Awards season is in full swing in Milwaukee. Some media outlets have already named their winners, while others recently announced the nominees for their Whole Foods- and vape shop-heavy ballots. Shit, we’re even getting in on the awards action next week! (Don’t ask!) While many area awards are largely meaningless exercises aimed at driving up readership and bringing in new advertisers, you have to hand it to 88Nine Radio Milwaukee for trying to shine positive attention on the work local musicians cast out into the world within a particular calendar year.
Thursday, the radio station released the ballot for the 2016 Radio Milwaukee Music Awards, which will culminate with a ceremony at the studio Thursday, December 1. Radio Milwaukee will be soliciting votes for its 9th annual awards show through Friday, November 25, with eight different categories up for listener input. Categories include:
• Album Of The Year
• Song Of The Year
• Solo Artist Of The Year
• Band Of The Year
• Album Artwork
• Music Video Of The Year
• Independent Release
• Best Disc We Missed
Are there some snubs? Sure. Still, it’s a more-than adept rundown of many of the year’s finest releases, songs, bands, visuals, and album art. Plus, some oversights can be addressed in the “Best Disc We Missed” category. Additionally, the station and consultants will be putting their heads together to dole out Music Ambassador, Humanitarian, and Critics Choice hardware.