San Diego Music Award Winners 2012

Besides some grumbles about our big categories ("Switchfoot again?" "Delta Spirit don't even live here!!"), last night's San Diego Music Awards ceremony was a blast. It was so great getting to see so many old and new friends during the ceremony, to celebrate some huge wins with my friends, and to catch up with my SoundDiego team since it had been ages since we've all been in the same place at the same time. The after parties were great, too, so thanks to Dead Feather Moon for the Bushmill's and Shark Week and to Lost Ark Studios (specifically Paul & Mike) for hosting such a great party, and to all of the generous folks who made sure my plastic cup was never empty. It is truly an honor to be a part of this amazing music community and I have to mirror Candye Kane's sentiments in saying that it is good to feel like what you do matters, and as a member of the voting academy, I take pride in all of this as much as anyone pouring their hearts out onstage night after night. This city truly rocks. And to quote Candye, "May God bless all of you with good health and multiple orgasms."

See the full list of the night's winners after the jump. Tim Mays would also like me to remind you that you can see SDMA winners Hills Like Elephants and Hyena at the Casbah this Saturday night along with nominee Jamuel Saxon, as well as winners The Silent Comedy the same night at the Belly Up. And save some energy for Monday when best Hip-Hop Album winners Parker and the Numberman open up for Nicky Da B.



Best Tribute Band:
BETAMAXX
Cash'd Out - Winner
Detroit Underground
The PettyBreakers
Rising Star
Rockola
Stepping Feet
Thunder Road

Best Jazz:
Erika Davies - Winner
Gilbert Castellanos
Ian Tordella
Mattson 2
Rob Thorsen
Steph Johnson
Peter Sprague
The Trunks

Best Acoustic:
Robert Bondurant
Colin Clyne - Winner
Gayle Skidmore
Jeffrey Joe Morin
Josh Damigo
Lee Coulter
Tom Griesgraber
Vanja James

Best Blues:
Billy Watson
Black Market III
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds - Winner
Len Rainey & the Midnight Players
Low Volts
Mercedes Moore Band
Robin Henkel
Tomcat Courtney

Best World Music:
B-Side Players - Winner
Bad Neighborz
Cumbia Machin
Patric Petrie
Spilt Finger
Stranger
Todo Mundo
Zimbeat

Best Americana or Country:
Bill Cardinal and The Canyon Band
Billy Joe & the Roosters
Folding Mr. Lincoln
Nancarrow
Nena Anderson
Sara Petite - Winner
The Farmers
The Tree Ring

Best Hip-Hop:
Blame One
Black Mikey
El Gun Legro
Odessa Kane
Orko Eloheim
Parker & The Numberman
theBREAX
Vokab Kompany - Winner

Best Pop:
321 Stereo
AJ Croce
Hills Like Elephants
Kevin Martin
Maren Parusel
The Silent Comedy - Winner
Chris Carpenter
James Morris

Best Alternative:
Chairs Missing
Cuckoo Chaos
New Mexico
Republic of Letters
The Burning of Rome - Winner
The Heavy Guilt
Little Hurricane
Dead Feather Moon

Best Rock:
Black Hondo
Grand Tarantula
Hocus
Rafter
The Donkeys - Winner
The Kabbs
The Nervous Wreckords
Transfer

Best Hard Rock:
Fates Demise
Griever
Lord Howler - Winner
Retox
Revenge Death Ball
Ruines Ov Abaddon
Archons
The Long and Short of It

Best Club DJ:
Adam Salter
Artistic
Chris Cutz
Fresh One
Gabe Vega - Winner
Junior The Disco Punk
Mike Czech
Jason Ross

Best Electronic:
Beat Panther
DUDES
Hyena - Winner
Illuminauts
Inspired Flight
Jamuel Saxon
Mystery Cave
Room E

Best New Artist:
Bunny Gang
Hills Like Elephants - Winner
Mrs Magician
The Black Sands
Tropical Popsicle
The Lonesome Georges
Wild Wild Wets
Ko Ko

Artist of the Year:
Crocodiles
Gilbert Castellanos
Little Hurricane
Sara Watkins
Slightly Stoopid
Switchfoot - Winner
The Silent Comedy
Unwritten Law

Song of the Year:
Angels & Airwaves- Surrender
Delta Spirit - California - Winner
Jason Mraz- I Won't Give Up
Blink 182- After Midnight
Crocodiles- Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)
Low Volts- Blame it on the Break Up
P.O.D.- Lost in Forever
Switchfoot- Afterlife

Best Pop Album:
Kevin Martin- Throwback Pop
Maren Parusel-Tightrope Walker
Mrs. Magician-Strange Heaven - Winner
Neon Cough- Dracula\'s Mixtape
Seaholm Macintosh- Monarchs
Scott Mathiason- Lost Along the Way
TV Girl- The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle
Wendy Bailey- String Theory

Best Rock Album:
The Beautiful View- Life is Beautiful
Italian Japanese- Two Islands
A Scribe Amidst The Lions- The Lidless Kind
Astra- The Black Chord
Coda Reactor- Parasite
Death on Mars- These Feelings
Taz Taylor Band- Straight Up
The Black Sands- 1977 - Winner

Best Alternative Album:
Crocodiles- Endless Flowers
The New Kinetics- Contact
Cuckoo Chaos- Woman
The Bloody Hollies- Yours Until the Bitter End
Hills Like Elephants- Endless Charade
Children of Nova- Impossible Landscape
Dead Feather Moon- Dark Sun - Winner
Wavves- Life Sux

Best Hard Rock Album:
As I Lay Dying- Decas
Cage- Supremacy of Steel
Carnifex- Until I Feel Nothing
Cattle Decapitation- Monolith of Inhumanity
Deep Sea Thunder Beast- Self Titled
Griever- Inferior
Retox- Ugly Animals - Winner
Heretic- Blue Fires Away

Best Hip-Hop Album:
Autopsy- 21 Bodies
Black Mikey- Premeditated Music
Bully Blinders- Moon Under Eyelids
Don Diego- All Red Everythang
Left Handed Scientists- Kill Your Present Future
Parker & The Numberman- Clockwork Slang - Winner
TheBreax- I Never Arrive
Dubble-O-Beez & Young Sau- Monkey Beezness

Best Blues Album:
Candye Kane- Sister Vagabond - Winner
Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers- What You Make of It
Stoney B Blues Band- Sho Nuff Blues
The Fremonts- Live at the Woodpit
145th Street- Where the Blues Lie
Hugh Gaskins & the G String Daddies- Workin\' at the Booby Trap
Tomcat Courtney- Foot Stompin\'

Best Jazz Album:
Gregory Page - Shine Shine Shine - Winner
Ian Tordella- Tragic Comedy
Leonard Patton- Expressions
Montalban Quintet- Self Titled
Nena Anderson- Beyond The Lights
Kevyn Lettau- Drawn to You
Mike Wofford & Holly Hofmann Quartet- Turn Signal
Teagan Taylor- Wonderland

Best Americana or Country Album:
Eve Selis- Family Tree
Blaze Eisner- American Spirit
Jesse LaMonaca & the Dime Novels- The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk - Winner
John Meeks and Joanie Mendenhall- From My Grave
Nena Anderson- Beyond The Lights
Roy Rapid and the Rhythm Rock Trio- One Last Chance
The Howls- Rocky Ground
Euphoria Brass Band- Coast to Coast

Best World Music Album:
The Amalgamated- Boss Universal
Omar Lopez- Profundo Amor
Stick Figure- Burial Ground
Stranger- World Underground
The Devastators- Lights of Tomorrow - Winner
The Dread Crew of Oddwood- Heavy Mahogany
Reef Bound Sol- Under the Sun
Sunny Rude- Rudimentary

Best Local Recording:
Beaters- Fishage
Nicey Nice World- Self Titled
Stephen Rey and The Slicks- Old Fashioned Future
The Styletones- Self Titled
The Comeuppance- Self Titled
Wayne Riker- Guitar Decathlon
The Lovebirds- Nutsy Pants
Blackout Party- Closed Mouth Don\'t Get Fed - Winner

Album of the Year:
Gregory Page - Shine Shine Shine
Cattle Decapitation- Monolith of Inhumanity
Blink 182- Neighborhoods
Crocodiles- Endless Flowers
Delta Spirit- Self Titled - Winner
Jason Mraz- Love is a Four Letter Word
Steve Poltz- Noineen Noiny Noin
Rob Crow- He Thinks He\'s People