Rather than postpone this year’s Limelight Magazine Music Awards for a fourth time, we have decided to keep the date of Sunday, May 23^rd, at 2 PM. However, the event will now take on a different format.

Since singing is not permitted in any indoor performance venue in Massachusetts, we have decided to pre-record the ceremony and have it air on our YouTube channel. Click HERE to subscribe to it.

While we initially considered live streaming, we wanted to have as much control over the presentation as possible. We have participated in several online streaming events during the pandemic and, more times than not, unexpected technical glitches come up, leading to the event’s postponement and usual barrage of negativity on social media.

As was previously announced, Stormstress will be hosting the event with “live” performances by nominees blindspot, Kala Farnham, Jay Psaros, and Prateek. All performers were randomly drawn from the nominees.   

Anyone who previously purchased tickets will be allowed to attend in person, watch it projected on a screen inside the Vault Music Hall in New Bedford, MA, and pick up an award if you’ve won. All Covid-19 indoor protocols for events in restaurants will be adhered to, including social distancing, face coverings, and capacity limitations. Furthermore, since seated table service must be limited for each party to 90 minutes or less, the Limelight Magazine Music Awards video will not run for more than one hour. Click HERE to purchase tickets.

(Those who purchased tickets but do not feel comfortable attending can get a refund by contacting us by e-mail at limelightmusicawards@gmail.com. Once refunded, those tickets will be made available again).

Thanks again to New Bedford City Councilor Ian Abreu and the New England Music Awards for being the primary sponsors 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.

Lastly, 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