Instrumentalist • Total Nominees: 12

Darrian Loehne • Bob Hausler • Matt Besey • Rhett Yocum • Jack Nash

Female Blues Vocalist • Total Nominees: 13

Michelle O'Neil • Lori Keisler • Carrie Westbay • Shannon Schnettler / Wina • Kris Pride • Kalysta

Blues Songwriter • Total Nominees: 16

Larry McCray • Bob Hausler • Kris Pride • William Patrick Hystad • Carrie Westbay • Michelle O'Neil

Male Blues Vocalist • Total Nominees: 19

Larry McCray • Matt Besey • Dan Thorp • Andrew Prime • William Patrick Hystad • Tommy Dolson