Top of the Class • Winners of the 36th Annual REVIEW Music Awards

The 36th Annual REVIEW Music Awards happened on the evening of Sunday, May 15th at The Vault in Saginaw and is now logged in the history books as one of our strongest celebrations in the history of this longstanding legacy.

Featuring state of the art sound & lighting within the spacious splendor of this showcase venue, over 270 people showed up to honor the musical artistry populating the Great Lakes Bay Region as 56 trophies were handed out to musicians and artists in multiple genres ranging from Jazz, Blues, Country, Rock, Hip-Hop, and numerous miscellaneous divisions.

With stellar musical performances by Bobby Balderrama & The Robert Lee Revue, who's forays into Smooth Jazz earned him a top position on the Jazz Billboard charts this year, a poignant and moving set by rising singer-songwriter MIZNXN, an exuberant amalgamation of Americana and soulfully rockin’ originals from Carrie Westbay & Limelight, a jaw-dropping tour-d’force courtesy of Aaron Johnson and his innovative band Odd Shaped Puzzle, rounded out by the driven and compelling confection of contemporary Rock music courtesy of Loxodon and We, the Infamous, and the inspiring and nuanced craftwork of the Rhett Yocum Blues Band, the margins between our own regional talent and world-famous national acts became much narrower when properly and professionally showcased upon a large, well-lit, and acoustically immaculate stage.

With a total of 2.946 people nominating musicians and casting their votes, a total of 947 musicians & groups from the region were nominated by the general public in this year’s awards celebration, with the top five nominees in each division moving to a final round of voting and the winners honored at this special ceremony, which is designed to draw greater attention and respect to the remarkable musical resources of the Mid-Michigan area.

Big winners of the evening in their respective genres included Carrie Westbay, who walked away with a total of five trophies; The Family Tradition Band, who won honors in eight categories, including a Best Solo artist trophy for member Randy Badour; and Winaschnitzel who gathered trophies for Best Alternative Band, Best Original Band, and Best Rock Band, and Best Female Vocalist for founding member Shannon Schnettler along with Best Rock Drummer for brother Steven Schnettler, also a founding member of the group.

A complete roster of all the honorees is listed below:

MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS

Best Metal Band • Silverspork

Best Live Streaming Production • Carrie Westbay

Best Sound Technician • Carey Limberg

Best Live Streaming Performance • Carrie Westbay

Best Streaming Musical Series • Michigan Music History Podcast

Best Musical Fundraising Project • Jennifer Naegele & Friends: Making Spirits Bright

Best Videographer • Kari Pride-Helm

Best Rock Station • WKZQ - Z-93

Best Recording Studio • Fire Hyena Studio

Best Band Website • thefamilytraditionband.com

Best Alternative Band • Winaschnitzel

Best New Album or CD Release • Odd Shaped Puzzle

Best Duo • The Rupple Brothers

Best Variety Band • 23 North

Most Innovative Artist • Carrie Westbay

Best Multi - Instrumentalist • Carrie Westbay

Best Music Video • Pass It On • Marsupial Creampie

Best New Artist of the Year • MIZNXN

Best New Single Release • Whiskey Shakedown - Family Tradition Band

Best Original Band • Winaschnitzel

Best Solo Artist • Randy Badour

ROCK AWARDS

Best Rock Video • Landslide by Kris & Hera

Best Keyboardist • Stephanie Noel

Best Female Vocalist • Shannon Schnettler

Best Rock Songwriter • Carrie Westbay

Rock Male Vocalist • Jake Priest (Here After Six)

Best Rock Band • Winaschnitzel

Best Rock Drummer • Steven Schnettler

Best Rock Bassist • Bruce LaFrance

Best Rock Guitarist • Will Hystad (We, The Infamous)

COUNTRY AWARDS

Country Female Vocalist • Mandi Layne

Country Male Vocalist • Randy Badour

Best Country Video • Family Tradition Band - Whiskey Shakedown

Best Country Band • The Family Tradition Band

Best Country Songwriter • Randy Badour

Best Country Instrumentalist • Randy Badour

JAZZ AWARDS

Male Jazz Vocalist • Mike Brush

Best Small Combo • The Voortex Jazz & Blues Band

Best Jazz Songwriter • Robert Lee Balderrama

Female Jazz Vocalist • Monique Ella Rose

Best Big Band • Soul XPress

Best Jazz Instrumentalist • Robert Lee Balderrama

BLUES AWARDS

Best Blues Video • Arkansas - Larry McCray

Best Blues Band • Rhett Yocum Blues Band

Male Blues Vocalist • Larry McCray

Best Funk Band • Soul Xpress

Best Blues Songwriter • Larry McCray

Best Blues Instrumentalist • Rhett Yocom

Female Blues Vocalist • Kalysta Sylvester

RAP/HIP HOP AWARDS

Best Producer • Michigan Me - Bobby Chance ft. Randy Badour & Bootleg

Best Rap Video • Mike Spitz

Best Promoter • Charles Conley

Best DJ • Chris Redburn

Best Rap Songwriter • M-20

Best Performer • M-20

Rap Artist of the Year • M-20