Photo by Derek Schwartz

Tok, voted Best Hard Rock Band for two years running, performing at the 2015 RFT Music Showcase.

Who says music isn't a competition? Joking aside, the RFT Music Awards are our way of celebrating St. Louis' staggering wealth of talent. The nominees you see below were carefully compiled by a panel of radio DJs, music writers, venue owners/employees, record store staff and other key figures from the music community, and very soon we will expect you, dear reader, to make some very hard choices.

The polls are set to open in mid-May as we roll out a band-by-band breakdown of each category. For now, take the time to comb through the list and become familiar with St. Louis' exceptional scene. And don't forget, many of the acts you see below are set to perform at this years RFT Music Showcase, taking place in the Grove this June, so stay tuned.





Blues



4th City Rag

Big Mike Aguirre & the Blu City All Stars

The Green McDonough Band

The Maness Brothers

Rum Drum Ramblers

Arson For CandyBeth BombaraBrothers LazaroffLoot Rock GangRiver Kittens

Country

Cree Rider Family Band

Jack Grelle

Southwest Watson Sweethearts

Tortuga

Trigger 5



Cover Band

Bullseye Womprats

Fat Pocket

The Town Drunks

Warhorse

We Bite



DJ

DJ MAKossa

DJ Mahf

DJ Uptown

Mister Ben (NO HITS)

Nappy DJ Needles



Electronic (Dance)

Adult Fur

D-M-Y

Giant Monsters On The Horizon

Hylidae

ICE (formerly known as Black James)



Electronic (Eclectic)

18andCounting

Biggie Stardust

Blank Thomas

Eric Hall

Hands and Feet



Experimental

The Conformists

Demonlover

Hardbody

Ish

Yowie



Folk

The Aching Hearts

Cara Louise Band

Dubb Nubb

Letter to Memphis

Whsky Gngr



Garage Rock

The Bobby Dazzlers

The Brainstems

Kenshiro's

Shitstorm

Tiger Rider



Hard Rock

Apex Shrine

Boreal Hills

Buttercup

Fumer

The R6 Implant



Hardcore

The Bubbleheads

Everything Went Black

Lumpy and the Dumpers

Q

The Warden



Hip-Hop (Group)

3 Problems

Blank Generation

Illphonics

MME

Mathias and the Pirates



Hip-Hop (Solo)

Arshad Goods

Bates

J'Demul

Mvstermind

Tef Poe



Improvisational/Noise Music

Beauty Pageant

Brain Transplant

Ghost Ice

Raglani

Vernacular String Trio



Indie Pop

Endora

Hope & Therapy

Middle Class Fashion

Scarlet Tanager

Whoa Thunder



Indie Rock

American Wrestlers

CaveofswordS

Foxing

Sleepy Kitty

Town Cars



Jam/Dub

Aaron Kamm and the One Drops

Blastar

The Driftaways

Thunder Biscuit Orchestra

Vandeventer



Jazz

Animal Children

Dave Stone

The Gaslight Squares

Sidney Street Shakers

Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing



Metal

Fister

The Gorge

Lion's Daughter

Thor Axe

Van Buren



New Band

Baby Baby Dance With Me

Dangerbird

Dracla

Marble//Wall Duo

Swear Beam



Pop

3 of 5

Dropkick the Robot

The Educated Guess

Golden Curls

The Vanilla Beans



Post Hardcore

Blight Future

Jr. Clooney

LifeWithout

Lobby Boxer

Staghorn



Shoegaze/Psychedelic

Persh

Rip Rap

Summer Magic

Sunwyrm

Tone Rodent



Punk

Breakmouth Annie

Little Big Bangs

Skin Tags

Trauma Harness

Veil



R&B

Coultrain

Little Rachel

Love Jones “The Band”

The Provels

Roland Johnson & Soul Endeavor



Rock

Brother Lee & the Leather Jackals

Bruiser Queen

Bug Chaser

Old Souls Revival

Tok



Singer-Songwriter

Emily Wallace

Miss Molly Simms

Sharon Hazel Township

Suzie Cue

Zak Marmalefsky



Soul/Funk

Al Holliday and the East Side Rhythm Band

Funky Butt Brass Band

Hazard to ya Booty

Rhythm Section Road Show

Southern Exposure