All About Music Awards and Festivals in New York and New Jersey

2021 is a good year for the music business, with so many exciting and new releases both independent and major hitting the charts. This year’s featured artists are everywhere, from the glam rock of Iggy to the heavy metal of Dying Fetus to the reggae of The Rainbow Connection and beyond. Here at Uproar we’ve got everything you should know about the events of the year, including who is on what level, which artists have made it to the stage and which acts are set to perform at what events.

As one of the biggest and most popular music awards ceremonies in the world, you can expect to see an incredible line-up of performers at the 19th Annual Austin Film Festival. The festival is organized by the film festival office of the Austin Film Festival. Over the past three decades, Austin has hosted the festival more than ever before, attracting both local and international artists and audiences from near and far. Themes for this year’s event are based around music, with a focus on local and regional talent. Performers include local and national groups, as well as some out-of-state artists who made their presence known by performing in the city over the last several years. Featured bands and songs include The Killers, Reel Big Band, Dot Da Genius, Stone Gossard, Nothing But Thieves, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Koze, The White Room and Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake.

Another major award-giving event of the year is the MTV Music Awards, also held during the first week of April. Featuring music talent from across the globe, the MTV Music Awards is one of the biggest draws for music fans in attendance. Past attendees have included everyone from Kanye West to arenas full of teenage girls. The best performing artists this year include Usher, Britney Spears, Akon, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, The Black Eyed Peas, Skrillex, Macy Gray, Pitbull and JT for their performance at the 2021 MTV Music Awards.

At the end of the month of April, the Recording Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences holds their own music awards ceremony, celebrating the year’s accomplishments in both music and technology. This is the most prestigious music award show in the country, drawing hundreds of artists and music lovers from across the nation. Past winners include the Rolling Stones, Backstreet Boys, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Akon, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna, Elton John, Chris Brown, Usher, and many others. This year’s awardees have yet to be announced. If you wish to vote for your favorite artists, you can find instructions at the MTV site.

As the New York area is host to both the Lollapalooza music festival, and the Big Apple Music Fest, there are other music awards ceremonies held in the area besides the annual Grammies. A few of the other larger music events that take place in New York include the New York City Blues Festival, the Knickerbockers Festival, and the New York Philharmonic’s Series of Events. Both the New York City Blues Festival and the Knickerbockers Festival draw crowds from around the country. For music fans on a budget, the New York City Blues Festival offers free admission.

The Recording Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences keeps the nominations in suspense until they are revealed in June. Once the nominations have been revealed, the Academy will list the best-selling CDs of the previous year by the major music labels. In addition, the Academy will highlight upcoming albums by up and coming stars on their web site. You can also vote online for your favorite artist or band and get the best CD of the year. For a simple membership fee, you can download up to four pieces of music videos from the Academy’s web site.