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