2012 Beachcomber Music Awards Nominees Announced

Nominees were determined by a select group of musicians, venue personnel, Beachcomber staffers and gracious volunteers. New categories are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Beachcomber readers will vote on the winners by mailing ballots or voting online. Deadline for all ballots is midnight, Jan. 21. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony scheduled for Feb. 21 at the Shed BBQ & Blues Joint in Destin.

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR*

Kyle LaMonica

EdMo Lanier

David Posey

Michael J Thomas

Forrest Williams Band

BEST BAND

Blue Lew’s Groove

Boukou Groove

Dread Clampitt

Heritage

Forrest Williams Band

BEST MALE VOCALIST

Chris Alvarado

Duke Bardwell

Andy Durand

Homemadesoul

Forrest Williams

BEST FEMALE VOCALIST

Cheryl Jones

Kelsey Anna

Dannica Lowery

Ashli Rose

Gileah Taylor

BEST GUITARIST

Fritz Froeschner

Derwin “Big D” Perkins (Boukou Groove)

Zack Rosicka

Shannon Wallace

Forrest Williams

BEST BASSIST

Chris Clarke

Billy Garrett

John Hoormann

Jim Lancaster

EdMo Lanier

BEST KEYBOARDIST

Ray Hitchell

Cheryl Jones

Donnie Sundal

Pherrel Williams

Nora Wixted-Hogue

BEST DRUMMER

Duane Mays

Charles Pagano

John Reinlie

Shawn Shackleford

Steve Upton

BEST HORN PLAYER

Al Alvarado

Fly Dents

Paul Scurto

Randy Sherwood

Michael J Thomas

BEST DANCE ARTIST

The Dream Band (from John Wehner’s Village Door)

Flash Flood

Flytones

Heritage

BEST ALTERNATIVE ARTIST

Nik Flagstar & His Dirty Mangy Dogs

Ben Friedman

Wayne Hall

Space Junkie

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

Chris Alvarado

Homemadesoul

Kelsey Anna

Ashli Rose

Forrest Williams

BEST BLUES ARTIST*

Blue Lew’s Groove

Boukou Groove

Zack Rosicka

BEST “COVER” ARTIST*

Black Eyed Blonde

Cabo Rock

Flash Flood

Chuck Lawson

Mike and the Micros

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST*

Ronnie Satterfield

Steenos

Tennessee Fireamrs

BEST JAM BAND*

Blue Lew’s Groove

Cadillac Willy

Heritage

Hotel Oscar

BEST JAZZ ARTIST*

Sean Dietrich

The Guffman Trio

The NWF State College Jazz Ensemble

The Red Bar Jazz Band

Michael J Thomas

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST*

Lionel C

Homemadesoul

Jones and Company

BEST ROCK ARTIST*

Nik Flagstar & His Dirty Mangy Dogs

The Helvetica Effect

Hotel Oscar

Meanstreet Riders

Zack Rosicka

BEST “HOMEGROWN” ALBUM

Chronic Jester, Surely You Jest

Hotel Oscar, Burgers & Fries

Meanstreet Riders, High on the Hog

Owsley Brothers, Pure Lust

Gileah Taylor, A Crooked Line/What Kind of Fool

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Homemadesoul, “Let’s Stay Together”

Kelsey Anna, “Poison”

Bryan Kennedy, “Life Shines (The 30A Song)”

Donnie Sundal, “Let Me Come Home”

Michael J Thomas, “I Think About Amy”

BEST INSTRUMENTALIST

Dr. Zydeco (Rub Board)

Ed Kollis (Harmonica)

Matt Miller (Fiddle/Violin)

David Posey (Percussion)

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

Beal Street Bottle Club, Fort Walton Beach

Faith Assembly Church, Miramar Beach

Funky Blues Shack, Village of Baytowne Wharf

Pandora’s, Grayton Beach

The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, Destin

BEST MUSIC EVENT OF 2011

Emerald Coast Songwriters Festival

Seaside Concert Series

Share the Shelter Music Festival

30A Songwriters Festival

Village of Baytowne Wharf Concert Series

HALL OF FAME

Musicians who have made great contributions to the local scene for 10 or more years. Previous winners are Duke Bardwell (2008), Jones and Company (2009-10)and Bill Garrett (2010-11).

Rusty Hammerstrom

Franko “Washboard” Jackson

Jabo Starks (The Red Bar Jazz Band)

Mike Turner (Mike and the Micros)

Shannon Wallace

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Beachcomber Music Awards on for Tuesday Feb. 22 at LA Lounge in Destin

Hundreds Plan to Call in Sick from Work Wednesday Feb. 23 From Staff Reports

The Third Annual Beachcomber Music Awards will take Destin’s LA Lounge by storm Feb. 22 starting at 8 p.m. At press time, scheduled performers included Dread Clampitt, Forrest Williams Band, Jones and Company, Heritage, Boukou Groove and Chris Alvarado. Blue Lew’s Groove will kick off the full-on jam session after the final award presentation.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Volunteers from local charities will collect $3 at the door—must be 21 to enter, ID required—to be divided between Children in Crisis, Destin Relay for Life, Global Fish Aid and Planting Peace. Tickets will be collected by Beachcomber staffers, and all attendees will be entered to win prizes in drawings to be held throughout the evening. The grand prize is a cruise aboard Sunquest’s Solaris.

Among the award presenters—Cheryl Jones, Nora Wixted-Hogue, Zack Rosicka, Fritz Froeschner, Bill Garrett, Fred Domulot, Chris Alvarado, Beachcomber contributing writer and radio personality “Johnny C.” Alexander, Blue Lew, Jones and Company, Donnie Sundal, Gwen “D’Vyne” Hall and EdMo Lanier.

This year’s trophies were designed by ME Lasers in Destin—a CD-shaped piece of high-grade acrylic emblazoned with the Beachcomber logo and winners’ names. Beachcomber Editor and awards host Chris Manson wishes to thank Kathy Marler Blue of the Destin History & Fishing Museum for turning him onto these talented folks.

Here’s the rundown of this year’s nominees, selected by a committee of Beachcomber staffers, musicians, and others on the fringes of the business. The final ballots—completed and mailed in by Beachcomber readers—were tallied by the newspaper’s staff resulting in total exhaustion and some surprisingly close races.

BEST BAND Dread Clampitt (2008 Winners) Heritage Jones and Company Something Fishy Forrest Williams Band (2009-10 Winners)

BEST MALE VOCALIST Blue Lew Jacob Mohr Kyle Ogle (2008 Winner) Donnie Sundal Forrest Williams

BEST FEMALE VOCALIST Gwen “D’Vyne” Hall Amy Hart Cheryl Jones (2008 and 2009-10 Winner) Dannica Lowery Pherrel Williams

BEST GUITARIST Doug Dickerson Fritz Froeschner (2009-10 Winner) Hunter Dawson Shannon Wallace Forrest Williams

BEST BASSIST Bill Garrett (2009-10 Winner) John Hoormann Denny Jones Tom Latenser Kenny Oliverio

BEST KEYBOARDIST Ray Hitchell Cheryl Jones Donnie Sundal (2008 and 2009-10 Winner) Pherrel Williams Nora Wixted-Hogue

BEST DRUMMER Binky Buckwalter Ted Cobena (2008 Winner) Duane Mays Brent Purcell John Reinlie (2009-10 Winner)

BEST HORN PLAYER Al Alvarado Ike Bartley (2009-10 Winner) Fly Dents (2008 Winner) Paul Scurto Randy Sherwood

BEST DANCE BAND Black Eyed Blonde (2009-10 Winner) Flash Flood Flytones Heritage Jones and Company

BEST ALTERNATIVE BAND Black Eyed Blonde Green Hit Heritage Sweater Puppets Wicked Powers

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER Chris Alvarado Balder Saunders Bob Steeno Donnie Sundal Forrest Williams (2009-10 Winner)

HALL OF FAME Bill Garrett “Washboard” Jackson Jabbo Stokes Mike Turner

BEST “HOMEGROWN” CD Dread Clampitt’s Learnin’ to Live Green Hit’s Purpose. Heritage’s Natural High

BEST ORIGINAL SONG Dread Clampitt, “Livin’ Out of Leavin’” Rusty Hammerstrom, “Oil in the Water” Heritage, “Smile”

BEST INSTRUMENTALIST Matt Miller Kenny Oliverio David Posey Balder Saunders

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE AJ’s, Destin Beal Street Bottle Club, Fort Walton Beach Funky Blues Shack, Village of Baytowne Wharf Hog’s Breath Saloon, Destin LA Lounge, Destin The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, Destin

BEST MUSIC EVENT OF 2010 Clean Coast Music & Art Fest Sandestin Music Festival 30A Songwriters Festival

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