The 38th Annual New Mexico Music Awards was held on Sunday, June 1st in Albuquerque at Sandia Resort and Casino in Albuquerque with nearly 400 people in attendance. Attendees and guests were treated to a sumptuous dinner followed by performances from Costley and Crooze, Santa Fe’s Christina Gomez, Felix “Gato” Peralta, country artist Eryn Bent, Sheila Eden and her band Illumina A.D. and the R&B party band, Lo Phat. All of our performers were award winners as well.
Over 40 awards were presented in categories that ranged from Best Adult Contemporary/Adult Pop music to Best Album of the Year.
Also presented were the Eric Larson Lifetime Achievement Award to the family of the late Juan Velasco, longtime radio personality and Shawn Mondragon a/k/a Chaz Malibu, also a radio personality of some note for the last 30 years in the Duke City.
Audra Rodgers & The Sweethearts took home honors for Best Album of the Year. The album was recorded at the Greg Thum Studio in El Prado, New Mexico and produced by Audra Rodgers and Greg Thum.
The coveted Norman Petty Producer’s Award went to Alex Murzyn, Saya Sommers and Mark Sommers for Saya Sommers jazz influenced album Unfettered and recorded at ABQ Post studios in Albuquerque.
Other winners include Santa Fe based Eryn Bent winning Best Country Album for her album Blush and Nathan Dunton taking home Best Pop Album for Running Lights. The artist self-titled album Lumpy won Best Rock Album, Dimian Disanti’s Our Big Backyard won Best Jazz Album honors and Richard Cagle & the Voodoo Choir from Ruidoso were winners in the Best Blues Album category for Zia Blues.
We were honored to present the Eric Larson Lifetime Achievement Award to the family of the late Juan Velasco and to his friend and compatriot, Shawn Mondragon a/k/a Chaz Malibu.
Juan was a longtime radio host at KRST radio in Albuquerque. He was also owner of JFV Entertainment and beloved by fans. Juan was a driving force in the New Mexico Music community, promoting New Mexico artists on his podcast, recommending them for work at local and corporate events. If someone needed help getting their business off of the ground, he was there to help them promote themselves. He loved his family, especially his sons Juan III and Gabriel. Juan passed away suddenly last summer.
We also presented Shawn Mondragon with an Eric Larson Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to local music and musicians through his work on radio over the past 30 years as Chaz Malibu. A musician himself, Shawn has been singing barbershop for 30 years as well, is a founding member of Duke City Sound, a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and a coach and faculty member at the Harmony College Northwest for three decades. His dedication to local music and musicians is unsurpassed.
The Eric Larson Lifetime Achievement Awards is presented to those individuals who have made a difference in the New Mexico Music Community over their careers. Eric Larson was a co-founder of the New Mexico Music Awards and an award winning composer and producer in New Mexico.
The following are the latest winners recognized by the New Mexico Music Awards for their superior production in music for 2024.
Listed as follows unless otherwise indicated:
Artist
Title
Producer(s)
Studio/City
Adult Contemporary/Adult Pop
Ron Crowder
Take You Away
Ron Crowder
InCrowd Studio-Albuquerque
Ambient
Carrie and Chris Ishee
Becoming
Carrie and Chris Ishee
The Electric Company-Santa Fe
Americana
Felix Gato Peralta
Evil Güey
Edgar Wonder
Edgar Wonder Studios-Santa Fe
Blues
Rudy Boy Experiment
Voodoo Lovin’ Woman
Rudy Boy Jaramillo
Eagle Rock Studios-Albuquerque
Bluegrass
John Depew
Joyful Sound
Peter Oviatt
Moonflower Sounds-Taos
Children’s
C. Daniel Boling
Maya, I Adore You
Jono Manson & Daniel Boling
The Kitchen Sink-Santa Fe
Country
Christina Gomez
Gone
Bill Palmer
Torreón Terlingua-Santa Fe
Electronica
DKW Project
Perfect Storm
Dare N Wade
Pebble Beach Studios-Albuquerque
Folk
C. Daniel Boling
For Better or Worse
Jono Manson & Daniel Boling
The Kitchen Sink-Santa Fe
Hip Hop
Alexx Cloud ft Juan Gambino
Cinco
Alexx Cloud
La Colonia Inc-Albuquerque
Indie Rock
NEPTHISIS
Breakthrough
Christopher Neal, Sheila Eden
Dark Iris Music-Albuquerque
Jazz
Dimian DiSanti
Flora Del Valle
Dimian DiSanti and Sid Fendley
Mountain Road Recording-Albuquerque
Latin
Pat Reyes
El Poema
Roger Baker
Downstairs Studio-Albuquerque
Metal
Angelo Unale
All That Remains
Dave Heidt
Route 66 Music-Bernalillo
Modern Rock
Seekalae’ (Rick Rael & Bobby Murray)
Voices
Ken Riley
Rio Grande Studios-Albuquerque
Native American
Ishi
Red Like Blood
David Cragin
Santa Fe Soundworks-Santa Fe
Novelty
Gary Costley
Cookin’ With Jesse & Walt
John Wall
Wall of Sound-Albuquerque
Pop
LoPhat
We Came Here to Party
Stephen Dewave Peace & Loren Lujan
Recording Center of New Mexico-Albuquerque
Rap
Juan Gambino
Summertime Party
Juan Gambino
La Colonia Inc-Albuquerque
Rhythm & Blues
Isaac Aragon
Love Bless America
Artha Meadors, Isaac Aragon
Empty House Studios-Albuquerque
Reggae
Mister Kali, Bobby Hustle & Dre Z Melodi
High Grade
Bob Witsenhausen
Ceremony Studios-Santa Fe
Religious/Gospel
CHURCH
I Belong to You
Ben Lawry
Molly Brown Records-Albuquerque
Seasonal
Dr. Hall
Christmas Song
Howard Hall
Smoky Mountain Music Creations LLC-Santa Fe
Singer/Songwriter
Roger Jameson and the Jaded Heart Band
Runaway Horses
John Wall and Roger Jameson
Wall of Sound-Albuquerque
Western
Syd Masters
As I Lay Dreaming
Syd Masters
Deer Pine Studio-Edgewood
World
Stefan
Mis Viajes
Stefan Schyga
Innovative Strings-Silver City
Best Arrangement of an Original Recording
(Artist and title.)
Bone Orchard
for
Coffin Driver
Best Cover Song
Free Range Buddhas
Into The Mystic
Free Range Buddhas
Frogville Studios-Santa Fe
Best New Mexico Song
Kevin Flynn
Zozobra Blues
Kevin Miller
Arroyo Borealis Records-Santa Fe
Best Route 66 Cover Song
David Kuncicky
Theme from Route 66
David Kuncicky
La Barberia Studios-Santa Fe
Best Instrumental Performance
(Artist and title.)
Zaphica
for
Saraswati
Best Mastering Engineer
(Engineer, facility, artist and title.)
Andy Rogulich – High Fidelity Mastering
for
The Baylin Band
Walking Down This Road
Best Recording Engineer
(Engineer, facility, artist and title.)
George Mahn III-Gentry Avenue Productions
for
Marc and Paula’s Roadside Distraction
After The Tears Run Dry
Best Original Song
(Writers and title.)
Nathan Dunton
for
Long Goodbye
Best Vocal Performance
(Artists and performance.)
Jono Manson and James Raymond (featuring KT Tunstall)
for
Make No Bone About It
Best Video
(Video production, artist, title and studio.)
Robert Marcum
Troubled Hands
Andrew Primm-Videographer
Nathan Dunton
Kabby Sound Studios-Santa Fe
Best Album Design
(Art design, artist and title.)
Carrie and Chris Ishee
for
Carrie and Chris Ishee
Mining Inner Wisdom
Best Blues Album
Richard Cagle & The Voodoo Choir
Zia Blues
Richard Cagle
Montrose Recording Studio-Ruidoso
Best Country Album
Eryn Bent
Blush
Eryn Bent and Andy Primm
Northern New Studios-Santa Fe
Best Jazz Album
Dimian DiSanti
Our Big Backyard
Dimian DiSanti and Sid Fendley
Mountain Road Recording-Albuquerque
Best Pop Album
Nathan Dunton
Running Lights
Nathan Dunton
Goatfish Production Co.-Santa Fe
Best Rock Album
Lumpy
Lumpy
Bryan Highhill
Home Studio-Albuquerque
Norman Petty Producer’s Award
(Producers, artist, title and studio.)
Alex Murzyn-Producer
Saya Sommers-Associate Producer
Mark Sommers-Executive Producer
for
Saya Sommers
Unfettered
ABQPost-Albuquerque
Best of the Year
Audra Rodgers & The Sweethearts
Between You & I
Audra Rodgers & Greg Thum
Greg Thum Studio-El Prado
The New Mexico Music Awards is sponsored by The New Mexico Music Awards are sponsored by Quickbeam Systems, Guitar Center of Albuquerque and Jason’s Music Publishing with additional support from The Candyman of Santa Fe, High Fidelity Mastering, Grandma’s Music and Sound, ListenNM.com, Two Pups Boutique, and Moonlight Talent Management.