Awards shows, ceremonies, voting…blah, blah, blah. Its a time of year that elicits the best and worst in folks. Be it the cynics who think everything is rigged and the illuminati has its hands in the New England Music Community or people who continuously insert artists in which they have a special business interest in, it seems there is always something to complain about. The point here being that we should be celebrating that local, independent artists are being put on some platform for a small portion of the year and this should be seen as an opportunity to explore new music or old favorites. Check out a ballot, see a name you don’t know and look up their website, go to a show or…wait for it…maybe even buy their record. A crazy concept. But I digress.

I struggled a bit in running the BIG REDs again this year. Moving parts, to have an event or not, logistics. In the end I think it is an important way to generate discussion around who did great things this year, who hustled their ass off (and opened 3 new credit cards) to put out a great record or launched on a big first tour, or filled in as the sideman for 27 different bands? Those are the kinds of things that are worth celebrating. The art. The artists. Plus, in an election year where neither candidate does much for most of the educated public it is more important now than ever to have a democratic process in which we can be excited about the names on the ballot and believe in them…even if its just for local glory and a golden microphone statue.

The process is simple. For the next 3ish weeks the Nomination Form will open on top of the main page of RLR or CLICK HERE. There are 6 different categories this year which are briefly explained below. Fill in your nomination for each, click submit at the bottom of the page and then wait. In early to mid November we will compile and create the official voting form for the nominees in each category. Then, we vote. It isn’t a perfect system, but the hope is to get as much input from the community as we can, so thats why we need the help to get the word out. Tell your friends, share on your socials, send a damn carrier pigeon if you happen to be a luddite or a hipster that digs that kind of thing. Just nominate your peers or favorites, talk about the music and art of one another and lets celebrate local arts.

Songwriter of the Year: The key being the “writer” portion here. Who crafts great songs, with a keen emphasis on the content and lyrics? Can be a solo artist or a member of a band. The key just being the craft of thoughtful and poignant songwriting.

Americana/Roots Act of the Year: The rootsier side of rock. Do they have a mandolin, banjo or upright in their outfit? Probably belong in this category then.

Rock n’ Rollers of the Year: Blazing electric guitars, tele twang and a killer rhythm section? Those bands belong here in this category.

Musician of the Year: The artist who excels at their instrument. Could also be “instrumentalist of the year”. The sideman (or woman) who lifts another artist’s songs up. The musician who put out a beautiful collection of instrumental tunes this year.

Album of the Year: The finest, best record that was released in 2016.

Favorite Local Venue: Best atmosphere, best artist line up. You get it. Where do you WANT to see music every night?

Nomination Form HERE

Nominate, share, and support local artists and the music they are creating. Thanks for being a part of this community.

-Red