The massive year in Milwaukee music is drawing to a close. The quality and diversity of the city’s music scene was (at least somewhat) on display in the packed and sweltering confines of 88Nine’’s Walker’s Point studio Thursday night, as a combined seven people and projects took home 10 Radio Milwaukee Awards.
Field Report was the only band to take home multiple awards, claiming Band Of The Year, Album Of The Year, and the Critic’s Choice honors for the same album (Marigolden). Less than a month after moving to California, Old Earth earned some belated local love, though it was for his album art instead of his music. GGOOLLDD’s “Bling Ring” was an easy (and deserving) winner in the Song Of The Year category.
Here is the full list of winners:
Band Of The Year – Field Report
Solo Artist Of The Year – WebsterX
Album Of The Year – Field Report – Marigolden
Song Of The Year – GGOOLLDD – “Bling Ring”
Independent Release Of The Year – Bliss & Alice, Poetry Volume 1
Best Disc We Missed – Dead Horses, Space and Time
Music Video Of The Year – Kane Place Record Club, “Sunshine”
Album Artwork – Old Earth, A Wake In The Wells
Milwaukee Music Ambassador Award – Peter Jest, owner of Shank Hall
Critics’ Choice (Best Album) – Field Report, Marigolden
While the awards aren’t without their faults—the “Independent Release” category seems odd in a city with almost exclusively unsigned acts, Dead Horses are from Oshkosh, sets were far too long, “Music Ambassador”—it’s never a bad thing to give artists a platform to have their hard work recognized by their own community. Congrats, winners.
Update: It was brought to our attention that Dead Horses has a member who lives in Milwaukee, making the band eligible for the award.