Central Track Staff
Voting For Top Honors In Our Celebration Of Dallas Music Is Open! In All, The Ballot Recognizes 300+ Separate Entities That Make This City’s Scene Special.
At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, we’re teaming up with the Granada Theater to present Dallas with a new kind of music awards show.
We’re calling this event the Central Track Music Honors.
Of course, if you’ve been following along already, you knew all this — and about our plans to turn this offering into an immersive celebration of the music scene, a night that emphasizes achievement recognition over petty competition.
Still, let’s recap the ways in which our Music Honors will be different from other, similar events around town in a few notable ways.
First, we plan to do all we can to turn our February 20 ceremony into a party where everyone in the building feels celebrated. The hope is to emphasize community-building over the accomplishments of a few select individuals by embracing a less-talk, more-rock ideal and eliminating the usual on-stage award acceptance speech rigmarole that tends to bog down nights like these and, quite literally, puts certain talents on pedestals above others. Instead, acts earning Top Honors in their respective categories will be slowly revealed over the course of the night on the Granada’s video screens, then directed to a dedicated space removed from the performances where they can accept their trophies.
Meanwhile, the main room in the venue will strictly serve a dedicated performance-only space with more than 10 varied area acts performing a rapid-fire sampler platter of sorts over the course of the night that we hope will represent the best that this city’s music scene has to offer. (Keep your eyes peeled for the performer lineup announcement coming in the next few weeks.)
Another difference? This event hopes to celebrate not just the musicians of the scene themselves, but to also the various behind-the-scenes types who similarly contribute to the Dallas music community — hence our inclusion on the ballot of such categories as Best Music Video Director, Best Merch Designer and Best Concert Photographer. In all, this year’s ballot features a whopping 51 categories, including four separate rap categories, four separate venue categories, two individual DJ categories and two production categories. Added up, 293 individual entities (plus an additional 10 acts that we’ll get to in a minute) are represented on the ballot, with those nominees having been painstakingly hand-selected over the course of the last few weeks by our in-house editorial staff.
Each of those entities is deserving of recognition. But acts deserving of special distinction in each category will be determined by a public, democratized vote which opens today and runs through midnight on February 13. Below, you’ll find the nominees for the 2019 Central Track Music Honors listed in full.
Fresh-faced performers Ian Salazar and Xuan lead the way on this first-ever CTMH ballot with six nominations apiece. Luna Luna and Cody Lynn Boyd follow closely behind with five and four respective noms each. Another nine entities will compete in three categories, and 29 additional entities will have two chances at winning a Top Honors nod.
Still, there are 10 more acts we felt worthy of recognition at this year’s event — acts that have so firmly established themselves as scene beacons in recent years that we felt placing them in any individual category was to get in the way of the spirit of this event and keep their many deserving peers from having any real chance at being honored. These acts represent our first-ever Central Track Music Honor Roll class, which is not unlike a Hall of Fame induction class, really. Mostly, it’s a way for us to recognize these talents’ many accomplishments and undisputed scene contributions without doing so at the expense of anyone else deserving of distinction.
But, listen, we’ll have plenty of time in the next month or so to explain all that in greater detail. For now, let’s move on to why you clicked on this link in the first place — to find out which acts are among this year’s nominees, and which acts are being inducted in our Honor Roll.
All that info can be found below, along with a link to the ballot itself. (Oh, and before you ask: Yes, you can vote more than once — up to five times over the course of the voting period , actually — although we have included parameters to only allow one ballot submission per person every 24 hours.)
Happy voting! And cheers to all these wonderful contributors to the Dallas music scene! — Pete Freedman
The 2019 Central Track Music Honor Roll:
- Leon Bridges
- Sarah Jaffe
- Bobby Sessions
- Power Trip
- Medasin
- Charley Crockett
- Yella Beezy
- Cody Jinks
- Old 97’s
- Symbolyc One
The 2019 Central Track Music Honors Nominees:
Best Album
Josh T Pearson — The Straight Hits
Mr. Breakfast — Glass Dome
Xuan — Have Some Fun
Various Artists — Never Goin Back Soundtrack
Conner Youngblood — Cheyenne
Daniel Markham — Hyperspeed
Upsetting — Everything I’ve Done So Far
Best EP
Razorbumps — The Demo
Sealion — Nothing Nowhere
Luna Luna — For Lovers Only
LEV — Glass Ceiling
Larry gEE — Voices
Not Ur Girlfrenz — New Kids in America
SadFaceThuggin — Sad Face
Best Song
Joshua Ray Walker — “Canyon”
SRSQ — “Cherish”
Luna Luna – “Fro (feat. Pretty Boy Aaron)”
Kyoto Lo-Fi “Godot”
About You — “Cactus”
Xuan — “Big Blue Ocean”
Ian Salazar — “Virginia”
Best Group
Luna Luna
Sub-Sahara
Midnight Opera
MOTORCADE
Acid Carousel
Rosegarden Funeral Party
Cure For Paranoia
Best Live Act
Acid Carousel
Rosegarden Funeral Party
Texas Gentlemen
Marc Rebillet
Kwinton Gray Project
Sealion
Dead Flowers
Best Solo Artist
Sudie
Joshua Ray Walker
Cody Lynn Boyd
Conner Youngblood
Ian Salazar
Xuan
Daniel Markham
Best Female Rapper
Nezi Momodu
Cuban Doll
Asian Doll
Tay Money
Alsace Carcione
EB Rebel
S3nsi Molly
Best Male Rapper
T.Y.E
Trapboy Freddy
Flexinfab
Splurge
Mo3
FXXXXY
Lil Ronny MothaF
Best Indie Rapper
Matt Swagnew
David Morgan
Pat Ron
Jayson Lyric
Rakim Al-Jabbar
Rikki Blu
Emotional Xan
Best Rap Group/Collective
Cure For Paranoia
Crit Life
Pyrex Pirates
The Outfit, TX
Kryptonyte
Gwap Gang
Billie Gang
Best Hip-Hop Producer
Sikwitit (Bobby Sessions, Snow Tha Product)
Ish D (BeMyFiasco, 88 Killa)
Lonestarmuzik (Eminem, DQ Hampton)
Cardo (Drake, Travis Scott)
Blue The Misfit
JWhiteDidIt (Cardi B)
ShunOnDaBeat (Trapboy Freddy, Yella Beezy)
Best Country Act
Paul Cauthen
Josh T Pearson
Ottoman Turks
Elaina Kay
Vincent Neil Emerson
Summer Dean
Mike Randall
Best Folk/Americana Act
Frankie Leonie
Cody Lynn Boyd
Simon Flory
Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner
Castro
Matthew McNeal
The Buffalo Ruckus
Best Rock Act
Texas Gentlemen
War Party
Acid Carousel
Pearl Earl
Quaker City Night Hawks
Kyoto Lo-Fi
Rosegarden Funeral Party
Best Indie Rock Act
Luna Luna
MOTORCADE
Chillamundo
Midnight Opera
Sammy Strittmatter
Ari Roar
Conner Youngblood
Best Pop Rock Act
Northern National
The Unlikely Candidates
Starfruit
Beauty Parlor
Meach Pango
Fishing in Japan
Hall Johnson
Best Punk Act
Loafers
Sub-Sahara
Razorbumps
Lizzie Boredom
Mind Spiders
Joe Gorgeous
Whep
Best Emo Act
Upsetting
Goodwill, Good Will
The Bralettes
Sad Cops
Sara King
Scumby
Hextape
Best Hardcore Act
Echo Spring
Obstruction
Ballista
Unity-TX
Casual Relapse
Flesh Born
Creeping Death
Best Metal Act
Duell
Wo Fat
Mountain of Smoke
Mothership
Pinkish Black
Tyrannosorceress
Dead To A Dying World
Best Experimental/Noise Act
Thin Skin
Flesh Narc
Helium Queens
Black Taffy
They Say The Wind Made Them Crazy
Sexual Jeremy
Francine Thirteen
Best Electronic Act
SRSQ
Jake Schrock
Felt & Fur
Marc Rebillet
Ishi
Junk Food
Left/Right
Best Pop Act
Xuan
LEV
Larry gEE
Kaela Sinclair
lorelei k
Kaz Moon
guitarEMOJI
Best R&B/Soul Act
OG Garden
Andy Pickett
RC & The Gritz
M3cca
(Liv).e
Medicine Man Revival
The 40 Acre Mule
Best Jazz Act
Yaz Mean
Mark Lettieri Trio
Kwinton Gray Project
Jenna Clark
The Effinays
The Funky Knuckles
Yells At Eels
Best New Act
Xuan
Luna Luna
Mr. Breakfast
Cody Lynn Boyd
Sadfacethuggin
The Bralettes
Ian Salazar
Best High School and Under Act
Frankie Leonie
Parker Twomey
Not Ur Girlfrenz
Tippy Balady
Remy Reilly
Fishing in Japan
Ting Tang Tina
Best Cover Band
Weezing
Straight Tequila Night
The Carz
The Gorehounds
PriMadonna
The Rich Girls
Panic
Best Female Vocalist
Frankie Leonie
Sudie
Devi
Zyah
Taylor Nicks (Atlantis Aquarius)
SRSQ
Kierra Gray (King Kie)
Best Male Vocalist
Paul Cauthen
Jordan Cain (Atlantis Aquarius)
Troy Garrick
T.Y.E.
Sam Anderson (Quaker City Night Hawks)
Matthew McNeal
Keite Young (Medicine Man Revival)
Best Guitarist
Matt Tedder
Mark Lettieri
Dustin Fleming (Vandoliers)
Teddy Waggy (Siamese)
Chris Holt
Nik Lee (Texas Gentlemen)
Nick Earl (The Travoltas, Plandroid)
Best Bassist
Uriah Stake (Ryan Berg, Stevie James Trio, Yaz Mean)
Braylon Lacy (The Gritz, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin)
Emsy Robinson Jr. (Goodnight Ned)
Evan Winston Johnson (Dead Flowers, Colab)
Ian Salazar (Acid Carousel)
KJ Gray (Friday’s Foolery)
Nigel Rivers (Erykah Badu, Dezi 5)
Best Drummer
Logan Gladden (Robotix, KISS)
Jason Garner (Polyphonic Spree, Plandroid)
McKenzie Smith (Sarah Jaffe, St. Vincent, BNQT)
Aaron Haynes (Texas Gentlemen, Quaker City Night Hawks)
Matt Pence (Paul Cauthen, The Gold Brothers)
Cleon Edwards (Erykah Badu, The Gritz)
Brandon Price (Friday’s Foolery, Casey Donahew)
Best Pianist
Poppy Xander (Starfruit, Helium Queens, Panic, PriMadonna)
Chad Stockslager (Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner, A Hard Night’s Day)
Kwinton Gray (Kwinton Gray Project, Friday’s Foolery, The Funky Knuckles)
RC Williams (Erykah Badu, The Gritz)
Daniel Creamer (Texas Gentlemen)
Ginny Mac
Shaun Martin (Kirk Franklin, Snarky Puppy)
Best Producer (Non Hip-Hop)
Salim Nourallah (Sammy Strittmatter, Xuan, Sleepy Zuhoski)
Jordan Richardson (Yaz Mean, Steve Gnash, Quaker City Night Hawks)
Michael Briggs (Whep, Mr. Breakfast, Flesh Narc)
Beau Bedford (Texas Gentlemen, Ruby Boots, Frankie Leonie)
Jason Burt (Medicine Man Revivial, Remy Reilly, Mitchell Ferguson)
Matt Pence (Two Medicine, EB The Younger, Elle King)
Ian Salazar (Scarlett Cimillo, Hall Johnson, Acid Carousel)
Best Songwriter
Joshua Ray Walker
Remy Reilly
Cody Lynn Boyd
Ian Salazar
Xuan
Matthew McNeal
Daniel Markham
Best DJ
DJ Sober
WYBMF
Poizon Ivy
Mike B
Blake Ward
KMOR
Ursa Minor
Best Club DJ
Niro
Zillamatic
Pete Mash
Jesse Koo
Fishr Pryce
NVS
Red Eye
Best Concert Photographer
Mike Brooks
Karlo X. Ramos
Aly Fae
Cal Quinn
Gray Muncy
Breanna Loose
Rico DeLeon
Best Music Video Director
Ciara Boniface (Devy Stonez, Curtis Mayz, Terrence Spectacle)
Josh Jordan (Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner, Greg Schroeder)
Dance Dailey (T.Y.E., Tay Money)
German Torres (Bobby Sessions, 88 Killa)
Jeremy Biggers (Bobby Sessions, Sam Lao, Sudie)
Chris Phelps (EB the Younger)
HalfpintFilmz (Lil 2z, Yella Beezy, The Outfit)
Best Merch Designer
Matt Cliff (EB the Younger, Tripping Daisy, The Gold Brothers, Texas Gentlemen)
JackDaw Russell (Sub-Sahara, Charley Crockett, Old 97’s, Daniel Markham)
DJ Sober (Sober, Sudie)
Morgan Mercantile (Jonathan Tyler, Texas Gentlemen, Mama Tried, Billy Bob’s)
Lewellyn’s Print Shop (Sealion, Nathan Mongol Wells, Remy Reilly, Three Links)
Kaia Beggs (Lizzie Boredom, From Parts Unknown)
Jared “DTOX” Davies (Cure For Paranoia)
Best Festival
Homegrown
Old 97’s County Fair
Fortress Fest
Lights All Night
JMBLYA
Damn Fine Music Fest
NSFWknd
Best Weekly/Recurring Party
Disco, TX (The Stoneleigh, Other Locations)
Brand New Money Party (Dada, Other Locations)
Big Bang! (Beauty Bar/Double Wide)
Emo Nite (RBC/2513 Deep Ellum)
Outward Bound Mixtape Sessions (RBC)
DFW Jam Session (Prophet Bar/Sandaga 813)
3links2sdays (Three Links)
Best Venue (750 – 5,000 Cap.)
Canton Hall
The Bomb Factory
The Rustic
Granada Theater
Majestic Theatre
The Box Garden at Legacy Hall
House of Blues
Best Venue (250 – 750 Cap.)
Dada
Kessler Theater
MASS
Trees
Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill
Blue Light
Curtain Club
Best Venue (Under 250 Cap.)
Double Wide
Armoury, D.E.
Regal Room
Good Records
Andy’s Bar
Adair’s
Three Links
Best New Venue
Texas Live!
Toyota Music Factory
Legacy Hall
Mama Tried
Ruins
Blue Light
The Statler Ballroom
Best Independent Promoter/Talent Buyer
Spune
Parade of Flesh
Margin Walker
King Camel
13th Floor Music
Third String Productions
Banjos To Beats
Best Record Label
Dreamy Life
State Fair Records
Palo Santo
High Standardz
Barf Wave
Dolfin Records
Hand Drawn Records
Best Record Store
Josey Records
Good Records
Forever Young
Spinster Records
Top Ten Records
Doc’s Records
Dreamy Life Records and Tapes
Best Recording Studio
Modern Electric Sound Recorders
Pleasantry Lane
Echo Lab
Reeltime Audio
Audio Dallas
Eagle Audio
Klearlight Studio
Head here for more information about the 2019 Central Track Music Honors!