San Diego Music Awards

San Diego Music Awards
LocationSan Diego, California
CountryUnited States

The San Diego Music Awards is an awards show held annually in San Diego, California, United States, to recognize the best artists and bands in local music.[1] The awards show benefits the San Diego Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting San Diego music education programs.

The show has featured awards in a variety of categories covering nearly every genre of music, and featured live performances by such major-label recording artists as Blink-182, Switchfoot,[2] Jason Mraz,[3] P.O.D.[4] as well as lesser known up-and-coming artists, such as Schizophonics, Trouble in the Wind, Gilbert Castellanos, Whitney Shay and others.

In 2021, best Hip-Hop album of the year nominee The Toven, released the music video for his single "Sweet Home San Diego", from his Welcome To San Diego album, which was recorded live at the 30th annual San Diego Music Awards at Humphrey's by the Bay.[5] Bigger Vibes,[6][7] the debut album by The Toven, lost to Boston native Van Bates aka Black Hesher's Saints And Sirens album.[8][9] That year's Lifetime Achievement Award went to singer and guitarist Jerry Raney, formerly of the 1970s psychedelic band, Glory.[10]

Through 2019, the annual awards have raised $615,317 for its Taylor Guitars for Schools program, which has provided free instruments and lessons for more than 57,200 students across San Diego County over the past three decades.[11]

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved October 8, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Hiatus | UCSD Guardian". Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  3. ^ ""Mraz, Reeve Oliver to headline San Diego Music Awards" by Street". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  4. ^ "The 2018 SDMAs Go Off Without a Hitch". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "Big things in store for SDMA-nominated rapper The Toven". Pacific San Diego. August 19, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "'Music is life': Local hip-hop artist releases single about La Jolla". La Jolla Light. July 2, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "Big things in store for SDMA-nominated rapper The Toven". Pacific San Diego. August 19, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "Local Stars Shined Bright at 2021 San Diego Music Awards". NBC 7 San Diego. August 25, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "MIA at the SDMAs | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  10. ^ Breznikar, Klemen (September 17, 2020). "Glory interview". It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  11. ^ Varga, George. "Trouble in the Wind is top winner at 2018 San Diego Music Awards". Sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved May 9, 2018.