The New Orleans chapter of the AFM would like to salute our members whose work in 2016 was recognized at this year’s Offbeat Best of the Beat Awards.
Among the magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners was longtime union member Johnny Vidacovich, who was honored at the Music Business Industry awards a week prior to the regular award ceremony.
Other Best of the Beat winners from our chapter include:
Album of the Year – Allen Toussaint: American Tunes (Nonesuch)
Best R&B/Funk Album – Aaron Neville: Apache (Tell It Records)
Best Rock Album – Anders Osborne: Flower Box (Back on Dumaine)
Best Traditional Jazz Artist – Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Best Traditional Jazz Album – Leroy Jones: I’m Talkin’ Bout New Orleans (Independent)
Best Contemporary Jazz Artist – Delfeayo Marsalis
Best Contemporary Jazz Album – Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Make America Great Again! (Troubadour Jazz Records)
Best Male Vocalist – Aaron Neville
Best Bass Player – George Porter, Jr.
Best Guitarist – Anders Osborne
Best Drummer – Johnny Vidacovich
Best Trumpeter – Leroy Jones
Check out the full list of winners — and a great video about Johnny Vidacovich by Fred Kasten and Lenny Delbert — at Offbeat.com.