The 36th annual New Mexico Music Awards was held on Sunday night, May 7th, 2023 at Sandia Resort and Casino. The event was well attended with artists, songwriters, producers and engineers from around the state. There were performances by Donny Tesso’s all star band that featured Lee Taylor, Steve Figueroa, Paul Palmer III, Antonio Garduno and Nick Fowler. Also performing was singer/songwriter Oscar Butler, rock diva Cristen Grey, pop artist Max Rae, guitarist Angelo Unale and country artist Rich Rajacich with producer Jono Manson.
Best of the Year honors went to Susan Holmes for her album The Susan Holmes Brotherhood while Jono Manson took home the coveted Norman Petty Producer’s Award for his newest release Stars Enough to Guide Me. We’ll be reviewing the winners and finalists music in the coming weeks. Also honored with the Eric Larson Lifetime Achievement Award were Cindy and Rand Cook, owners of the Candyman Strings & Things music store in Santa Fe.
Photographs and video to follow soon. For now, here is a complete list of the winners.
2023 New Mexico Music Awards Winners
Listed as follows unless otherwise indicated.
Artist
Title
Producer
Studio-Studio Location
Adult Contemporary/Adult Pop
Benny Bassett
House Into a Home
Benny Bassett
Rosemont House Studio-Albuquerque
Ambient/New Age
Bambi Wolf
Escape
Bambi Wolf
Crystalline Clear Studio-Albuquerque
Americana
Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers
Fool For Love
Gary Farmer
The Kitchen Sink-Santa Fe
Blues
Chris Kill
Looks Like Jesus Sounds Like the Devil
Chris Kill, Dana Sampson
Third Eye Studios-Tijeras
Bluegrass
Paul Kelly
Love is in Season
Paul Kelly, David Cragin
Santa Fe Soundworks
Children’s Music
Max Highstein
First Day Out
Max Highstein
Desert Hear Recording-Santa Fe
Country
JD Cox
Waiting In the Hallway
JD Cox
Bear Trax Studios-roswell
Electronica
DKW Project f/ Max Rae
Keeps Me Alive
Dare N Wade
Pebble Beach Studios-Albuquerque
Folk
Zephaniah Stringfield
How Quickly It’s All Gone Away
Peter Oviatt
Moonflower Studios-Taos
Hip-Hop
G Precious
Light It, Pour It
Steve Chavez, Brenda M Atencio
Randall Records, Chavez Recording Studio, Española
Indie Rock
Riley Ross Walker
Living in Monochrome
John Wall
Wall of Sound Studios-Albuquerque
Jazz
Cal Haines Quartet
That’s What You Get
Cal Haines
Outpost Performance Space-Albuquerque
Latin
Qwst
Una Pobrita f/ Brian Argumedo
David Madik
Madik Innovation
Metal
Autumn Dreamscapes
Angelo Uñale
Dave Heidt
Route 66 Music-Bernalillo
Modern Rock
Cristen Grey
Mind’s Eye
Cristen Grey
Snow Blossom Studio-Santa Fe
Native
Ryedale Largo
Road to Mescalero
Ryedale Largo
RL Studio-Pinedale
Novelty
Max Highstein
Big TV
Max Highstein
Desert Heart Recording-Santa Fe
Pop
Emerald
Lighthouse
David Madik
Madik Innovation-Albuquerque
R&B
Isaac Aragon & the Healing
Brown
Artha Meadors, Isaac Aragon
Empty House Studios-Albuquerque
Rap
Taylor Dread
DAVIDLEEROTHCHILD
John Wall & Taylor Dread
Wall of Sound-Albuquerque
Reggae
Mister Kali
Father of the Fatherless
Dutchie & Shasta
Ceremony Studios-Santa Fe
Religious/Gospel
Wally Ramirez
Greater
Philip Zach
My Home Studio-La Mesa
Singer/Songwriter
Oscar Butler
A Mountain You Must Climb
Oscar Butler
Cool Duck Stuff
Western
Greg Johns
Rodeo Hippie
Gregory Johns
Wall of Sound-Albuquerque
World
Eli del Puerto/Felix Peralta
Ños Conocimos
Jono Manson
The Kitchen Sink-Santa Fe
Best Arrangement of an Original Composition
Jolynn Alarid
Little Things
Armando Orona
Moonlight Recording Studio-Albuquerque
Best Cover
Andrew Cooper
I Was Made to Love Her
Steve O’Neill
Adobe Recording-Santa Fe
Best Instrumental Performance (Artist/Title)
Cal Haines Quartet
for
That’s What You Get (Live at the Outpost Performance Space)
Best Mastering Engineer (Engineer/Artist/Title)
Michael MacDonald
for
Susan Holmes
Sleepy Desert Moon
Best Recording Engineer (Engineer/Artist/Title)
Ken Riley
for
John Montilliano
23rd St 94110
Best Original Song (Songwriter & Title only)
Brenda Atencio, Jordan Lamar Sanders
for
Angels On Your Pillow
Best Vocal Performance (Artist/Title)
BéBé LaLa-Alicia Ultan & Maryse LaPierre
for
Magic Hour
Best Music Video
Max Rae
Heartstrings
Best Album Design/Artwork
Robert J Kelly
for
Think Twice
Best Blues Album
Rich Chorné
Bringin’ in the Blues
Rich Chorné
Montrose Records LLC-Ruidoso
Best Country Album
Rich Rajacich
Desperate Times
Jono Manson
The Kitchen Sink-Santa Fe
Best Jazz Album
Cal Haines Quartet
Live at the Outpost Performance Space
Cal Haines
Outpost Performance Space-Albuquerque
Best Pop Album
Kito Peters
Elixir
Kito Peters, Simon Snaize
Home Studio-Santa Fe
Best Rock Album
Dust City Opera
Alien Summer
Paul Hunton, Sydney Counce, Matthew Tobias
Empty House Studio-Albuquerque
Norman Petty Producer’s Award
Jono Manson
for
Jono Manson
Stars Enough to Guide Me
The Kitchen Sink-Santa Fe
Best of the Year
Susan Holmes
The Susan Holmes Brotherhood
Susan Holmes
The Electric Company-Santa Fe