A Night to Remember • Winners of the 37th Annual REVIEW Music Awards

On May 1st the 37th Annual REVIEW Music Awards returned to Bay City with palpable anticipation and enough explosive brilliance, sizzle, sparkle, and colorful enthusiasm from nominees, winners, and audience alike that it felt like a musical version of the 4th of July.

With 58 trophies handed out to musicians, venues, and musical oriented events  populating the Great Lakes Bay Region in multiple genres ranging from Jazz, Blues, Country, Rock, Hip-Hop, and numerous miscellaneous categories, this year an unprecedented total of 5,540 people nominated and cast their votes for a remarkable total of 1,133 musicians & groups from throughout the Great Lakes Bay region, with the top five nominees in each division moving to a final round of voting and the winners honored at this special annual celebration.

A total of 387 nominees, supporters, and fans of our Mid-Michigan Music Scene showed up to support this annual celebration that brings the musical community and general public together in to draw greater attention, appreciation, and respect to the remarkable creative talents we are blessed to have populating this region.

Both established artists and newcomers blazing fresh trails were honored, with knockout performances  by guest artists that included newcomers Lori & the Darlings; singer-songwriter Michelle O’Neil & Friends; the energetic fusion of The Voortex Jazz & Blues Band, featuring a guest performance by award-winning jazz vocalist Kalysta Sylvester;  a special collaboration between stellar guitarists Aaron Johnson & Matt Besey accompanied by the magical fingers of keyboardist Stephanie Noel; original alternative rock courtesy of the award-winning Winachnitzel; with the evening concluded by an ambitious and fluid performance by the alternative jam-band Kush Robinson.

Top honorees consisted of REDBURN, who walked away with 7 trophies; Lori & the Darlings, who earned 3 awards including Best New CD Release; ADABOY! who clocked in with 5 trophies, including Best Alternative Band, with member Joe Balbaugh earning 3 of those trophies for Best Instrumentalist, Best Rock Bassist, and Best Solo Artist; the ever-popular Marsupial Creampie who earned the honor of Best Original Band and Best Funk Band, along with individual honors for vocalist Andy Hahn and videographer Amelia Jo; with the evolving eclecticism of Matthew deHeus getting the nod for Most Innovative Artist, Best Country Songwriter, and Best Jazz Vocalist, and the gifted Melissa May walking away with Best Rock Vocalist, Best Rock Songwriter, and Best Duo honors for her work with guitarist Brian Coonan.

Without further ado, here’s a breakdown of all the winners:

Miscellaneous

Best Streaming Musical Series • Michigan Music History Podcast

Best Metal Band • Shadow People

Best Musical Fundraising Project • Friday Night Live Summer Series

Best Recording Studio • Musik Maschine

Best Band Website • REDBURN

Best Live Streaming Production • Lightnin' Licks Radio Podcast

Best Radio Station • Delta College Public Radio

Best Live Performance Venue • The Vault

Best Videographer • Amelia Jo

Best New Album or CD Release  (TIE) • Winaschnitzel - Extended Stay / Lori and The Darlings -  Gratitude Side B

Best Live Music Club or Bar • Bemo's Bar

Best Sound Technician • Level 47 Productions

Best Music Video • REDBURN - Hell No

Best Alternative Band • ADABOY!

Best New Artist of the Year (TIE) • Pesky Kid / Twenty Dollar Dog

Best New Single Release • REDBURN - Hell No

Best Duo • Melissa May & Brian Coonan

Best Variety Band • Road Dawgz

Most Innovative Artist • Matthew de Heus

Best Original Band • Marsupial Creampie

Best Multi-Instrumentalist • Joe Balbaugh

Best Solo Artist • Joe Balbaugh

Rock

Best Rock Video (TIE) • REDBURN - Hell No . Lori and the Darlings - "Lucky"

Best Rock Female Vocalist • Melissa May

Best Rock Keyboardist • Loren Kranz

Best Rock Songwriter • Melissa May

Best Rock Bassist • Joe Balbaugh

Best Rock Drummer • Nathan Seifferly

Best Rock Male Vocalist • William Hystad

Best Rock Band • The Euclid Motel

Best Rock Guitarist • Darrian Loehne

Rap/Hip Hop

Best Rap/Hip Hop Video • Hell No - REDBURN

Best DJ • DJ KIT

Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year • Chris Redburn

Best Rap/Hip Hop Songwriter • Chris Redburn

Best Performer • Andy Hahn

Country

Best Country Video • The Family Tradition Band

Best Country Band • The Family Tradition Band

Best Country Female Vocalist • Laurie Middlebrook

Best Country Songwriter • Matthew de Heus

Best Country Male Vocalist • Michael Richards - Adaboy!

Best Country Instrumentalist • Randy Badour

Jazz

Best Jazz Songwriter • Robert Lee Balderrama

Best Big Band • The Voortex Jazz & Blues Band

Best Small Combo • Mike Brush

Best Female Jazz Vocalist • Kalysta

Best Male Jazz Vocalist • Matthew de Heus

Best Jazz Instrumentalist • Robert Lee Balderrama

Blues

Best Blues Video • Lori and the Darlings - "Lucky"

Best Blues Band • The Rhett Yocom Blues Band

Best Funk Band • Marsupial Creampie

Best Female Blues Vocalist • Melissa (Mel) Curry

Best Blues Instrumentalist • Matt Besey

Best Male Blues Vocalist • Andy Hahn

Best Blues Songwriter • Rhett Yocom