SAMMYS winners list, photos: 2025 Syracuse Area Music Awards celebrate community, passion

If you live in Central New York and love music to the core of your soul, there’s no better place to be than the Syracuse Area Music Awards.

The SAMMYS, CNY’s version of the Grammys, crowned winners in 13 recording categories at the 2025 ceremony Friday night at the Palace Theatre in Eastwood. The event featured live performances, shout-outs to this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, and People’s Choice awards for Best Artist or Band, Best Event or Music Series, Best Academic or Musical Organization, and Best Venue.

But above all, it’s a vibrant community of local artists gathering to celebrate each other and their passion for music.

“I think the music scene in Central New York is one of the most welcoming, kindest (anywhere),” said Mira Grimm, winner of this year’s Brian Bourke award for Best New Artist. The prize includes six hours of recording time from SubCat Studios.

Other notable winners include Jess Novak (Best Pop), The Ripcords (Best Americana), Jon Rogalia (Best Country), Root Shock (Best Jam Band), Backyard Wrestling (Best Rock), Karim Lesgooya (Best Hip-Hop), FB (Best R&B), Paper Rabbit (Best Alternative) and CNY Jazz Orchestra (Best Jazz). Nate Gross won Best Blues for the second year in a row.

Variety was also celebrated with live performances by R&B standout Tyjhier, hip-hop group A Kid Called Danger, ska revivalists The Action! and ‘70s-’80s rock band Alecstar.

Alecstar was inducted into the SAMMYS Hall of Fame on Thursday night, along with Ron Keck, Shifty’s, Wilkesbury Brigade, Holly McCoy (Music Educator of the Year) and Matt Forger (Lifetime Achievement).

According to the SAMMYS Board, more than 270 recordings were submitted by 182 artists from Syracuse and the surrounding area for this year’s Syracuse Area Music Awards. An independent panel of music industry professionals and educators from around the country, led by Jim Elenteny, reviewed the submissions and made their selections based on their merit within their genre. Submissions were required to be commercially released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, and available on streaming platforms Apple Music, Spotify or Tidal.

2025 Syracuse Area Music Awards Winners

BEST JAZZ

• CNY Jazz Orchestra – “If a White Horse From Jerusalem….”

BEST AMERICANA

• The Ripcords – “White Cadillac”

BEST JAM BAND

BEST POP

BEST BLUES

• Nate Gross Band – “A Ride With the Devil”

BEST OTHER STYLE

• Max Scialdone – “Somewhere In Paradise”

BEST R&B

BEST HIP-HOP OR RAP

• Karim Lesgooya – “The Lesgooya Mixtape 2”

BEST COUNTRY

• Jon Rogalia – “Spinning Wheels”

BEST ROCK

• Backyard Wrestling – “Jorts”

BEST HARD ROCK

• Into Shadow – “Into Shadow”

BEST ALTERNATIVE

• Paper Rabbit – “Havre de Grace”

BEST SINGLE

• Mbusi – “Let’s Fly”

BEST NEW ARTIST (BRIAN BOURKE AWARD)

COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD

JACK O BOCCHINO SPIRIT OF THE SAMMYS AWARD

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: LOCAL ARTIST OR BAND

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: LOCAL EVENT OR MUSIC SERIES

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: LOCAL ACADEMIC OR MUSICAL ORGANIZATION

• Camden High School Band 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: LOCAL VENUE

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The SAMMYS have recognized the best artists and albums from the Central New York music community since 1993. For more information, visit syracuseareamusic.com.

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