3/21/2016

Alternative Press Music Awards

In case you didn't know the APMAs are going to be held on July 18th. Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat of All Time Low are returning to host. I'm so excited to see what antics they bring to this year. It should be another epic night. There is a long time before the awards, but voting is now open! I went through and voted already. There is some really tough competition. Here are my favorites for this year. 
Best Vocalist: Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low), Kellin Quinn (Sleeping with Sirens), Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Caleb Shomo (Beartooth), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Corey Taylor (Slipknot). I would be extremely happy if Kellin or Patrick won. My vote was for Alex. 
Best Guitarist: Jack Fowler (Sleeping With Sirens), Kevin Skaff (A Day To Remember), JB Brubaker (August Burns Red), Kellen McGregor (Memphis May Fire), Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory), Misha Mansoor (Periphery). My favorites are Jack, Kevin, and Chad. I put my vote in for Kevin. 
Best Bassist: Kelen Capener (The Story So Far), Skylar Acord (Issues), Ralph Sica (Being as an Ocean), Ryan Neff (Miss May I), Matthew Taylor (Motion City Soundtrack), Aaron Stringer (The Amity Affliction). I would love to see Skylar Acord win. I'm a fan of Issues, but my vote was for the amazing Kelen Capner. 
Best Drummer: Christian Coma (Black Veil Brides), Loniel Robinson (letlive.), Jerod Boyd (Miss May I), Dani Washington (Neck Deep), Maxx Danziger (Set It Off), Aaron Gillespie (Underoath). I wholeheartedly believe that Luke Holland should be in the category. He is sick! However, I'd be extremely excited if Maxx won. He's talented and adorable. 
Best International Band: As It Is, You Me at Six, Parkway Drive, Marianas Trench, Babymetal, and One Ok Rock. My hands down favorite is As It Is. You Me at Six and Marians Trench are both really good nominees as well. 
Best Live Band: Issues, Neck Deep, Motionless in White, Attilla, Beartooth, and Slipknot. I didn't have to think twice about voting for Issues. They are amazing live! So are the other artists, but Issues stage presence sets them apart for me. Motionless in White gives pretty good performances. They scare me a little, but I can see where they deserve this award. 
Issues
Artist Philanthropic...You may want to look these ones up in order to understand them completely. Nominees include: Andrew McMahon (Dear Jack Foundation), Jake Luhrs (HearSupport), The Used (Living the Dream), The Wonder Years (Puppies Behind Bars, After School All-Stars, The Herren Project, Futures Without Violence),This Wild Life (National Breast Cancer Foundation), and You Me at Six (Passport Back to the Bars,The Ghost Inside U.K. Fundraiser, PETA). I believe that I voted for You Me at Six. All are amazing fundraisers and bands. 
Most Dedicated Fanbase: Issues, Mayday Parade, New Year's Day, PVRIS, The Ghost Inside, and The Maine. I'm a fan of The Main and Mayday Parade. However, I think that the fans of The Ghost Inside deserve this one after raising money for the band after their accident.
Breakthrough Band: I Prevail, Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep, New Year's Day, Set It Off, and State Champs. This choice is obvious to me. State Champs all the way. I wouldn't have problem seeing I Prevail or Set It Off win though.
Best Underground Band: Cane Hill, Creeper, Moose Blood, ROAM, Tiny Moving Parts, and Too Close To Touch. I put my vote in for ROAM. It was a tough choice between them and Too Close to Touch.
Time for the big awards that everybody waits through the whole award show for.
Song of the Year: "Just Like You" (Falling in Reverse), "Hey! We Ok" (Never Shout Never), "Would You Still Be There" (Of Mice and Men), "Hallelujah" (Panic! at the Disco), "Divine Zero" (Pierce the Veil), and "Secrets" (State Champs). It's a toss up for me between "Hallelujah" and "Secrets". Both songs are constantly on repeat. I think that I voted for Panic! on this one though. I'd be
ecstatic if State Champs took home the award. I wouldn't mind seeing Pierce the Veil claim it either.
Music Video of the Year: Somethings Gotta Give (All Time Low), Identity (August Burns Red), Emperor's New Groove (Panic! at the Disco), If I'm Lucky (State Champs), Cardinals (The Wonder Years), Stressed Out (Twenty One Pilots). My picks are once again obvious. I voted for All Time Low, but I majorly support Panic! and State Champs. Do you see the pattern yet?
Album of the Year nominees are: Future Hearts (All Time Low), Found in Far Away Places (August Burns Red), That's the Spirit (Bring Me The Horizon), Copacetic (Knuckle Puck), American Candy (The Maine), The Pale Empire (Marilyn Manson), Life's Not Out to Get You (Neck Deep), Madness (Sleeping With Sirens), Around the World and Back (State Champs), and BlurryFace (Twenty One Pilots). I'm dedicated to All Time Low, so I cast my vote for them. I'm also in love with State Champs album. It's had more than one major hit on it. I wouldn't mind seeing BlurryFace win the award though.
Artist of the Year: All Time Low, Beartooth, PVRIS, Fall Out Boy, Motionless in White, Panic! at
the Disco, Real Friends, Sleeping With Sirens, Slipknot, and Twenty One Pilots. This was the hardest category to vote in. Panic! has my vote. Nobody has made a bigger come back than Brendon Urie. I pray that ATL, FOB, Pilots, or Panic! take this one home with them. My chances of ending up happy with the winner are high in this category!
Want to go vote yourself and support your favorite artist? (or my picks) Click here