Our Recommendations: 2020-2021 Austin Chronicle Music Awards Poll

This year’s Austin Chronicle Music Awards Poll makes no mention of Bob Schneider as the Music Awards team makes big changes to how they handle the nominations process. See our picks for each category below.

Band of the Year

Sam Houston & Blk Odyssy

While it’s easy to give “Band of the Year” to Black Pumas, do they really need another award on top of their many Grammy nominations from this year and last?

2020 was a the year of pivots, especially for live musicians everywhere whose main source of income was diminished if not completely eviscerated as venues closed and people stayed home. This year, we went with the underdogs and voted for Sam Houston & Blk Odyssy for Band of Year. Sam and the band hustle hard—pivoting by starting a soul food catering company while putting one some of the best socially distant live shows of the year at places like the Far Out Lounge and Antone’s.

Musician of the Year

TIE: Gina Chavez & Jackie Venson

2020 was the year where we celebrate badass women of color. Gina Chavez and Jackie Venson, with indomitable spirits and the hard work of their respective teams, dominated 2020. Gina received a well-earned Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Pop/Rock Album” while Jackie lit up our screens almost every day with livestreams that amassed hundreds of fans each and every single night.

Songwriter of the Year

Eric Burton

It’s hard to dispute Black Pumas’ ongoing success from their 2020 Grammy nomination for “Best New Artist” (rivaling those like Lil Nas X, Rosalía, and Billie Eilish who went on to win the category) to their additional three 2021 Grammy nominations for “Record of the Year,” “Album of the Year,” and “Best American Roots Performance.” Eric Burton is our pick for “Best Songwriter of the Year” simply for making Austin so damn proud.

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year

The Teeta

‘The Seventh Seal’ a full-length collaboration by The Teeta and Dallas-based rapper Willo breaks new ground as the two venture to make their mark in Texas’s deep history of hip-hop. Making good use of lofi hip-hop beats by layering on thunderous bars and clever quips, it’s hard not to reward Teeta with a vote for “Hip-Hop Artist of the Year.” Listen to the album here.

Album of the Year

‘We Saw Blue’ by Ley Line

Austin’s multi-lingual songstresses Ley Line impressed with their 2020 drop of ‘We Saw Blue.’ The album was a beautiful journey of storytelling—each song, juxtaposed against the rough terrains of 2020, provided the listener with calmness amidst chaos while reflecting a sense of solitude that generally arched over the year of quarantine. Listen to the album here.

Song of the Year

TIE: “James Crow” by Mobley & “Walk With Me Austin” by Adrian Quesada & Various Artists

Mobley’s mastery of political pop in “James Crow” is a heavy reminder of not only his talent but the residual heaviness of the socio-political Black Lives Matter movement that reigned over part of last year. Along the same vein, “Walk With Me Austin,” was created to be Austin’s 2020 anthem. Produced by Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada, the song featured contributions from artists such as hip-hop duo Magna Carda, Austin’s “Queen of Soul” Tameca Jones, Beto Martinez of Grupo Fantasma, Carlos Sosa’s legendary Grooveline Horns, local hip-hop fixture Tee Double, and many other notable acts.

Video of the Year

“Underworld” by Being Dead

Being Dead, resident wild childs of the SoundSync roster, won recognition for their music video for their song “Underworld” as the #2 Best Music Video according to Austin Chronicle music columnist Rachel Rascoe’s end-of-year list. Directed by bandmates Juli Keller, Cody Dosier and cinematographer Riley Engemoen, the video includes a few friendly faces from the local indie scene such as band members from SMiiLE and Blood.

Local Label

Spaceflight Records

Spaceflight Records is our pick for Best Local Label this year. With releases by local favorites Kalu & The Electric Joint, all-female punk rockers Sailor Poon, surf rock band Billy King & The Bad Bad Bad, and our very own roster artist Löwin, Spaceflight stands above the rest.

Radio Station

KVRX 91.7 FM

Because we like to root for the underdog, and because our founder Nat Phan made her start founding her alma mater’s college radio station, our pick for “Best Radio Station” is KVRX 91.7 FM. Thanks for keeping it real and for keeping it fresh. KVRX is always giving us the best B-sides and keeping us up-to-date with what the cool kids are listening to.

Radio Personality

TIE: Aaron “Fresh” Knight & Taylor Wallace

We love KUTX despite our recommendation above for “Best Radio Station”—in particular, we love Fresh Knight and Taylor Wallace’s respective programs. Knight, who with co-host Confucius Jones, hosts ‘The Breaks’ which spun-off to be an accessory podcast to their radio show this year. It was also a big year for Wallace who took over the legendary John Aielli’s 6am-9am weekday morning time slot which he has held for nearly 50 years with his show ‘Eklektikos.’

Record Store

TIE: BLK Vinyl & End of an Ear

How do we choose between the small and selective catalog at E. 6th Street vinyl shop BLK Vinyl and local staple End of an Ear located in South Austin? To us, it’s apples and oranges, and we want to make sure to support local businesses like these. Both deserving of this title, BLK Vinyl and End of an Ear are both local artist-friendly and worth visiting when in-store shopping resumes.

Recording Studio

The Bubble

Dubbed as the “second-longest continually running music studio for both the acclaimed and unknown” by the Austin Chronicle, it’s hard to dispute the fact that the Bubble has got its hands all over Austin music, from many of Jackie Venson’s releases to releases by the Toadies, Built to Spill, Explosions in the Sky, and Meat Puppets. Not to mention, Frenchie Smith has earned his place in Austin music as being one of the most prolific producers in the city. For these reasons, we’re voting for the Bubble for the top-spot to record, mix, and master.

Best Virtual Event

Black Everythang Matters

Without a doubt, Austin’s live musicians collectively faced their most difficult year. But in the face of adversity, musician and industry fixture Chaka Mahone and his wife and partner in Riders Against the Storm Qi Dada put on some of the most successful livestream events of the year including Black Everythang Matters, showcasing local Black talent such as rapper Mama Duke and R&B songstress Eimaral Sol with proceeds benefitting Chaka’s DAWA Fund which gives direct aid to BIPOC artists in need. The event was hosted at Empire Control Room and made for one of the most memorable livestreams of the year.

Best Online Series

Hotel Vegas’s ‘Hotel Free TV’

Even as it’s sister venue Barracuda permanently closed, Hotel Vegas is still very much kickin’. The gritty yet lovable venue has had multiple pivots this year from serving a full menu of food and offering takeout & delivery, to launching Hotel Free TV, a donation-based livestream concept self-dubbed as the “DIY life support machine for the local music scene.” While it may be a while until we all are able to pack ourselves into Hotel Vegas’s tiny room to see some kickass punk rock bands bleed on their guitars, we support their livestreaming efforts and commend their tenacity with a vote for “Best Online Series.”

Best Livestreaming Artist

Jackie Venson

Without a doubt, the hardworking and talented Jackie Venson is not falling out of relevancy any time soon, pandemic be damned. In addition to her debut on ACL Live, the Austin livestream queen has streamed live nearly every night to a following of hundreds of people who tune in regularly. This loyalty among her fans has continually earned Jackie multiple spots on the Pollstar Livestream charts since the beginning of quarantine.

Best Non-Profit

Girls Rock Austin

Girls Rock Austin (GRA) is just one of hundreds of music non-profits in the city, but its mission is special: “empowering womxn, girls, trans and gender-expansive individuals through music education, mentorship and self-care.” As a board member of GRA, our founder Nat Phan is a little partial to this organization but feels that the title of “Best Non-Profit” is well-deserved. The non-profit, under leadership of Executive Director Jamie Barr, has been busy working on Operation Lunch Box which provides food to food-scarce homes. The program is open to all past or present campers, program participants, past and present volunteers, and musicians residing in Austin.

Best Fundraising Effort

Free Lunch for the homeless — Carrie Fussell Bickley, Jazz Mills, Jade Skye Hammer

Members of the local music community, Carrie Fussell Bickley, Jazz Mills, and Jade Skye Hammer came together to begin making free lunch packs for the homeless under their succinctly named organization Free Lunch. It comes during a time where the most vulnerable local population continued to suffer from food scarcity and lack of affordable housing. The organization saw an enormous amount of support from the community including fellow musicians Jackie Venson, Sabrina Ellis of A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit, Lolita Lynne, and others who agreed to perform a livestream benefit concert in December for the organization. Now with their new shiny non-profit status that they were able to acquire last year, they are charging ahead full force to continue their mission of giving nourishment to the homeless.

Best 2020 Themed Song

“Death to the DNC” by Big Bill

Written in obvious frustration with the Democratic National Committee and overall political landscape, SoundSync roster punk rockers Big Bill pen a love letter to Washington elites deservingly called “Death to the DNC.” While it was released in February of last year as Democratic primaries were underway, and while much has happened since, we still think it’s a relevant piece that touches upon the current issues with anti-progressive favoritism of old white politicos and the establishment left.

Best Innovation / Business Pivot

TIE: Mobley’s Curbside Tour & Mosaic Sound Collective’s livestream facility

Mobley makes our list again. This time, he’s up for “Best Innovation / Business Pivot” for his ingenious Curbside Tour in which he raffled off a free socially distant live performance to 10 randomly selected winners. Over 2,700 people entered to win. In a year where many are left without live music, this was a special way to not only engage fans but bring some joy to people’s homes in a safe way.

Meanwhile, our friends at Mosaic Sound Collective have been busy adapting to the new normal of livestreaming. Of their most memorable livestreams was their taping of the Black Pumas’s Late Late Show performance. Because of their unrelenting tenacity and DIY spirit, we give them our support for the category of “Best Innovation / Business Pivot”!

Hall of Fame Inductee

Tee Double

Lastly and most important of all is the “Hall of Fame” category in which we feel strongly that Austin hip-hop original Terrany Johnson, otherwise known as Tee Double, is far too deserving of. Throughout his entire career, Tee Double has reached places many artists would only dream of and has inspired a whole new generation of artists to pursue their dreams. Back during the salad days of Austin hip-hop, Tee partnered with Bavu Blakes, Traygod Shekhem, and multi-instrumental wizard D-Madness to host the weekly “Hip Hop Humpdays” events at Sixth Street’s former Mercury Lounge. His legacy reached even further when, in 2012, he founded a non-profit called the Urban Artist Alliance to educate and inspire young generations of urban artists. In fact, to this day, he has been a supportive friend and inspiring colleague for SoundSync founder Nat Phan. We highly recommend inducting Tee Double in the Austin Chronicle Music Poll Hall of Fame.