2019 SAMMY Hall of Fame Class and Nominees Announced, Lou Reed to Receive Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award

The Syracuse Area Music Awards has announced its new class of inductees for the SAMMY Hall of Fame as well as nominees among 13 categories for the 2019 SAMMY Awards.

2019 sammy
Lou Reed

The 2019 inductees include ’50s doo-wop band, Little Jan and the Radiants; 95X radio personality and host of the weekly radio program “Locals Only,” Scott Dixon; long-running independent acoustic duo, Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman; and highly influential drummer and music store owner, Al Falso.

2019 sammy
Scott Dixon

The SAMMYS will also posthumously honor Syracuse University alumnus, Lou Reed with the Lifetime Achievement Award and internationally acclaimed trombonist, Melissa Gardiner as Educator of the Year.

Other honorees this year are well-known street musician, Elijah Harris, Jr., with the Founders Award and a brand new award named in honor of its inaugural recipient, Jack O Bocchino, the Jack O Bocchino Spirit of Syracuse Award.

2019 sammy
Jack O Bocchino

Now in its 26th year, the Syracuse Area Music Awards seeks to honor musicians, educators, industry professionals and supporters of the Central New York Music scene. This year’s Hall of Fame dinner and awards ceremony will take place March 7 and 8. The Hall of Fame dinner will be held upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Willow Street while the awards will be presented at Eastwood’s Palace Theater.

Performers at the awards ceremony include a Lou Reed tribute band that features Stuart Heinrich and Ellard “Moose” Bolles of Reed’s late ’70s-early ’80s backing band. Also performing are 2019 inductees, Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman, past SAMMY recipient, R&B band Stroke, 2018 Best Jamband winner, Barroom Philosophers and Sean McLeod with 2017 Best R&B winner Alani Skye.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner and the awards ceremony are available through the SAMMYS website. Tickets for the dinner are $25 and tickets for the ceremony are $20. The dinner will run from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 7. The awards ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m.

NewsChannel 9 WSYR’s morning show, Bridge Street is hosting the SAMMY Spotlight Series each Thursday at 10:00 a.m. through March 7. Artists featured on the program include:

Feb 7-   Late Earth

Feb 14 – Sera Bullis

Feb 21 – Infinity

Feb 28 – Fritz’s Polka Band

Mar 7 –   Bad Mama’s Blues Band

The 2019 SAMMY nominees:

Best Pop

Screen Test, Through the Past Brightly

Forgottensong, Forgottensong Vol 1 and 2

Emma Jude, Pocket Full of Postcards

Best Hip Hop/Rap

G-Netics, Elevated

Big Nate MG, No Hooks Needed x Hook Line

J. R. Lottary, Instant Win

Chris Mac, Go For Broke Project

MLA, Salute Me

Best Americana

Joe Davoli, Golden Rule

Eileen Nicholson Kalfass, Crossing Bridges

Ghost Town Ramblers, Ghost Town Ramblers

Dennis McGuire’s One Man Band, Old Songs Rusty Strings

Best Alternative

Townhouse Warrior, Words, Unsaid

The Amazing Shakes, 10x The Crash

Strange To Look At, Strange To Look At

The Beuchesnes, Twilight Interstate

Late Earth, Late Earth

Sympathy, For Everyone to See

Best Rock

Jukin’ Bone, Unfinished Business

Atkins Riot, Atkins Riot “Iguanas”

Tony Touris, Ghost Town

Climbing Stars, Ascension

The Trend, J Marc Memorial Show

Best Hard Rock

One Step From Falling, Stuck

Amerikan Primitive, Down to the Devil

The Last Divide, The Last Divide

Between Hope & Fear, Between Hope & Fear

Damon Larus, Crusade

Best Other Style

Emedin Rivera, Tropical Tubulence

Samba Laranja: The SU Brazilian Ensemble, Gurana′

Fritz’s Polka Band, Hey!

Best Jam Band

Mike Davis and the Laughing Budda Episodes, Find Yourself – › Caterpillar

Ginbucket, On Ice

Count Blastula, Jive Honey

Sundrop Rise, Family Tree

The Lightkeepers, Talking Man’s Blues

Best Singer/Songwriter

Sydney Irving, The Halfmoon Sessions

Jess Novak, Fear is the Cage. Love is the Key.

Darryl Rahn, Making Strangers

Rhiannon Payne, Folklore

Stephen Douglas Wolfe, Quixotic Symphony

Best Blues

Neil Minet & the Night Flyers, Shades of Blue

Tas Cru, Memphis Song

Steven D Odum, Steve Odum Plays His Blues

Ron Spencer Band, Into the Blue

Cloutier, Thunder N Lightning

Best R & B

The Ripcords, Live at Subcat Studios

Irv Lyons, Jr., Sisters & Brothers

Jaquiel THEVOICE, The Natural Project

Apollo XXIII, Borderline

Best Country

Follow the Muse, American Days

Lonnie Park, Stories of the Lost and Found

Steven Cali, American Farmer

The Moonshine River Band, Bad Habit

Best Jazz

Bob Holz, Silverthorne

Byron ‘Kidd’ Cage, Platinum Healing Glove

Comments are closed.