SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego will celebrate the local music community and artists this March during the San Diego Music Awards.
More than 20 categories recognizing artists from various genres including rock, jazz, hip hop, and world music will be presented at House of Blues San Diego on March 11 during a concert and awards ceremony.
While this year's acts have yet to be announced, past SDMA performers have included Jewel, Jason Mraz, Switchfoot, P.O.D., and Sara Wilkins of Nickelcreek. Tickets for the awards show can be purchased online here and range from $36 - $75.
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While the awards celebrate our local music scene, they also help inspire the next generation of musicians. SDMA benefits the Guitar for Schools Program, launched in partnership with Taylor Guitars to support music in schools and offset the loss of arts instruction due to budget cuts.
As for this year's nominees, several local favorites are up for honors, with big names including Slightly Stoopid, P.O.D., Jason Mraz, The Frights, Hot Snakes, and more vying for Artist of the Year:
Best Singer / Songwriter
- Evan Diamond
- Jessica Lerner
- Missy Alcazar
- Jimmy Ruelas
- Nina Francis
- Sarah Rogo
- Shane Hall
Best Jazz
- Ed Kornhauser
- Erika Davies
- Euphoria Brass Band
- Sue Palmer & Her Motel Swing Orchestra
- Gilbert Castellanos
- Joshua White
- Nathan Hubbard
Best Jazz Album
- Christopher Hollyday - Telepathy
- Danny Green Trio Plus Strings- One Day It Will
- Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine - Tasty Tunes
- Joe Garrison - The Broken Jar
- Mattson 2 - A Love Supreme
- Montalban Quintet - Under the River
- Peter Sprague String Trio - Samba Andaluza
Best Blues
- Bill Magee Blues Band
- Casey Hensley
- Box Car Chief
- Low Volts
- Mercedes Moore
- Robin Henkel
- Stephanie Brown & The Surrealistics
Best Blues Album
- Black Market III - Dashboard Jesus
- Blue Largo - Before The Devil Steals Your Soul
- Low Volts - Roam With You
- S. Mathias - Boxcar Road
- Sue Palmer - Gems Vol. 1
- The Wayne Riker Trio - Blues Breakout
- Whitney Shay - A Woman Rules The World
Best Country or Americana
- Blind Mountain Holler
- Enter The Blue Sky
- Nancarrow
- Nathan Raney
- Sara Petite
- Stephen El Rey
- Trouble in the Wind
Best Country or Americana Album
- Barbwire - Long Hard Ride
- Berkley Hart - While the Night is Still Young
- Jonny Wagon and the Tennessee Sons - Feels Good To Be Alive
- Nitro Express - Country Style
- Shakedown String Band - In the Key of OB
- The Color Forty Nine - s/t
- Trouble In The Wind - Hammer On
Best Hip Hop/Rap
- Bloodstone
- Direkt Message
- DJ PNutz
- DND & Rick B
- Parker Meridian
- The Microphone Doctors
- Vokab Company
Best Hip Hop/Rap Album
- Def Shon - Preppin' My Time Machine
- DreCat - Made in Daygo
- ill Nicky - Alto
- Parker Meridien - Twentyfist Street Sessions
- Riston Diggs - Supreme Confidence
- Rob $tone - Young Rob $tone
- Tulengua - Baja Funk
Best Indie/Alternative
- Ariel Levine
- Aviator Stash
- Coral Bells
- Dead Feather Moon
- Imagery Machine
- The Bassics
- Wild Wild Wets
Best Indie/Alternative Album
- Nights Like Thieves - Sophomore Slump
- The Frights - hypochondriac
- The Gift Machine - New Tangles
- The Gloomies - Romance
- The Silent Comedy - Enemies Multiply
- The Verigolds - Sea of Zebras
- Warsaw - Wires
Best Pop
- Birdy Bardot
- Creature Canyon
- Dani Bell & the Tarantist
- Jara
- The Mittens
- Tori Rose & The Hot Mess
- Well Well Well
Best Pop Album
- Becca Jay - Queen of Hearts EP
- Corina Rose - Our Love is Freedom
- Daytrip - s/t
- Lee Coulter - Earthlee
- Pocket Hole - Marine Layer EP
- Tory Roze & the Hot Mess - Baggage Claim
- Veronica May - Teaser
Best Rock
- Great Electric Quest
- The Routine
- Schizophonics
- Taken by Canadians
- The Oxen
- The Slashes
- The Strawberry Moons
Best Rock Album
- Bad Kids - Pensive
- Creature Canyon - Did You Want That
- Electric Mud - Highway Refugees
- Stone Horse - Gotta Get Back
- The Donkeys - Sun Damaged Youth
- The Farmers - Farmers SD
- The Frets - The Frets EP
Best World Music
- B-Side Players
- Bi-National Mambo Orchestra
- Hirie
- Psydecar
- Tribal Seeds
- Split Finger
- Tribal Theory
Best World Music Album
- Boostive - Fried Neck Bones
- Crucial Blend - Enough Already
- Fluid Foundation - Sloo Ryde
- Marujah - Bad Hombres Live at Brandos Paradise
- Yale Strom's Broken Consort - Shimmering Lights, Hanukkah Music
- The Camarada Tango Quintet - Tango San Diego
- The Amalgamated - Premium Quality
Best Local Recording
- Forest Grove - s/t
- MC Flow - Her Highness
- Spice Pistols - Life's A Drag
- Finnegan Blue - s/t
- Dirty Pennies - s/t
- The Havnauts - Go For It!
- The Tighten Ups - Tighten It Up
Best Live Performer
- Schizophonics
- Sully & the Souljahs
- The Creepy Creeps
- The Redwoods Collective
- Sure Fire Soul Ensemble
- The Sleepwalkers
- Whitney Shay
Best New Artist
- Babydoll Warriors
- Julia Sage & The Bad Hombres
- Miss New Buddah
- Pocket Hole
- The Color Forty Nine
- The Havnauts
- Tularosa
Artist of the Year
- Hot Snakes
- Jason Mraz
- P.O.D.
- Redwoods Revue
- Slightly Stoopid
- The Frights
- Whitney Shay
Song of the Year
- Earthless – Gifted By The Wind
- Hot Snakes – Six Wave Hold Down
- Jason Mraz - Have It All
- P.O.D. - Listening for the Silence
- Slightly Stoopid - Too Late (Stick Figure Remix)
- The Frights - Over It
- The Petty Saints – Troublemaker
Album of the Year
- Earthless - Black Heaven
- Hot Snakes - Jericho Sirens
- Jason Mraz - Know
- Peter Sprague & Randy Phillips - Sparks and Seeds
- P.O.D. - Circles
- Planet B - s/t
- Slightly Stoopid - Everyday Life Everyday People
