Announcing the 2026 Wammie Music Awards Finalists

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Blues

Best Blues Album

• Carly Harvey – Kamama
• Spice Cake – White Sugar White Flour
• Linwood Taylor – Two Sides
• Guy Bouchie and the Heart Fixers – Feel So Good (Wanna Boogie)
• Mama Moon and the Rump Shakers – White Magic Woman

Best Blues Artist-Group

• Carly Harvey
• Spice Cake
• Linwood Taylor
• Guy Bouchie and the Heart Fixers
• Mama Moon & The Rump Shakers

Best Blues Song

• Femi and the Foundation (ft. Clifford Cartel) – Walk on By
• Carly Harvey – Misery
• Shari Puorto – Why Not Me?
• Karl Stoll & The Danger Zone – That's All I Know
• ROSCOE TRIPP – Low

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Classical

Best Classical Album

• Michael Noble – Silver Screen
• Sam Post and Ralitza Patcheva – The Well “Tampered” Clavier
• Neera – Neera
• Kassia Music – Kassia Music Debut
• George Katsos – EPC

Best Classical Song

• Michael Noble – Variations on A Model of the Universe
• Christine Kharazian – Valse Astolfi
• Maxfield Wollam-Fisher – Tango-Études No. 4: Lento Meditativo – Piazzolla/Wollam-Fisher
• Sam Post – O'Carolan's Dream
• Ralitza Patcheva – Prelude in D major Well “Tampered” Clavier Bach/Post

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Country/Americana

Best Country/Americana Album

• FANFAIRE – Lost River Sessions
• Burt the Dirt – Rides Again
• Voices Three – Cold Feet
• Shari Puorto – Hold On
• Howard Parker – Music Daddy (A Sideman and Friends)

Best Country/Americana Artist-Group

• FANFAIRE
• Burt the Dirt
• The Timber Bridges
• Blank Page
• Domenic Cicala

Best Country/Americana Song

• FANFAIRE – Subtle Kindness
• Eli Lev – Where We Come From
• Lynn Hollyfield – North Star
• LJR & Eli Lev – You Should Probably Leave
• The Timber Bridges – The Town

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Electronic/Techno

Best Electronic/Techno Song

• Farid Azouri, Zach Cutler, Brooklyn the Kid, Aleyzza – Fast Car
• Kara Levchenko (with Freeloadr) – TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
• Kara Levchenko (with Nanderz) – Waited For
• Jay Columbus – Wanna Go
• Amulet – Dance of Duality

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Folk/Bluegrass

Best Folk/Bluegrass Album

• Jillian Matundan – Singing to the Moon
• Lynn Hollyfield – Look Up
• Eli Lev – Past Lives
• Wicked Sycamore – If Not Now
• Wild Aster – Wild Aster

Best Folk/Bluegrass Artist-Group

• Jillian Matundan
• Eli Lev
• Lynn Hollyfield
• Wicked Sycamore
• The Timber Bridges

Best Folk/Bluegrass Song

• FANFAIRE – Heavy Love
• Jillian Matundan – Through the Threshold
• Jillian Matundan – Frozen
• Jillian Matundan – Worth
• Lynn Hollyfield – Just Begin

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Funk

Best Funk Song

• Femi and the Foundation – Letting Go
• Jason Masi – Pretty
• Madz – Feel The Vibe
• The Jogo Project – “Jogo Groove” feat. Bravo Reds & Greg Boyer
• Strangers That Clique – High Price To Pay

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Go-Go

Best Go-Go Album

• Devin Denzel – The Test of Faith
• Killa Cal – Beats & Bars
• Rare Essence – Live PA #24 (Live at Aqua Nightclub 4-27-24)
• The Chuck Brown Band – Go Go Live at The Hamilton
• Northeast Groovers – Diamond Lounge feat. Killa Cal & Smoke

Best Go-Go Artist-Group

• Rare Essence
• Killa Cal
• Coty The Artist & 4Ever Fam Band
• The Chuck Brown Band
• Kato & The AllyKats

Best Go-Go Song

• Devin Denzel – Doing Me (feat. Jas. Funk)
• Go Go Mickey – The Go Go Mickey Show featuring Killa Cal
• Bravo Reds – Go-Go Bill feat. Sugar Bear & Ali the Gr8
• Trained To Go Band – Put Your Drinks Down
• Coty The Artist & 4Ever Fam Band – So Gone (Go-Go Remix)

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Gospel/Inspirational

Best Gospel/Inspirational Album

• Felipe Paccagnella & Marcos Lima – Bossa Hymns
• Da Fingaz – Thank God
• Soleille La Sage – MIDNIGHT HOUR
• George Katsos – EPI
• MAJNN – Love GOD Love Creation

Best Gospel/Inspirational Song

• Chef JoNate – I Got to Be At Church/ Golden Chocolate
• Aviance Ft. Cierra Jennings – If you Say So
• The Sam Bonds Chorale featuring TR3DEMARK – At Last
• Ronya Lee and the Light Factory – The Water Holds Me
• Michelle Lockey – Who Hears the Broken

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Hard Rock/Metal

Best Hard Rock/Metal Album

• Cemetery Sex – Cemetery Sex
• American Jetset – 1987
• Bitter Luck – Show Your Hand
• Borracho – Ouroboros

Best Hard Rock/Metal Artist-Group

• Kill the King
• Mac N' Toss
• 5th of Four
• Cemetery Sex
• A Shrewdness of Apes

Best Hard Rock/Metal Song

• 5th of Four – Betty Gray
• Mac N' Toss – Rabid
• Cemetery Sex – Leviathan
• Part Carbon – Useless Confucius
• KINDA EVIL – Your Tricks

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Jazz

Best Jazz Album

• Andrew Musselman – Big Sky
• Jose Andre – Jazz Journey
• The Eric Byrd Trio – Echoes Of Arrival
• Ravita Jazz – Alice Blue
• Time in the Wilderness – Refractions, Volume 1

Best Jazz Artist-Group

• Ravita Jazz
• The Eric Byrd Trio
• Phaze II
• The Continental Jazz Congress
• Alfred Yun

Best Jazz Song

• Lynn Hollyfield – Jezebel
• Christine Kharazian and Mauro Correa – Bebê ~ Hermeto Pascoal
• Voices Three – Cold Feet
• Carly Harvey – Please Do That To Me
• The Eric Byrd Trio – The Plan (Job 12)

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Latin

Best Latin Pop/Rock Artist-Group

• Christine Kharazian
• Richie Gomez
• Taisha Estrada
• Aleyzza
• Final Feliz

Best Latin Urbano Artist-Group

• Jhosua Rouge
• Chipelo
• Da Fingaz, Toshany, Trevis T
• Kelli Alva
• Jhoan

Best Traditional Latin Artist-Group

• Maxfield Wollam-Fisher
• Kelmary
• Max Rosado
• Hermanos Galvan & Orquesta

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General Interest Categories

Best Music Studio

• HighLife Studios
• 38NorthStudio
• Innovation Station Music
• Bias Studios
• Crescendo Studios

Best Music Venue

• The New Deal Cafe
• Songbyrd Music House
• The Atlantis
• The Artemis
• Crescendo Studios

Best Music Video

• The Young One – Escape
• MADDIE – Flirty Little Fling
• Jillian Matundan – Worth
• T.P. – IT GOES
• Kill the King – Rabbit Hole

Do Good Award

• Girls Rock! DC
• Sounds & Spirits
• Mac N' Toss
• DMV Music Alliance/Local Frequency
• EAS Entertainment Group

Music Media Award

• Caro's Playlists
• LJR Creative – Amplify Series
• Pass Da Aux
• Sean Spannuth Photography
• Robbie White

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Pop

Best Pop Album

• MADDIE – MADDIE
• Miss Gavri – Tales of an Emotional Pisces
• Emma G – Mental Health Sounds Like This
• Shelley Star – Crystal Beach
• Lena Traynham – twenty somethin'

Best Pop Artist-Group

• The Young One
• MADDIE
• Ari Voxx
• Shelley Star
• Kayla Stephens

Best Pop Song

• The Young One – Escape
• Jack Astronaut – Beautiful
• MADDIE – Flirty Little Fling
• Von Tae – Can't Stop
• Burt the Dirt – Everything's Changed

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Punk

Best Punk Song

• Rollins Bradford – Past Tense
• Kill the King – Rabbit Hole
• Mac N' Toss – Good Try
• Gigi Marie – Miss Black Lagoon
• KINDA EVIL – Honeybears

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R&B/Soul

Best R&B/Soul Album

• Alonté Cross – Under the Blue Lights
• Amber Marie – Take Ten
• Chef JoNate – The Golden Chocolate Album
• Ali The Gr8 – Compilation of My Thoughts
• Jade Jacobs – This Might Be About U

Best R&B/Soul Artist-Group

• Alonté Cross
• Amber Marie
• Kia Jena
• Mona Soul
• Chase SOL

Best R&B/Soul Song

• Alonté Cross – Earth is Ghetto
• Alonté Cross – Ignite the Night
• Amber Marie – Dear Dad
• Omar Vacel – U Deserve
• BDX the Don – Creepin' (feat. Drew Keys, Harlo Jaye)

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Rap/Hip-Hop

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album

• T.P. – Into The Pastoral Act 2
• T.P. – THIRD person
• BDX the Don – Golden Child
• Ty the Science Guy – In My Element
• Aye Rozayy – Morally Rich

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist-Group

• T.P.
• Brandon De'Sean
• Foxx Mr.GrGl
• BDX the Don
• #MalNoCrawford

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song

• Samoris – R.U.T.B. (Run Up The Bag)
• T.P. – Walk Em
• T.P. – Hear Me Now
• T.P. – IT GOES
• Brandon De'Sean - You Love Me

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Rock

Best Rock Album

• Breezy Supreme – Space Invader
• Femi and the Foundation – Wrong Side of the Sun
• Chay Vicious – Donate Your Clothing
• Gigi Marie – All Things Night & Beautiful
• KINDA EVIL – Hard To Believe

Best Rock Artist-Group

• Breezy Supreme
• MAYSUNS
• Femi and the Foundation
• Velvet Divide
• Jack Astronaut

Best Rock Song

• Velvet Divide – Unspoken
• MAYSUNS – Silencer
• Jack Astronaut – Lest We Pretend
• 5th of Four – Sparks
• Chay Vicious – Skyline

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World/Global

Best World/Global Album

• Arco & Aire – Una Noche Entre Sueños
• The Maka Sticks – The Nation's Skapital
• Da Fingaz, Westside Gravy – היפ הופ מזרח תיכוני (Middle Eastern Hip Hop)
• Valeria Stewart – Raíces
• Christos DC – Kung Fu Action Theatre

Best World/Global Artist-Group

• Arco & Aire
• The Maka Sticks
• Valeria Stewart
• Nkula
• The Players Band

Best World/Global Song

• Arco & Aire - El Idioma del Bosque
• Christine Kharazian and Mauro Correa – Galho Seco – Jacaré (Live Recording)
• Christine Kharazian – Flamingo's Dream
• Dreemy Alpha – Greet Di Pa
• The Maka Sticks – A DC Girl

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Youth

Youth Artist-Group

• Rollins Bradford
• DaRii
• Cold Chris & Musetta May
• Cold Chris
• John Troutman-Ritchey

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2026 Update

Per the eligibility requirements and due to low nomination entry (fewer than four approved nominations), the following categories have unfortunately been removed from this year's award show:

>Best Classical Artist-Group

>Best Electronic/Techno Album

>Best Electronic/Techno Artist-Group

>Best Funk Album

>Best Funk Artist-Group

>Best Gospel/Inspirational Artist-Group

>Best Punk Album

>Best Punk Artist-Group

All other categories in genre-related categories will remain (i.e. Best Classical Album; Best Classical Song). We hope that when we get to the next Wammies, more artists in these genres find us and submit nominations so these categories can return to live show.  We want this very much and would appreciate your support in spreading the word.  We will continue to do all we can as well.  Thank you for understanding.

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