Best Lyrics in a Song
1) Gone by High Horse
2) Underlyer by Aqueous
3) Sins of the Father by Seven Faces
Best Composition of a Song
1) Underlyer by Aqueous
2) The Flood by Seven Faces
3) Without You by LumberJackMatt
Best Rendition of a Cover Song
1) Jump (Van Halen) by Nerds Gone Wild in WNY
2) I Want You So Bad by Aqueous
3) Whipping Post by High Horse
Best New Band/Artist
1) Nerds Gone Wild in WNY
2) Annasun
3) The Knight Crew
Best Rock Band
1) Aqueous
2) Nerds Gone Wild in WNY
3) High Horse
Best Punk Band
1) One Way Terror
2) Crucial Taunt
3) Murder City Outlaws
Best Metal Band
1) 1980-something
2) That 80s Hair Band
3) Seven Faces
Best Post-Hardcore/Metalcore Band
1) I’m From the Government and I’m Here to Help
2) Contempt Creates A Killer
3) Diceros
Best Hardcore/Death Metal Band
1) Darkapathy
2) Nobody Lives Forever
3) Circus Grenade
Best Jam/Groove Band
1) Whiskey Reverb
2) Aqueous
3) High Horse
Best Indie/Alternative Band
1) PA Line
2) The Morning After Pills
3) Annasun
Best Pop-Punk/Pop-Rock Band
1) Boogie Monsters
2) Dyslexic Dog
3) Sudden Urge
Best Contemporary Pop Band
1) Boogie Monsters
2) Dyslexic Dog
3) Bruce Wojick and the Struggle
Best Electronic Band/Act
1) Space Junk
2) Digital Afterlife
3) Optic Oppression
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Performer/Group
1) Fusion
2) Keith Meo Rahaim
3) LumberJackMatt
Best DJ
1) Tom of Tom Tom Productions
2) DJ Heat
3) Mike Setlock
Best Country Band/Act
1) 90 West
2) West of the Mark
3) Eric Van Houten
Best Folk Band/Act
1) PA Line
2) Johnny Rider Band
3) Porcelain Train
Best Acoustic Band/Act
1) Busted Stuff
2) Big Sauce Trio
3) Jimmy Munt and Friends
Best Jazz Band/Act
1) Chloroform
2) Ralph Fava Band
3) Adam Bronstiens Freehand
Best Blues Band/Act
1) Junk Yard Dogs
2) Diggin’ Roots Band
3) Freightrain
Best Instrumental Band
1) JJ Swing
2) Big Sauce Trio
3) Chloroform
Best Classic Rock Cover Band
1) 1980 Something
2) High Horse
3) Hit N Run
Best 90s/Modern Cover Band
1) Nerds Gone Wild in WNY
2) Stalking Jenna
3) Boogie Monsters
Best Tribute Act
1) Strictly HIp
2) Kiss This
3) Metal Militia
Most Original Act
1) Nerds Gone Wild in WNY
2) Aqueous
3) Super Killer Robots
Best Live Show (Stage Presence)
1) Nerds Gone Wild in WNY
2) Aqueous
3) Hit N Run
Best/Most Passionate Fans
1) Nerds Gone Wild in WNY
2) Aqueous
3) Hit N Run
Saddest to See Go
1) Whiskey Reverb
2) Route 66
3) Ted Reinhardt
EP of the Year
1) Mike Zogaria – Self Titled EP
2) Eric Van Houten / 25 Miles
3) Fusion/ The 27th EP
Album of the Year
1) Funktional Flow / Time Will Tell
2) Seven Faces / Above the Below
3) Jimmy Munt & Friends
Best Composer
1) Bruce Wojick
2) Jimmy Munt
3) Willie Nile
Best Solo Act/Project
1) Jamie Holka
2) Chuck DeRose
3) Willie Nile
Best Guitarist
1) Jamie Holka
2) Mike Gantzer
3) Chuck DeRose
Best Guitar Duo
1) Jamie Holka & Bruce Wojick
2) Chuck DeRose & Ron LoCurto
3) Ken & Bob Wilczak (Fatbrat)
Best Rhythm Section (Bass & Drums)
1) Sandy Belski & Eli Porter (High Horse)
2) David Green and Steve Edmonds (Boys of Summer)
3) Robert “Freightrain” Parker and Damone Jackson (Freightrain)
Best Bassist
1) Shane Davis (Nerds Gone Wild)
2) Evan McPhaden (Aqueous)
3) Jim Wynne
Best Drummer/Percussionist
1) Eddy Tabone
2) Damone Jackson
3) Sandy Belski
Best Lyricist
1) Phil Porto (Nerds Gone Wild)
2) Trevor Stribing (PA Line)
3) Gus Gregory (High Horse)
Best Original Male Pop/Indie Vocalist
1) Mike Zogaria
2) Rich Fountain (Steelhorse)
3) Robert “Freightrain” Parker
Best Original Male Rock/Metal Vocalist
1) Ed Schubauer
2) Keith Zogaria (Stealin’)
3) Scott Hubbell
Best Original Female Vocalist (Any Genre)
1) Whitney (Diggin’ Roots)
2) Debbie Knight (The Knight Crew)
3) Alison Janet (Fatbrat)
Best Cover Vocalist (Any Genre)
1) Phil Porto (Nerds Gone Wild)
2) Ed Schubauer (1980 Something)
3) Jen Dix (Dyslexic Dog)
Best Keyboard/Synth Player
1) David “Vid” Cuddihy (Nerds Gone Wild in WNY)
2) Dave Loss (Aqueous)
3) Don Lorentz (Boys of Summer)
Best Instrumentalist
1) Cynthia McCaffrey (Busted Stuff)
2) George Puleo
3) Bob Wilczak (Fatbrat)
Best Venue
1) Buffalo Ironworks
2) Sportsmen’s Tavern
3) Mohawk Place
Best Open Mic
1) Nietzsche’s
2) Wagon Wheel
3) Waiting Room
Best Music Festival
1) Music is Art
2) Buffalove
3) Rock-n-Roll Camp
Best Promotion/Booking Company
1) Backstage Productions
2) After Dark
3) For the Music Productions
Best Promoter
1) Dave Buffamonti
2) Greg Burt
3) Jimmy Munt
Best Record Store
1) Record Theatre
2) Revolver Records
3) Spiral Scratch
Best Record Label
1) No Ceilings Entertainment
2) Righteous Babe Records
3) RUT
Best Studio/Recording Mixer
1) Sonic Farm Studio
2) Watchmen Studios
3) Dave St Onge / DMS Productions
Best Sound Guy/Business
1) Scotty Nichols
2) Joe Tall
3) Neil Brodfuhrer (Waiting Room / Mohawk Place)
Best Recording Studio
1) Sonic Farm
2) Watchmen Studios
3) The Music Lab
Best Music/Equipment Shop
1) Guitar Factor
2) Guitar Center
3) Buffalo Drum Outlet
Best Place To Get Swag (Band Merch, T-Shirt Printing, Etc.)
1) Tour City
2) Go Stick Art
3) Chris Santoro / Retro Outlaw
Best Music Website/Publication
1) Artvoice
2) Buffalo.fm
3) NYS Music
Best Concert/Press Photographer
1) Carl Cederman
2) Meredith Snow
3) CK Photographic Systems
Best Local Radio Podcast/Show
1) Shredd & Ragan
2) Slick Tom (97 Rock)
3) ThinkSoJoe Show
Most Dedicated Fan
1) Jen Snooters (Nerds Gone Wild in WNY)
2) Jeannine Bower /High Horse
3) Jimmy Munt
Non-music awards
Best Burger – The Silo
Best Tourist Attraction – Lockport’s Flight of Five
Best Coffee Shop – Orange Cat Coffee Co.
Best Barber – CJ Andrews
Best Outdoor Patio – Water Street Landing
Best Ice Cream Parlor – Lake Effect Artisan Ice Cream
Best Beer Selection – World of Beer
Best Chicken Wings – Bar Bill Tavern
*For a list of all the nominees for the 2016 All WNY Music Awards, click here.
