BMAs ceremony dazzles with diverse, defiant performances
The Boston Music Awards returned to Big Night Live Wednesday night with a confettifilled celebration of the year’s top artists.
Amid the glam of a prestigious awards show fused with the high-octane energy of a music festival, fans and nominees alike partied the night away. Before the first winners were announced, Paul Armstrong, producer of the Boston Music Awards, took to the stage to praise the 2023 nominees as representing “the highest level of talent we’ve seen in a very long time.”
“People rightfully reminisce about the era of Aerosmith, New Kids on the Block, and Bobby Brown,” Armstrong told the sold-out crowd. “I believe it’s time to give our current generation of stars the same level of recognition and respect.”
New England native Noah Kahan, who was not in attendance for the ceremony, took home several of the night’s top prizes, including artist of the year and folk artist of the year. His record “Stick Season” was named album/EP of the year (1 million+ streams) while his track “Dial Drunk” earned song of the year (1 million+ streams).
While Kahan’s breakout year continued, the stars who shined brightest Wednesday night were the diverse collection of artists who make up Boston’s dynamic music scene. From power-emo band Cape Crush to indie crooner Maeko, the evening’s performances served as a showcase of the wide range of musicians who call the city and region home.
Mattapan rapper Nay $peaks, who won new artist of the year, brought the house down with an electrifying performance of tracks off her album “Nayborhood Healer,” which was nominated for album/EP of the year. Meanwhile indie band Shallow Pools, nominated for pop artist of the year (won by singer Coi Leray), performed tunes from their new album, “I Think About It All the Time.”
An all-female, LGBTQ+ band, the members of Shallow Pools came up in the scene admiring artists like Lowell’s PVRIS. Lead singer Glynnis Brennan, who is partially blind, called the awards ceremony “amazing” for uplifting voices from different backgrounds. “I’ve met other disabled people who are playing on this stage, and that’s kind of hard to come by,” Brennan said backstage before the ceremony. “So, from that standpoint at least, I think it’s just so cool.”
Hyde Park and Mattapan-raised rapper Clark D, who was nominated in four categories and won album/EP of the year for “Propaganda,” also praised the Boston Music Awards for providing a platform for the city’s musicians, particularly independent artists.
“It’s important to have a certain level of validation when you’re doing music, because it’s very difficult,” he said. “Especially as being an independent artist today, a lot of things are based on your brand power or how you’re perceived publicly. If you’re an act in Boston and you’re nominated for a Boston Music Award, obviously it increases the value of your brand.”
Raised in a proudly Haitian household, Clark D performed an energetic Haitian and “Boston as hell” set. The “It’s a Stickup!” rapper also used his time on stage to call attention to conflicts around the globe.
“We’ve got so much [expletive] to be grateful for. There are people getting bombed on. There’s people dying right now,” he told the crowd during his performance. “There’s people starving. [Expletive] in the Congo getting exploited right now. And here we are, we get to celebrate art.”
NEEMZ, a Boston-based Palestinian rapper, used her appearance on Wednesday night to speak out about the war in Gaza. NEEMZ, who won video of the year for her song “I Choose Myself,” and her backup band all wore keffiyeh scarves.
“I’m a Palestinian artist, and what’s going on in Palestine is really sad to see,” NEEMZ told the Globe. “In these times as an artist, as a real artist, you need to speak on what’s going on and use your music as a way to heal, but also to advocate for people who don’t have a voice.”
Boston Music Awards honorees also included Amanda Shea, who earned the evening’s biggest applause for winning spoken-word artist of the year. Reggae band the Elovaters won two awards, earning nods for reggae/ ska artist of the year and live artist of the year. Other winners in the artist-of-the-year categories include GA-20 (blues), Millyz (hip-hop), Club d’Elf (jazz), Ward Hayden & The Outliers (country), Divine Sweater (alt/ indie), Fiddlehead (punk/hardcore), Pile (rock), ToriTori (R&B), Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean (metal), Fabiola Mendez (Latin), and HONEYCOMB (dance/electronic). Dorchester’s kei won song of the year for “Berserk.”
Restaurateur Nia Grace’s Grace By Nia, which opened this year in the Seaport, won live music venue of the year (capacity under 250), while the Sinclair (250+) and MGM Music Hall at Fenway (1,000+) won in the larger categories.