The Akademia 2015 World Beat Artist of the Year
We reserve the World Beat category to identify the most conscientiously international styles of music, songs that exhibit widespread appeal among sophisticated listeners across the globe while retaining distinct features of their regional heritage. That proposition is so inherently challenging it has served to distinguish some of the most fertile creative forces and proficient instrumentalists the Akademia has ever encountered; this year’s nominees are all staggeringly talented groups. However, one of them exceeded that stratospheric standard to deliver the ultimate World Beat experience. The 2015 Akademia Award for World Beat Artist Of The Year was given to Symphony Novel!
The Akademia 2015 Rock Artist of the Year
No genre of modern music has undergone such drastic change in temperament and listenership, and the bands that make rock music today are subject to incredible cultural forces pulling them backward and forward from the moment. You can hear it in the astounding variety of music that is identified with the style, the sentimental yearnings of classic rock artists and the resolute innovators of its new traditions. Rock music is still an amazing experience today, and from the thousands of submissions fielded to the Akademia, it was painfully difficult to commit to just one oracular artist who could tell us where the genre could lead into future days. The 2015 Akademia Award for Rock Artist Of The Year was given to Nicky Barot!
The Akademia 2015 Reggae Artist of the Year
The fact that reggae has reached across cultural barriers to become one of the most popular musical styles in the world speaks volumes to the quality and creativity of the genre today. The Akademia has received many submissions that could march right on to commercial radio based on their compositional merits alone. Reggae attracts top talent, and it wasn’t a simple decision to identify just one artist to speak for everyone who calls it home. But we did. The 2015 Akademia Award for Reggae Artist Of The Year was given to Minister Tommy CCT!
The Akademia 2015 Rap / Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
We all recognize that rap and hip-hop are world-spanning musical influences that have birthed some of today’s biggest stars. That makes the field incredibly challenging to navigate for aspiring artists, but the ones that persevere can deliver the kind of entertainment that finds fans anywhere and everywhere, especially among young folks who mark the next generation of listeners. It was a hard choice, but from all the material we auditioned over the last year, one artist spoke most credibly to the future of the genre. The 2015 Akademia Award for Rap / Hip-Hop Artist Of The Year was given to DJ Trouble Enuff!
The Akademia 2015 Pop Rock Artist of the Year
The Pop Rock genre is as demanding as they come, and many have retired from its compositional challenges battered and bruised. Yet, some persisted to deliver an amazing body of work over the last year. From an enormous list of potential nominees we managed only with great difficulty to select a new captain for the category. The 2015 Akademia Award for Pop Rock Artist Of The Year was given to Janina And The Deeds!
The Akademia 2015 Pop Artist of the Year
Pop music has been a staple of the modern listening experience for so many decades it’s almost lost to view that the genre has changed drastically in that time. Today’s pop practitioners are expected to create music utilizing the most stringent production standards, tapping into prevailing musical trends and hooks. It is an intensely competitive genre, and the artists that reach the summit of its sound are correspondingly revered as the vanguard of modern music. We receive an overwhelming number of pop submissions, and it required much debate to establish a consensus for this award. The 2015 Akademia Award for Pop Artist Of The Year was given to Adam Aldama!
The Akademia 2015 R&B / Soul Artist of the Year
Akademia executives have previously groomed a number of R&B and soul stars over the decades holding senior posts at Columbia Records, RCA, Arista and Warner Brothers. They have managed world-famous artists with multi-million-dollar careers such as Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson, Seal, George Michael and K-Ci & JoJo and are comprehensively familiar with the genre as a result of that experience. We'll tell you this; even by the major label standard, the submissions we field at the Akademia are extraordinary, signaling a street-level shift in the way artists connect with their listeners. We had to evaluate many hundreds of candidates just to generate a nomination list, and only after a lot of hand-wringing could we settle on a single name to speak for the genre. The 2015 Akademia Award for R&B / Soul Artist Of The Year was given to Ricardo Duran!
The Akademia 2015 Latin Artist of the Year
Over the last decade Latin music has emerged as a Renaissance force in modern culture, bringing a complex cadence and lyrical languages to discerning audiences all over the world. Today’s Latin sound is intricate, intense, and immaculately produced - one of the most sophisticated listening experience available today. This year’s nominees exemplify all these qualities, and bring one thing more—some of the most elegant vocal performances the Akademia has ever been privileged to audition. From the many thousands of songs we reviewed this year, one artist surpassed all others to furnish the ultimate expression of Latin music. The 2015 Akademia Award for Latin Artist Of The Year was given to Josiel Perez And LA Latin Orchestra!
The Akademia 2015 Funk Artist of the Year
We're natural fans of funk music, both for its deep roots in twentieth-century culture and the astonishing proficiency of its modern practitioners. There were so many amazing submissions, but from a crowded list of nominees we eventually decided on a single champion of the genre. The 2015 Akademia Award for Funk Artist of the Year was given to Mitchell Dufrene!
The Akademia 2015 Folk / Singer-Songwriter Artist of the Year
In this era of rapidly shifting politics and deeply displaced national identities, folk music has emerged as a well-marked trail back to treasured times. From the sentimental retrospections of Americana to the intimate compass of the songwriter’s confessional ballad, this genre has produced some of the most sincere and affecting music we’ve auditioned in years. This year’s nominees were markedly more emotional in demeanor than in times past, confirming the role of the genre as spokesperson to a changing world. The 2015 Akademia Award for Folk / Singer-Songwriter Artist of the Year was given to Barrie Dempsey!
The Akademia 2015 Dance / Electronica Artist of the Year
It’s safe to say that most of us have enjoyed Dance / Electronica music as a whole-body experience, spinning and grooving through the late hours at some crazy club where it’s safe to let loose. Some people of course should be confined to the living room for such exploits - but no one doubts the power of the medium to give shape to our most physical desires. This year’s nominees were an unusually diverse group, champions of a wide range of styles within the genre, but after a lot of deliberation one artist eventually emerged as the standard-bearer for the style. The 2015 Akademia Award for Dance / Electronica Artist Of The Year was given to Thor Steiger!
The Akademia 2015 Contemporary Christian / Gospel Artist of th...
Christian / Gospel music has slowly but surely migrated from its core constituency of religious adherents to popular acclaim by huge international audiences. While many experience a deep resonance with the godly demeanor of Christian creativity, others are simply won over by the extraordinary musicianship that has come to be associated with the genre. This year’s nominees range from choir-flanked soul singers to intensely individual artists of divine inclination, and while all were remarkable for their sincerity and artistic ingenuity, The 2015 Akademia Award for Christian / Gospel Artist of the Year was given to Rev Lelton Davis!
