The 2025 San Diego Music Awards Nominees have been announced!

Best Folk or Acoustic Song
Andrew Barrack – Waking up Together
Brianna Grace – Red and Blue
Dylan Razwick – Numb
Josh Weinstein – Jesus of Neverland
KaiLana Tomiko- Too Many Times
Nathan & Jessie – The Way You Move
The Beard & the Bird – Thankful

Best Jazz Artist
Allison Adams Tucker
Ed Kornhauser
Gilbert Castellanos
Leonard Patton
Nathan Hubbard
Sue Palmer & her Motel Swing Orchestra
Taryn Donath

Best Jazz Album
Alex Ciavarelli – A Tribute To Oscar Peterson On Guitar
Doug Walker – Concurrent Lines
Euphoria Brass Band – Better Days
Jazz From The Crypt – Ritual]
Mackenzie Leighton Quartet – I Remember
Patrick Yandall – You Will Be Alright
Sandi King – Departure

Best Blues Artist
Black Market III
Chickenbone Slim
Chris Fast band
Johnny Vernazza
Mercedes Moore
Nathan James
Whitney Shay

Best Blues Album
Daniel Nielsen – Deep Finish
John January Band – True
Manzanita Blues – Gamblin’ on the Groove
Robin Henkel – Lurking
The Juke$ – The Thick, uncut, unreleased tracks
The Tradition – Bad Reputation
Zavala Sol – Bad Habits

Best Country or Americana Song
Alex Bergan – Ghost in the Addict
Jackson Wagner – Like an Angel
Jesse Ray Smith – Santa Ana Winds
Miranda Ramos – Waste Your Time
Sara Jade, Jessie Lark, Elizabeth Bowersox – Singin’ Woman
Sheena – Strawberry Lemonade
Sutton James – The Ghost’s Perfume

Best Country or Americana Artist
Ashley E. Norton
Ass Pocket Whiskey Fellas
Farm Truck
Jesse Ray Smith
Lissa Dee
Sara Petite
The Sleepwalkers

Best Country or Americana Album
Cathryn Beeks – The After Times
Dave Preston – Way Out West
Jeff Berkley – Tumbleweed
Kimmi Bitter – Old School
MohaviSoul – s/t
Ron Houston – Real Outlaw Americans Music
The Sea Monks with Johnny Sapphire – New Dreams

Best Hip Hop/Rap Artist
Brothers Burns
Crhymes
Kahlee
Dezzy Hollow
Riston Diggs
RM the Poet
The Neighborhood Kids

Best Hip Hop/Rap Song
Cane Dubb – When Times Get Rough
Cory Blaze – For the City
DJ Who & Mantis – Outsider
Ej Hustla – God Said
Mitchy Slick – Keep Up The Name
Sham Blak – Fade to Blak
The Gravities – Find a Lil’ Time

Best Pop Artist
Audrey Callahan
Cassie B
Chloe Lou
Jonny Tarr
Lioneer
Matthew Phillips
Paradise Drive

Best Pop Song
Ben Parks – All My Love
Creature Canyon – American Movie
David Spitzfaden – Cracked the Code
Jessie Lark – Rainbows
Kieler Avery – Gentleman
Sean Witkin featuring Jonny Tarr – TLD
Sunsets/VIRR – Big Bidness

Best Pop Album
Almost Monday – Dive
Gregory Page – Once Long Ago
Michael Tiernan – For Others
Tamar Berk – Good Times for a Change
We The Commas – Aeroplane
The Loons – Memories Have Faces
Trey Hill – The Search for Something Good

Best Rock Artist
Ash Easton
Band of Gringos
Door 13
Mistress 77
Roni Lee
The Farmers
The Tourmaliners

Best Rock Album
Desponders – Timewave Decay
Fuzz Huzzi – Waiting on the Sun
Kill Holiday – Seasonal
New Skeletal Faces – Until the Night
Owl Be Damned – 10:01
RA. – LDR
Soulseller – Witching Hour 

Best Rock or Indie/Alternative Song
Cascade Effect – Suffering in Silence
Daring Greatly – Trouble
Glass Spells – Without You
Hauntu – End of Days
Morskie Oko – Born to Weep
Mrs. Henry – Hope, Keep on Rising
Sunbendr – Cut to the Quick

Best Indie/Alternative Artist
Coastal Wolves
miniaturized
Please Ask for Paul
Pleasure Pill
Signal for Pilot
Swive
The Schizophonics

Best Indie/Alternative Album
Blair Gun – There are No Rival Clones Here
Dive Bar Saints – Seven Seas
Los Saints – Certified
Scary Pierre – Sticky Situation
Taking on Water – Social Insecurity
The Oxen – Blanketing The Friction
The Film Company – We Were Promised Rockets

Best World Music Song
Alific – Winds from Within
B-Side Players – When the Music Stops
Boostive – Lust
Crucial Blend – Never Wanna Leave
Kekoa the Artist – Tired of Me
Marujah – Sana
T-Chronic – Till The Day I Die

Best World Music Artist
Boostive
Cumbia Machin
Mitchum Yacoub
Quel Bordel
Safety Orange
The Amalgamated
Tulengua

Best R&B, Funk or Soul Song
Archie Thompson – Souls on Fire
Beebs – Better Days
Darren Maurice Shirrell – Celebrate for Love
Doah’s Daydream – Ready to Love
Evan Marks & Rebecca Jade – Hello It’s Me
Helena Holleran – Howlin at the Moon
Marelle – Alone

Best Local Recording
Archie Thompson, Raw Soul, Vol. 5
Eric Schroeder – Turned on the Stereo
Mark Montijo – If I Get to Heaven
Nicey Nice World – Live Antic
The Resinators – Vs.
The Tourmaliners – Live & Alive
Will Stucky – Familiar Frontier

Best Video
Aviator Stash – Mobil Blues
Cheyenne Benton – Sorry
Daring Greatly – Trouble
Fake Glasses – Paranoid
Half Hour Late – Gloomy Days
The Eiffels – Beautiful Life
The Neighborhood Kids – Biddi Bomb

Best New Artist
Cat 22
Dusk Drama
Hi-Five Ghost
Kela Sako
The Film Company
The Neighborhood Kids
Westwinders

Artist of the Year
Anthony Cullins
Cattle Decapitation
Daring Greatly
Kimmi Bitter
Pierce the Veil
Sun Room
Thee Sacred Souls

Song of the Year
Kimmi Bitter – Cowboy Kind of Girl
Jon Foreman – Stay Wild, Wildflower
Pierce the Veil – Karma Police
P.O.D. – I Won’t Bow Down
Sun Room – Hate It When You Call
Thee Sacred Souls – Live for You

Album of the Year
Jeff Berkley – Tumbleweed
Jon Foreman – In Bloom
Kimmi Bitter – Old School
P.O.D. – Veritas
Slack Key Ohana – Hawaiian Cowboy
Swami & The Bed of Nails – All of This Awaits You
Thee Sacred Souls – Got a Story to Tell