Best of 2019
2019 was a very good year for music. From new artists like mxmtoon to veterans like Tanya Tucker this year was a plethora of the best. Here are our picks and runners-up for 2019
Best Country – Highwomen – Brandi Carlile’s supergroup of country women wins hands down. thehighwomen.com/
Runners Up: Yola
Best Jazz – Nerija – The London all women jazz band is a bright new addition to the world of jazz facebook.com/nerijamusic/
Runners-Up: Melissa Aldana, Michelle Rosewoman, Anat Cohen Tentet
Best Indie – Tessa Violet – Violet’s debut release, Bad Days, is fun, infectious and addictive tessa-violet.com/
Runners-up: Rose Droll, XYL0, Wrenn, Sir Chloe
Best Hip Hop/Rap – Lizzo – It was impossible to ignore the artist when she shot up this year. lizzomusic.com/goodashell
Runners-Up: Rico Nasty, Megan Thee Stallion, Summer Walker
Best R & B – Jorja Smith – This UK artist set a wondrous tone for the year. jorjasmith.com/
Runners-Up: Jamila Woods, Brittany Howard, Jorja Smith, LP
Best Pop – Charly Bliss is a two-time winner here. Their album Young Enough had to be surgically removed from our player. charlybliss.com/
Runners-Up: Poppy, Nulifer Yanya, Tiffany Young, Kim Petras, King Princess, mxmtoon
Best Punk – The Beaches – The Beaches dropped their EP earlier in the year and it kept coming up again and again thebeachesband.com
Runners-Up: The Paranoyds, Summer Cannibals, Mannequin Pussy
Best Rock – Angel Olsen – It is easy to see why Olsen continues to stay on top with her new album with full orchestration, All Mirrors angelolsen.com
Runners-Up: Billie Eilish, Sharon Van Etten, Weyes Blood, Brittany Howard, Maggie Rogers, Hop Along, King Princess
Best Heavy Metal – Infected Rain – This Moldovan band shocked us with “Black Gold” and branded an archetype to their music infectedrain.com
Runners-Up: Sheer Mag, Delain, Tarja Amaranthe, Unleash the Archers
Best EDM – Alison Wonderland – This Australian artist blew us away live alisonwonderland.com
Runners-Up: XYL0, Zoliat, Ella Vos, Clara Mae, Elohim
Best Foreign Artist – Stella Donnelly – This Perth artist easily won our hearts with her album Beware of the Dogs stelladonnelly.com
Runners-Up: Hatchie, Elizabeth, The Beths, Jaguar Jonze
Best Unexpected Surprise – Babymetal – This Japanese band was one of the most unusual shows of the year. A mix of sugar pop and metal that is striking and frightening all at once. babymetal.com/en/
Runner-Up: Poppy
Best Return – Kim Gordon – Releasing her first solo album this year, Kim Gordon takes the throne kimaltheagordon.com
Runners-Up: Liz Phair, Sleater Kinney, Tanya Tucker
Best Local Artist – Lvdy – This 2 piece who has their debut album coming out next year shot to the top early lvdymusic.com
Runners-Up: Lucy Daydream, Pink Fuzz, Babe Lord, Star Garbage, Cool Accent
Best New Artist – King Princess – Mikeala Straus started the year with “1950” and ended with Cheap Queen. 2020 will bring a sold-out headlining tour kingprincessmusic.com
Runners-Up: Nasty Cherry, Greeting Committee, Chloe Lilac, Winona Oak, Jaguar Jonze
Artist of the Year – Greeting Committee – This American band is full of energy and is young enough they can only get better thegcband.com
Label of the Year – Saddle Creek – A roster as diverse as Frances Quinlan, Big Thief, Stef Chura, Black Belt Eagle Scout… Saddle Creek continues to find and make the greatest new artists saddle-creek.com/
Runners-Up: Sub Pop, Mom + Pop Records, Father Daughter Records, Milk! Records