When we initially postponed this year’s Limelight Magazine Music Awards from April 26^th to May 31^st and then again to September 27^th, we hoped things would have turned around regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. As we have gotten closer to the new date, the Covid-19 safety guidelines in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have been changing on a regular basis.

To adhere to these changing guidelines, we considered various options to keep this year’s event on September 27^th. However, every time we came close to deciding upon a new course of action, the state guidelines changed again. For instance, we discussed moving the event outdoors at another venue in New Bedford, but an updated gatherings order went into effect on August 11^th reducing outdoor gatherings from 100 to 50 people. Further complicating matters was Rhode Island being added to the Massachusetts travel order requiring visitors arriving from that state to fill out a form, quarantine for 14-days or produce a negative Covid-19 test. There were other options we also discussed but local ordinances prevented us from carry them out.

As a result, we have decided to postpone this year’s Limelight Magazine Music Awards once again. The new date is Sunday, May 23, 2021, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Vault Music Hall, located at 791 Purchase Street in New Bedford, MA. As was previously announced, Stormstress will be hosting the event. Anyone who has already purchased tickets and holds on to them for the new date will be able to enter the venue up to 30 minutes before doors and be guaranteed seating at a table.

We know this event will now take place over a year after voting took place, but we feel an in-person event is the best way to honor this year’s nominees for their contributions to the local music scene in New England.

Thanks again to the New England Music Awards for being the primary sponsor for this event as well as Music Go Round, Athena’s by Michelle M., Boston Rock Radio, East Coast Alice – The Ultimate Alice Cooper Experience, Kokopelli Realty, Rick’s Music World, Seth’s Rock Report, Shell Shock Acoustic, Soundcheck Studios, Taylespun Studio Contemporary Fine Art, Underground Recording Co., Don Burton Media, Purchase Street Records, and the Vault Music Hall for sponsoring the individual awards.

Here is a recap of this year’s nominees:

Album/EP of the Year (Group)  (Sponsored by Purchase Street Records)

• Bad Marriage – Bad Marriage
• The Blue Ribbons – Thoughts and Prayers
• The DayBreakers – Worn Out Dream
• First Bourne – Pick Up The Torch
• Red Reveal – Red Reveal
• Renegade Cartel – Dear World
• Special Guests – Alumninaughty
• The Varsity Club – Cobblestones

Album/EP of the Year(Solo Artist)  (Sponsored by Underground Recording Co.)

• Katie Dobbins – There is Light
• Carissa Johnson – A Hundred Restless Thoughts
• Brandon Manter – Off My Mind
• Amanda McCarthy – Road Trip
• Grace Morrison – Reasons
• Monica Rizzio – Sunshine is Free
• Brian Sances – All My Might
• Jennifer Truesdale – Trough the Circle

 Band of the Year (Sponsored by Music Go Round)

• Bad Marriage
• Crooked Coast
• The DayBreakers
• The Devils Twins
• First Bourne
• Lily Black
• Exit 18
• Moment of Clarity

Country Artist of the Year  (Sponsored by Vault Music Hall)

• Back Rhodes
• Houston Bernard Band
• Blame the Whiskey
• Annie Brobst
• Darren Bissette Band
• April Cushman
• Martin and Kelly
• Carly Tefft

 Female Vocalist of the Year (Sponsored by Athena’s by Michelle M)

• Giuliana Amaral (of Legacy)
• Gianna Botticelli (a.k.a. Ghost Grl)
• Kala Farnham
• Bethany Lawson (of Plastic Angels)
• Shonna Lee (of Payback)
• Sarah Levecque
• Julie Rhodes
• Amalia Ververis (of Melic Moon)

Frontperson of the Year  (Sponsored by East Coast Alice – The Ultimate Alice Cooper Experience)

• Nicole Marie Coogan (The Devil’s Twins)
• Ben Cote (The Ben Cote Band)
• Alexa Economou (blindspot)
• Sean FitzGerald (The NB Rude Boys)
• Carly Kraft (Coral Moons)
• Jon Paquin (Bad Marriage)
• James Rohr (The Blue Ribbons)
• Jackson Wetherbee (The Elovaters)

 Hard Rock/Metal Act of the Year  (Sponsored by Boston Rock Radio)

• Afterimage
• Devil in the Mist
• Heavy AmericA  
• One Time Mountain
• Purging Sin
• Red Sky Mary
• SiXteenX20
• Verscythe

 Live Artist of the Year  (Sponsored by Rick’s Music World)

• The Ben Cote Band
• Bird Mancini
• Ashley Jordan
• Lady Lupine
• Sons Lunaris
• Jay Psaros
• Soul Box
• We Own Land

 Male Vocalist of the Year  (Sponsored by Soundcheck Studios)

• Sam Luke Chase
• Nate Cozzolino
• Shaun England
• Chris Fitz
• Joe Merrick
• Sam Robbins
• Michael Spaulding
• Sam Vlasich (of Red Sky Mary)

 New Artist of the Year  (Sponsored by Music Go Round)

• Amplifier Heads
• Blacktop Strut
• Coral Moons
• Left of Love
• Major Moment
• Melic Moon
• Red Reveal
• Abigail Vail

Singer/Songwriter of the Year (Sponsored by Taylespun Studio Contemporary Fine Art)

• Cara Brindisi
• Katie Dobbins
• Kathleen Healy
• Mary McAvoy
• Brian Sances
• Hayley Sabella
• Ilene Springer
• Matt Zajac

 Song of the Year (Sponsored by Shell Shock Acoustic)

• Beautiful Tuesday – “Manteca”
• Coral Moons – “Fall In Love”
• Crooked Coast – “Summer”
• Mark Erelli – “Her Town Now”
• Lockette – “In the Dark”
• Amanda McCarthy – “Tiki Bar”
• Parts Per Million – “No More Days”
• Magen Tracy & the Missed Connections – “Dirty Little Secret”

Tribute Band of the Year  (Sponsored by Music Go Round)

• Abraxas – A Tribute to Santana
• The American Who – A Tribute to The Who
• Heartbreaker – A Tribute to Led Zeppelin
• Judas Rising – A Tribute to Judas Priest
• Live Bullet – A Tribute to Bob Seger
• The Sickness – A Tribute to Disturbed
• We Are Hydrogen – A Tribute to Phish
• The Young Americans – A Tribute to David Bowie

 Video of the Year (Group)  (Sponsored by Seth’s Rock Report)

• Bad Marriage – “Gateway Drug”
• blindspot – “Upside Down”
• Damnation – “Fighting For”
• Grenon – “Goodbye”
• Groundlift – “Outta My Head”
• Major Moment – “May Leave Scars”
• Special Guests – “Spring Break”
• The Wolff Sisters – “Drive”

Video of the Year (Solo Artist)  (Sponsored by Don Burton Media)

• Lisa Bastoni – “Nearby”
• Kate Eppers – “The Wishing Well”
• Will Evans – “Family Tree”
• Kala Farnham – “David”
• Jamie Hart – “Get Closer”
• Josh Knowles – “Same”
• Daniel Miller (featuring Ward Hayden) – “Your Man”
• Prateek Poddar – “The Gang’s All Gone”

Young Performer of the Year  (Sponsored by Kokopelli Realty)

• American Ink
• Sam Chetkin
• Color Killer
• Grenon
• Off Kilter
• The Nolan Leite Experience
• Morrissey Blvd
• Roll Over White