Everyone loves award ceremonies: MTV Movie Awards, CMAs, Academy Awards, Tonys. I can guarantee you that the Alternative Press Music Awards is nothing like your typical award show. I mean, where else can you see Babymetal perform with Rob Halford of Judas Priest? Or see The Ghost Inside get up to accept an award after having been in recovery from a terrible bus accident in which their driver and the driver of the semi-truck who hit them both perished? Absolutely nowhere else, but the APMAS.
The Third Annual Alternative Press Music Awards aired July 18, 2016, livestreaming on amazon.com and twitch.tv, from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. The hosts: Jack Barakat and Alex Gaskarth from the rock band, All Time Low. There were many guests throughout the night, both performing and presenting awards. (Of course, my favorites would have to be Andy Black, Motionless In White, Pierce The Veil, and Mayday Parade.) There were many awards given out including Best Vocalist, Best Guitarist, Best International Band, Best Music Video, Most Dedicated Fanbase and the coveted Album of the Year.
Since I'm a huge fan of Alternative Press and of many of the bands that are featured in the music mag (and I have watched the award show since it began two years ago), I decided to jot down the winners of each category. The winners are in bold.
Best Vocalist:
Alex Gaskarth--All Time Low
Caleb Shomo--Beartooth
Patrick Stump--Fall Out Boy
Lzzy Hale--Halestorm
Kellin Quinn--Sleeping With Sirens
Corey Taylor--Slipknot
Best Guitarist:
Kevin Skaff--A Day To Remember
JB Brubaker--August Burns Red
Kellen McGregor--Memphis May Fire
Chad Gilbert--New Found Glory
Misha Mansoor--Periphery
Jack Fowler--Sleeping With Sirens
Best Bassist:
Ralph Sica--Being As An Ocean
Skyler Acord--Issues
Ryan Neff--Miss May I
Matthew Taylor--Motion City Soundtrack
Ahren Stringer--The Amity Affliction
Kelen Capener--The Story So Far
Best Drummer:
Christian Coma--Black Veil Brides
Loniel Robinson--letlive.
Jerod Boyd--Miss May I
Dani Washington--Neck Deep
Maxx Danziger--Set It Off
Aaron Gillespie--Underoath
Best International Band:
As It Is (United Kingdom)
Babymetal (Japan)
Marianas Trench (Canada)
One OK Rock (Japan)
Parkway Drive (Australia)
You Me At Six (United Kingdom)
Best Music Video:
All Time Low--"Something's Gotta Give"
August Burns Red--"Identity"
Panic! At The Disco--"Emperor's New Clothes"
State Champs--"If I'm Lucky"
The Wonder Years--"Cardinals"
Twenty One Pilots--"Stressed Out"
Song Of The Year:
Falling In Reverse--"Just Like You"
Never Shout Never--"Hey! We OK"
Of Mice & Men--"Would You Still Be There"
Panic! At The Disco--"Hallelujah"
Pierce The Veil--"The Divine Zero"
State Champs--"Secrets"
Best Live Band:
Attila
Beartooth
Issues
Motionless In White
Neck Deep
Slipknot
Artist Philanthropic:
Andrew McMahon--Dear Jack Foundation
Jake Luhrs--HeartSupport
The Used--Living The Dream
The Wonder Years--Puppies Behind Bars, After School All-Stars, The Herren Project, Futures Without Violence
This Wild Life--National Breast Cancer Foundation
You Me At Six--Passport Back To The Bars, The Ghost Inside U.K. Fundraiser, PETA
Most Dedicated Fanbase:
Issues
Mayday Parade
New Years Day
PVRIS
The Ghost Inside
The Maine
Breakthrough Band:
I Prevail
Knuckle Puck
Neck Deep
New Years Day
Set It Off
State Champs
Best Underground Band:
Cane Hill
Creeper
Moose Blood
ROAM
Tiny Moving Parts
Too Close To Touch
Album Of The Year:
All Time Low--Future Hearts
August Burns Red--Found In Far Away Places
Bring Me The Horizon--That's The Spirit
Knuckle Puck--Copacetic
The Maine--American Candy
Marilyn Manson--The Pale Emperor
Neck Deep--Life's Not Out To Get You
Sleeping With Sirens--Madness
State Champs--Around The World And Back
Twenty One Pilots--Blurryface
Artist Of The Year:
All Time Low
Beartooth
PVRIS
Fall Out Boy
Motionless In White
Panic! At The Disco
Real Friends
Sleeping With Sirens
Slipknot
Twenty One Pilots
Off The Wall Award Recipient: Yellowcard
Classic Album Recipient: Good Charlotte--The Young And The Hopeless
Icon Award Recipient: Marilyn Manson
Congratulations to all the Skully winners, and congratulations to Jack Barakat, the first ever APMAS elected Presidental Candidate!
