New England Music Awards deadline for choosing region's best musicians is Friday, January 31

 

The deadline for voting in the region's top musicians for the 3rd annual New England Music Awards is Friday, January 31, 2014.   Here is a full list of this year's nominees from 23 different categories, including music genres, best by state, best new album and songwriter of the year.

In the genre categories are these jazz and blues nominations:

Jazz Act of the Year

• Airborne
• Fogcutters
• Isaac Young Quartet
• President Soup
• Revolutionary Snake Ensemble

Blues Act of the Year

• Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers
• Gracie Curran and the High Falutin Band
• Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood
• Poke Chop and the Other White Meats
• Sugar Ray and the Bluetones

This year's New England Music Awards takes place February 21-22, 2014 at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell.  The event features two nights of awards ceremonies and live concerts that showcase some of the best musical talent in the New England region. The Saturday night concert is hosted by comedian Steve Sweeney.

 

General admission to Saturday's concert is $10, and you can purchase tickets to the concert online .   Seating is on first-come basis.

 

Then on Saturday, February 22, a free afternoon Artists Conference takes place from noon to 5:00 p.m., featuring guest speakers, panel discussion, live performances, vendor and sample tables, and Q&A sessions covering many of the topics of interest to independent musicians/artists of New England.

 

This is the second year the New England Music Awards have taken place in Lowell, a city renowned for hosting first class musical events such as the Lowell Folk Festival and the Lowell Summer Music Series each summer. 

This year's NEMA coincides with the Lowell Winter Fest, a weekend celebration of outdoor and indoor activities in downtown Lowell, including the hilarious and popular human dogsled competition.

 

The New England Music Awards is supported by the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the University of Massachusetts/Lowell, and many other local sponsors.

 

For year round details on jazz and blues in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.