The Upstate Music Awards Are Tonight
My original intention was to share this information with you a couple of weeks ago and encourage you to get your free tickets to the UMA’s before they sold out. Then, The Wife and I closed on a house, started painting walls and picking out new furniture and appliances and, well, before I knew it the UMA’s were sold out. Naturally, I sat down on Friday to write you a lengthy apology letter addressing my failure only to find out a few hours later that the event had moved to a larger venue and tickets were once again available to the masses. So, allow me to give you just a few good reasons to get out and celebrate the local music scene this evening…
The Event
Now celebrating its third year, the UMA’s have made the move from the West End event space Zen to The Peace Center. Being that The Peace Center has been a cultural Upstate landmark for over thirty years, it is fitting that it plays a role in this annual celebration of the local music scene. The original plan had the UMA’s taking place at The Peace Center’s smaller room at Gunther Theatre but demand for tickets led to a last-minute upgrade to the venue’s main hall. Your free tickets can be reserved online or, given the increased capacity, you should be able to just walk up to the will-call booth this evening for entry.
Moody Black; host of the 2022 UMA
This year’s UMA will be hosted by local poet and musician Moody Black who just happened to take home the Artist of the Year trophy at last year’s event. Besides the award presentations, there will be live performances by the likes of Ill Intentions, Darby Wilcox & the Peep Show, Lo Indigo, Perfect Suit, Quality Time, and Curfue just to hammer home the fact that the Upstate music scene is rich in local talent. All of these artists are amazing and Darby Wilcox is a long-time personal friend but I do just have to say here that if you have never heard me sing the praises of Lo Indigo or Ill Intentions, then we have probably never actually met. This lineup is bonkers and I cannot wait to see it come together live.
The Finalists
I have heaped a ton of praise on the UMA nominees in this space before but here is where it gets real. Popular votes and critics choice came together to decide the five most deserving artists in each of 14 categories covering all aspects of the local music scene. Sure, we expect awards for best albums, acts, and videos but the UMA’s cast a net that includes photographers, sound engineers, and just solid supporters of the local scene. It is a wonderfully talented group of artists and humans and one should definitely familiarize themselves with every name on the list. Skip to the end to see the names for yourself…
The Peace Center; location for the 2022 UMA
