2016 Sammies nominees

Update: Find the winners for the 2016 Sammies here.

It’s back: The only race that matters in 2016. Feel the Bern? Dump Trump? Who cares, it’s time to vote for your favorite local artists.

We kid—in fact, we beg you to take the current election season very seriously—but there’s room for fun, too. And what’s more fun than honoring some of the most outstanding musical acts that the Sacramento region has to offer?

In December SN&R put out a call for readers and local music experts to nominate their favorites across myriad categories. In return we received countless votes and invaluable insight into what makes this town’s scene so damn good. There’s inventive electronica and experimental music, heart-shredding metal and hardcore, provocative hip-hop and everything else one can imagine occupying space on the sound spectrum.

And so here are the 2016 SAMMIES nominees. Check out the artists, listen to their music and catch them live. Oh, and stay tuned for news on some upcoming Sammies showcases.

Voting is open now and ends March 7. The awards ceremony, which will feature a packed bill of local acts, will happen Thursday, March 24, at Ace of Spades (1417 R Street) for $10.

In the meantime, visit www.sammies.com to pick your favorites for everything but the Hall of Fame category—that’s an award saved for acts who’ve already nabbed three Sammie wins.

C’mon, it’s time to get out the vote.

—Rachel Leibrock

Hall of Fame 2016

Dog Party

Ira Skinner

James Cavern

The Nickel Slots

White Minorities

Artist of the Year

Cam: www.facebook.com/camofgenx

Chrch: www.facebook.com/chrchdoomca

Element Brass Band: www.facebook.com/elementbrassband

Graveshadow: www.graveshadow.com

J-Kraken: www.facebook.com/jkrakenmusic

Joseph in the Well: www.josephinthewell.com

Some Fear None: www.somefearnone.com

Zyah Belle: www.zyahbelle.com

Americana / Alt-country

50 Watt Heavy: https://50wattheavy.bandcamp.com

Chris Gardner Band: www.chrisgardnerband.com

Delta City Ramblers: www.deltacityramblers.com

F Street Stompers: www.facebook.com/FstStompers

The Golden Cadillacs: www.thegoldencadillacs.com

MerryGold: www.facebook.com/merrygoldband

Million Dollar Giveaway: www.facebook.com/mdgcountry

One Button Suit: http://onebuttonsuit.com

Saint Ashbury: www.facebook.com/saintashbury

The West Nile Ramblers: www.thewestnileramblers.com

Blues

The Christian DeWild Band: www.christiandewildband.com

The Hucklebucks: www.thehucklebucks.com

Kyle Rowland Blues Band: www.facebook.com/the.kyle.rowland.band

Matt Rainey and the Dippin’ Sauce: www.facebook.com/Matt-Rainey-and-the-Dippin-Sauce-418891455537

Michael Ray: www.facebook.com/michaelray916

The Ranell Carpenter Band: www.ranellcarpenter.com

Stillwood Sages: www.stillwoodsages.com

Two Tone Steiny & the Cadillacs: www.twotonesteiny.com

Cover Band

Apple Z: http://applezband.com

Cover Me Badd: www.covermebadd.net

Groove Thang: www.groovethangband.com

Hip Service: www.hipservice.com

The Lucky Seven: www.facebook.com/TheLuckySevenBand

Thunder Cover: http://thundercovermusic.com

Tragically White: www.facebook.com/tragicallywhiteband

Deejay

Cue22: www.facebook.com/cue22music

DJ Billy Lane: www.facebook.com/djbillylanespage

DJ Nocturnal: www.facebook.com/DjNocturnal916

DJ Oasis: www.djoasis.com

DJ Zephyr: www.facebook.com/zephyreos

J-Kraken: www.facebook.com/jkrakenmusic

Sam I Jam: www.soundcloud.com/sam_i_jam

Electronic / Experimental

DoofyDoo: www.facebook.com/doofydoojams

Gentleman Surfer: www.facebook.com/Gentleman-Surfer-317326758284041

The Good Fortune: www.thegoodfortune.co

I Am Strikes: www.iamstrikes.com

Pregnant: www.danielispregnant.tumblr.com

So Much Light: www.facebook.com/SoMuchLight

SpaceWalker: www.facebook.com/interstellarbeats

WiseChild: www.facebook.com/iniwisechild

Young Aundee: www.facebook.com/YoungAundee

Emcee

Brutha Smith: www.bruthasmith.com

Cam: www.facebook.com/camofgenx

Century Got Bars: www.centurygotbars.com

Chuuwee: www.facebook.com/ChuuweeNCR

Dre-T: www.facebook.com/Dre-T-270601059658204

Dylan Phillip: www.facebook.com/DylanPhillipOfficial

Luke Tailor: www.luketailor.bandcamp.com

Mahtie Bush: www.mb916.com

Mozzy: www.vevo.com/artist/mozzy

Soosh*e: www.facebook.com/hellasoosh

Folk Rock

Hannah Jane Kile: www.facebook.com/hannahjanekile

Honyock: http://honyockisaband.com

Joseph in the Well: www.josephinthewell.com

Misner & Smith: www.facebook.com/MisnerandSmith

Paige Anderson & the Fearless Kin: www.thefearlesskin.com

Salt Wizard: www.saltwizardmusic.com

Spangler: www.spanglermusic.com

Funk

Big Sticky Mess: http://bigstickymess.com

Groovincible: http://groovincible.com

Hans! and the Hot Mess: www.facebook.com/hansandthehotmess

Ideateam: www.ideateamband.com

Joy and Madness: www.joyandmadness.com

The Pressure Lounge: http://thepressurelounge.com

Hard Rock

California Riot Act: www.facebook.com/californiariotact

Heat of Damage: www.reverbnation.com/heatofdamage

Misamore: www.misamore.com

Roswell: www.roswellrocks.net

Some Fear None: www.somefearnone.com

Terra Ferno: www.facebook.com/terraferno

Hardcore / Industrial / Post-hardcore

Havenside: http://havensideband.com

Kill the Precedent: www.facebook.com/killtheprecedent

A Lot Like Birds: www.facebook.com/alotlikebirds

Mercedes Avenue: www.facebook.com/MercedesAve

Rad: www.facebook.com/RAD.Sacto

White Knuckle Riot: www.facebook.com/WhiteKnuckleRiot

Hip-hop / Rap

The Beatknocks: www.facebook.com/thebeatknocks

Blaquelisted: www.facebook.com/blaquelisted

California Bear Gang: www.facebook.com/CALIFORNIABEARGANG

DLRN: http://dlrn.co

The Good Samaritans: www.facebook.com/TheGoodSamaritansBand

Iconoclast Robot: http://iconoclastrobot.com

Recorded Freedom: www.facebook.com/FreedomRecorded

Tel Cairo: www.telcairo.com

Indie

Desario: www.facebook.com/desarioband

Epsilona: www.epsilonamusic.com

Exquisite Corps: www.facebook.com/excorpsmusic

Life in 24 Frames: www.lifein24frames.com

Sea of Bees: http://seaofbees.com

Soft Science: www.facebook.com/softsciencemusic

Sunmonks: www.sunmonks.com

Vasas: www.facebook.com/vasastheband

Vinnie Guidera & the Dead Birds: www.facebook.com/vinnieguideramusic

Jazz

The Alex Jenkins Trio: www.alexdrums.net

City of Trees Brass Band: www.facebook.com/cotbb

The Crescent Katz: http://crescentkatz.com

Dank Ocean: www.facebook.com/dankoceanband

Element Brass Band: www.facebook.com/elementbrassband

Hot City: www.facebook.com/hotcityjazzband

Jim Martinez Quartet: www.jimmartinez.com

Live Performer

Cross Class: www.facebook.com/Crossclasssacramento

Chrch: www.facebook.com/chrchdoomca

Death Rogen: www.facebook.com/DEATHROGEN

Drop Dead Red: www.facebook.com/dropdeadredmusic

Hans Eberbach: www.hansrocks.com

Kill the Precedent: www.facebook.com/killtheprecedent

Race to the Bottom: www.racetothebottommusic.com

Some Fear None: www.somefearnone.com

Sea of Bees: http://seaofbees.com

Zyah Belle: www.zyahbelle.com

Metal

Battle Hag: www.facebook.com/battlehag

Chrch: www.facebook.com/chrchdoomca

Defecrator: www.facebook.com/defecrator

Embodied Torment: www.facebook.com/embodiedtorment

Graveshadow: www.graveshadow.com

Horseneck: www.facebook.com/horseneckmusic

The Kennedy Veil: www.facebook.com/thekennedyveil

Modraniht: www.facebook.com/modranihtofficial

Plague Widow: www.plaguewidow.com

Psychosomatic: www.facebook.com/officialpsychosomatic

New Artist

Andrew Castro: www.andrewcastromusic.com

The Good Fortune: www.thegoodfortune.co

Little Tents: www.facebook.com/littletents916

Maddie Sipes & the Painted Blue: www.soundcloud.com/madisonsipes

Modern Man: www.facebook.com/modernmansacramento

Tell the Wolves: www.facebook.com/tellthewolvesmusic

Well Dressed Mannequins: www.facebook.com/Well-Dressed-Mannequins-159076544439331

Pop / Rock

Bellygunner: www.facebook.com/pages/Bellygunner/474205012610977

Cemetery Sun: www.cemeterysunband.com

Drop Dead Red: www.facebook.com/dropdeadredmusic

Fate Under Fire: www.fufmusic.com

Hero’s Last Mission: http://heroslastmission.com

Humble Wolf: www.humblewolf.com

Once an Empire: www.onceanempire.com

PointDexter: www.facebook.com/PointDexterMusic

Producer

Casey Groat

Charles Albright

Chris Woodhouse: www.thedockstudio.com

David Jensen www.jensenproductionsmusic.com

DJ Loot: www.facebook.com/djloot916

Joe Johnston: www.puscavern.com

John Morris: www.tanglewoodstudios.com

Pat Hills

Sean Stack: www.fatcatrecording.com

Punk / Post-punk

The Bar Fly Effect: www.facebook.com/thebarflyeffect

The Croissants: www.facebook.com/lecroissants

The Enlows: http://enlows.com

Ghostplay: www.facebook.com/ghostplay.music

The Moans: www.facebook.com/themoans

Nmbrsttn: http://nmbrsttn.com

Rebel Radio: www.facebook.com/rebelradioband

S.W.I.M.: www.reverbnation.com/swimsomeonewhoisntme

R&B / Soul

Cash Campain: www.facebook.com/CashCampainMusic

JustKristofer: www.facebook.com/JustPlayJK

Miss Mouthpeace: www.missmouthpeacemusic.com

Rashell: https://www.reverbnation.com/rashell1

Zyah Belle: www.zyahbelle.com

Reggae / Jam

Element of Soul: www.elementofsoul.com

Island of Black and White: www.islandofblackandwhite.com

J Ras: www.facebook.com/JRasMusic

King Hopeton: www.kinghopeton.com

Massive Delicious: www.facebook.com/MassiveDelicious

MAU: www.facebook.com/MAUBAND

OneLegChuck: www.facebook.com/OneLegChuck

Riotmaker: www.facebook.com/riotmakermusic

Sacto Storytellers: http://soundcloud.com/sactostorytellers

Simple Creation: www.simplecreationband.com

Release of the Year

Chrch: Unanswered Hymns

DLRN: Neon Noir (Deluxe)

DoofyDoo: The Tourist

Epsilona: Thinkers

Graveshadow: Nocturnal Resurrection

Joseph in the Well: Joseph in the Well

Little Tents: Fun Colors

Mozzy: Bladadah

Sea of Bees: Build a Boat to the Sun

So Stressed: The Unlawful Trade of Greco-Roman Art

Rock

The Diva Kings: www.facebook.com/thedivakings

The Kelps: www.facebook.com/thekelpsmusic

MindFlowers: www.facebook.com/mindflowersband

Race to the Bottom: www.racetothebottommusic.com

Sages: www.facebook.com/wearesages

The Soul Shine Band: www.facebook.com/TheSoulShineBand

Tell the Wolves: www.facebook.com/tellthewolvesmusic

The Three Way: http://thethreewaymusic.com

Rockabilly

Frankie and the Defenders: www.frankieandthedefenders.com

Hank Biggs & the Hardtops: www.hankbiggs.com

The Infamous Swanks: www.facebook.com/theinfamousswanks

The Left Hand: www.sonicbids.com/band/thelefthand

Rockabilly Love Cats: www.rockabillylovecats.com

Todd Morgan & the Emblems: http://toddmorganandtheemblems.com

The Vintage Vandals: http://thevintagevandals.com

Singer-songwriter

Andrew Castro: www.andrewcastromusic.com

Christopher Fairman: www.reverbnation.com/christopherfairman

Jayson Angove: www.jaysonangove.com

Kevin Seconds: www.kevinseconds.org

Rebecca Peters: www.facebook.com/Rebeccapetersmusic

Xochitl: www.xochitlofficial.net

Teen Artist

Altessa: www.facebook.com/AltessaOfficial

Four Days Out: www.facebook.com/fourdaysout

Heat of Damage: www.reverbnation.com/heatofdamage

Urd-om: www.urdomrox.com

Tribute Band

Cash Prophets: www.facebook.com/pages/Cash-Prophets/182247055162317

Revolver: www.facebook.com/Revolver916

Steelin’ Dan: www.steelindan.com

Stellar: www.facebook.com/stellartributeband

SuperHuey: www.superhueylive.com

Worlds Apart: www.atjourneysedge.com

World

Bomba Fried Rice: http://bombafriedrice.org

Dinorah: www.dinorahmusic.com

Halfpence and Haypenny: www.facebook.com/HalfpenceAndHaypenny

Hollow Point Stumblers: www.thestumblers.com

La Noche Oskura: http://lanocheoskura.com

Nagual: www.nagualmusic.com

One Eyed Reilly: www.1eyedreilly.com

Rey y Kaye: http://reyykaye.com

Solsa: http://solsaentertainment.com

World Hood: www.facebook.com/worldhoodband

Zorelli: www.zorellimusic.com