EXCLUSIVE: Steamtown Music Awards opens online voting, announces performers and additional award
The Steamtown Music Awards, which return to The V-Spot in Scranton on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m., have announced new details of the 2019 event and its online voting component exclusively on NEPA Scene.
Kicking off the Electric City Music Conference weekend, the awards honoring Northeastern Pennsylvania’s top musicians and music industry professionals will once again be held both indoors and outdoors, with the parking lot enclosed by a tent. The V-Spot (906 Providence Rd., Scranton) will become a nonsmoking venue for the evening.
Online voting will begin tonight between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the official Steamtown Music Awards Facebook event page. Only select categories feature an online voting component; the rest will be decided by a committee that is comprised of 25 local music industry professionals, venue owners, promoters, sound engineers, and veteran (non-nominated) musicians, along with 25 music industry professionals from across the country who have no ties to the area.
The categories that fans can vote for this year include Best New Artist, Recording Studio of the Year, Producer/Recording Engineer of the Year, Music Publication/Blog of the Year, Music Journalist of the Year, Videographer of the Year, Music/Concert Photographer of the Year, Local Radio Station/Podcast of the Year, Local Radio/Podcast Personality of the Year, Live Performer of the Year, Local Sound Engineer of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award.
The online voting will contribute to 50 percent of the vote for each category; the committee will contribute the other 50 percent of the vote.
Every year, the Steamtown Music Awards also compiles standout performers that received notable fan support at live concerts and on social media for the “People’s Choice Award.” The 2019 nominees were announced today.
2019 People’s Choice Award nominees:
The Frost
Light Weight
Anytime Soon
Big King Moose
Dance Hall Devils
University Drive
Alma Mater
Flaxy Morgan
The Boastfuls
Flatland Ruckus
The award ceremony will return with all of the usual pageantry. Nominees and visitors will have the chance to walk the red carpet from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. while NEPA Scene conducts live interviews that will be streamed on Facebook Live. Official red carpet photos will also be taken by Keith Perks of 1120 Studios.
The 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award will also be presented to The Rods drummer and accomplished producer Carl Canedy.
New this year, a select few awards in the overall 37 categories will be given out during the live stream of the event.
As always, the ceremony will feature live performances by some of NEPA’s best musicians. This year, the Steamtown Music Awards will bring Jordan Ramirez & The Tribe, Alma Mater, Gabby Borges, Black Hole Heart, The Frost, The Maguas, Threatpoint, Phriend$, and The Boastfuls featuring special guest Tatiana to the stage.
The 21+ event is free for those who are nominated for an award. It is open to the public, with all who support local music encouraged to attend. For non-nominees, the cover charge is only $5. Tickets for the 2019 Steamtown Music Awards and the Electric City Music Conference can be purchased now via Eventbrite.
The rest of the conference takes place on Friday, Sept. 13 and Saturday, Sept. 14 with over 150 bands across 11 Scranton venues, along with an educational component with industry professionals. The full artist schedule was announced last week on NEPA Scene. The 11 participating venues are Ale Mary’s, the Backyard Ale House, The Bog, Finnegan’s Irish Rock Club, Harry’s, the Irish Wolf Pub, The Keys, the New Penny Lounge, Peculiar Slurp Shop, Stage West, and The V-Spot.
See NEPA Scene’s photos from the 2018 ECMC announcement party here, the 2018 Steamtown Music Awards here, and the entire Electric City Music Conference here. Listen to Caviston and Norton talk about the conference and the awards in depth in Episode 75 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
