Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Voting Opens

On Jan. 31, 2016, the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards winners will be announced at the 19th-annual ceremony/show/party at Covington’s Madison Theater. Recently, CityBeat (which presents the CEAs) announced the nominees for this year’s program, which honors Greater Cincinnati’s rich and eclectic music scene.

This year’s nominees include several artists who have previously been nominated for (or won) CEAs, as well as numerous first-time nominees. Walk the Moon, which has scored two Artist of the Year CEAs in past years, returns to the category after exploding internationally with its ubiquitous, platinum-selling hit “Shut Up and Dance” and Talking is Hard album. Singer/songwriter Jess Lamb, who kicked off 2015 by appearing as a contestant on American Idol (and is a previous CEA performer and nominee), earned five nominations, including her first Artist of the Year nod. Artist of the Year nominee Wonky Tonk (the Indie/Country guise of Jasmine Poole) also earned nominations in the Singer/Songwriter, Best Music Video and Country categories, following a 2015 that saw her Stuff We Leave Behind album earn national acclaim. Perennial Hip Hop nominee Buggs tha Rocka, who has been working with indie Hip Hop legend Talib Kweli’s Javotti Media, earned his first Artist of the Year nomination, as did hard-touring “Swoon Punk” trio Leggy. First-time CEA nominees this year include Country artist Taylor Shannon, Jazz player/composer Brad Myers, Metal newcomers Casino Warrior and jazzy Soul/Pop ensemble Krystal Peterson & the Queen City Band.

The New Artist of the Year category (as well as other promising new performers) will again be spotlighted at CityBeat’s Best New Bands showcase at Bogart’s on Jan. 16. New Artist nominees from the 18th-annual awards program returning to the CEA ballot this year in a big way include Leggy, Honeyspiders and Noah Smith.

Public voting is open now at citybeat.com. (The Artist, New Artist and Album of the Year categories are determined by the nominating committee and are not voted on publicly.)

BLUEGRASS

• Mamadrones• Ma Crow & the Lady Slippers • The Missy Werner Band

• Rumpke Mountain Boys

• Comet Bluegrass All-Stars • My Brother’s Keeper COUNTRY
• Jeremy Pinnell • Bulletville • Dallas Moore• Wonky Tonk • Noah Smith • Taylor Shannon

FOLK/AMERICANA

• Arlo Mckinley & The Lonesome Sound • Willow Tree Carolers • Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle • Young Heirlooms • Honey & Houston • Wilder

WORLD/REGGAE

• Elementree Livity Project • Baoku • The Cliftones • Queen City Silver Stars • Mayan Ruins • Know Prisoners

ROCK

• Mad Anthony • Wussy • Alone at 3AM • Lovecrush 88 • Honeyspiders• Zebras in Public

HARD ROCK/METAL

• Electric Citizen • Ethicist • Moonbow• Lift The Medium • Casino Warrior• LiViD

SINGER/SONGWRITER

• Wonky Tonk • Jess Lamb • Kate Wakefield • Royal Holland • Dallas Moore • Daniel Van Vechten

INDIE/ALTERNATIVE

• Motherfolk • Us, Today • Daniel in Stereo • Jess Lamb • The Yugos • DAAP Girls

PUNK/POST PUNK

• Leggy • The Slippery Lips • Tweens • Tiger Sex • The Z.G.s • Vacation

BLUES

• Noah Wotherspoon Band • Silver Pockets Trio • Kelly Richey • Sonny Moorman • Johnny Fink and The Intrusion • The Whiskey Shambles

R&B/FUNK/SOUL

• The Almighty Get Down • Krystal Peterson and the Queen City Band • The Perfect Children • The Cincy Brass • Freekbass & the Bump Assembly • JSPH

JAZZ

• Brad Myers • Dan Karlsberg and the ’Nati Six • The Faux Frenchmen • Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra • Blue Wisp Big Band • The Hot Magnolias

HIP HOP

• Napoleon Maddox • Ilyas Nashid • Sleep • Buggs tha Rocka • Abiyah • Mix Fox

ELECTRONIC

• Moonbeau • Ethosine • Black Signal • Skeleton Hands • Playfully Yours • umin

BEST LIVE ACT

• Tiger Sex • The Whiskey Shambles • The Yugos • The Slippery Lips • Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle • The Cliftones • Honeyspiders • Noah Smith

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

• Molly Sullivan – “Before”

• Jess Lamb – “Memories”

• Automagik – “Pop Kiss”

• Playfully Yours – “Colorvision”

• Puck – “Ruined”

• Electric Citizen – “Light Years Beyond”

• Wonky Tonk – “Denmark”

• Zebras in Public – “John Doe”

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Honeyspiders – Honey-spiders

• Us, Today –  TENENEMIES

• Dawg Yawp – Two Hearted

• Honey & Houston – Barcelona

• Jess Lamb – Circles

• Noah Wotherspoon Band – Mystic Mud

• Dan Karlsberg – The ’Nati 6

• The Sundresses – This Machine Kills

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Dawg Yawp• Coconut Milk• The Skulx• Go Go Buffalo• JSPH • Mutlimagic

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Leggy • Walk the Moon • Jess Lamb• Noah Smith • Wonky Tonk• Buggs tha Rocka