Boston Music Awards showcases blossoming talent and necessary changes for future

“That’s some Boston s--- right there,” an audience member shouted after artists Yanna G and Nay $peaks concluded their performance. He was referring to the immense local talent that graced the stage at the Boston Music Awards on Dec. 11. The concert/ceremony at Big Night Live reminded audience members that this city has a vibrant music scene deserving of celebration.

Big Night Live was energized but sparsely populated at the start — attendees slowly filled in as the show progressed. Some stood near the stage, though it was never packed, and others lounged in booths.

Celtics in-arena host and host for the evening Melisa Valdez took the stage to kick off the show.

“I am here ready to be celebrating such incredible talent in Boston,” said Valdez. “No matter what happens, it is a big deal that you are in this room, so congratulations to every single artist. Continue to shine your talent for everybody.”

This year’s Latin Artist of the Year Yelena Rodriguez brought the heat with passionate vocals and a sophisticated yet sultry energy. Salsa dancers moved behind her as she encouraged audience members to sing along with her selections by Selena. Her commanding alto and soulful delivery invigorated the crowd.

The audience got a glimpse of what the Great Scott will look like when the legendary music venue returns in 2026. Then, Americana-pop band Copilot performed with wholesome vibes and enchanting harmonies. They were locked into each other with an admirable emotional and musical closeness. Boston Globe rock writer Steve Morse was remembered for his important contributions to the city’s music scene before confetti cannons marked the start of award announcements.

The awards felt very impersonal as each name was called by a recorded voiceover paired with a slideshow on the stage’s screen. It was a fast and effective way to move from award to award, but most winners didn’t have their moment in the spotlight. Only a handful had a chance to give a few words onstage. The rest had to quickly celebrate in the audience before the next announcement began.

Rock artist winners The Ghouls brought some life back into the venue with thrashing guitars and whiny vocals. They ran around the stage and got the audience on their feet.

WBUR music writer and The Museum TV creator Noble won Music Journalist of the Year — contributor Solon Kelleher was also in the running. The announcement was followed by cheers from the audience.

“We at Big Night Live. I’m feeling like we gotta get big night lit,” said Yanna G. She began with an enthralling solo performance, dominating the stage as the New Artist of the Year winner should. Nay $peaks joined her for a powerful passing of the torch moment.

Shortly after, rapper Cakeswagg won Video of the Year for “Bad Bitch Link Up.” Her polished performance was the standout of the night with effortless energy and a clear identity. Cakeswagg strutted across the stage with her backup dancers in aprons, leaning into the artist’s baking theme. She sang her punchy single “Shots Fired” and the playfully empowering track “What’s In the Dish?” off her latest album “Michelin Star.”

Cakeswagg took a moment to thank her dancers and DJ WhySham. “Every single event that I had this year they held me down, countless hours of practice. Sometimes I have two left feet, and they made sure I had one of each,” she said. “I’m incredibly grateful for my team.”

It seems it wouldn’t be the BMAs without an award sweep by a Grammy-level artist. Noah Kahan claimed Artist of the Year, Live Artist of the Year and Folk Artist of the Year. And Clairo took Song of the Year and Pop Artist of the Year. The award show has tried to reconcile this problem by dividing some categories like Song of the Year in two for songs over one million streams and songs under that benchmark. Unfortunately, bigger artists are still taking over categories local bands have no chance of securing.

Here are all the winners:

Artist of the Year

Noah Kahan

New Artist of the Year

Yanna G

Album/EP of the Year (1 Million+ Streams)

Millyz, “Katrina’s Son”

Album/EP of the Year

Latrell James, "Running In Place"

Song of the Year (1 Million+ Streams)

Clairo, “Juna”

Song of the Year

kei, “Hello”

Video of the Year

Cakeswagg, “Bad Bitch Link Up” ft. MARQUISE!

Live Artist of the Year

Noah Kahan

Alt/Indie Artist of the Year

Mallcops

Blues Artist of the Year 

GA-20

Country Artist of the Year

Other Brother Darryl

Dance / Electronic Artist of the Year

Rilla Force

DJ of the Year

SuperSmashBroz

Folk Artist of the Year

Noah Kahan

Hip Hop Artist of the Year

Millyz

Jazz Artist of the Year

Grace Kelly

Latin Artist of the Year

Yelena Rodriguez

Metal Artist of the Year

Converge

Pop Artist of the Year

Clairo

Punk/Hardcore Artist of the Year

Rebuilder

R&B Artist of the Year

Tyler Loyal

Reggae/Ska Artist of the Year

The Elovaters

Rock Artist of the Year

The Ghouls

Singer-Songwriter of the Year

Alisa Amador

Spoken Word Artist of the Year

Amanda Shea

Vocalist of the Year

Miranda Rae

Music Night of the Year

SILK R&B Party

Live Music Venue of the Year (1000+)

Roadrunner

Live Music Venue of the Year (250+)

The Sinclair

Live Music Venue of the Year (Under 250)

O’Brien’s Pub

Music Promoter of the Year

Crossroads Presents

Talent Buyer of the Year

Alex Pickert

Production Manager of the Year

Marc Picard

Stage Manager of the Year

Madison Henneberry

Live Audio Engineer of the Year

Brittany Sirois

Lighting Technician of the Year

Ryan Baker

Box Office Team of the Year

Big Night Live

Recording Studio of the Year

The SoundLab Recording Studios

Music Producer of the Year

Deevo Da Genius

Studio Engineer of the Year

Annie Hoffman

Session Musician of the Year

Jonathan Ulman

Artist Manager of the Year

Ceize Gemini

Live Music Photographer of the Year

Brittany Rose Queen

Music Videographer of the Year 

Dom ‘Tanj’ Bruno

Music Publication of the Year

Allston Pudding

Music Journalist of the Year

Noble

Music Podcast / Radio Show of the Year

Highstreet