The 22nd annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards party/ceremony returned to Over-the-Rhine’s Memorial Hall on Nov. 24. Local musicians and the supporters who love them once again turned out to show their support for — and sing the praises of — each other.
The 2019 CEA show was exploding with love for the richness and depth of Greater Cincinnati’s music scene, with most award winners deflecting praise for themselves in order to shout out their peers and fans. Likewise, all of the presenters (various local figures from the music world and beyond) eloquently explained how much local artists have meant to them.
There were several great live performances from a few of the night's nominated acts, showcasing our music scene’s impressive diversity. Former WNKU music director Aaron Sharpe — who co-hosted for the second year in a row with local DJ Chanell Karr — saluted the attendees for sticking with the show as it shuffled through a wide array of styles and sounds.
Maria Carrelli and her band delivered a couple of songs' worth of her wildly charming brand of earthy, honky-tonkin’ Country, while Bla’sze? wowed the crowd with an energized set of modern R&B that also featured some expert choreography and dance. Superb Hip Hop trio Patterns of Chaos also had the audience hyped with some engaging “Rap Music” (as MC Jay Hill — dressed in what appeared to be a life-size hamster onesie — shouted a few times during their set). This year’s winners of the Rock CEA, Go Go Buffalo, gave the night a dose of grimy Dada with their heavy, oddball theatrics and singular sartorial choices (singer Jeremy Moore left little to the imagination with his neon green tutu), while Multimagic offered a pair of unshakeable Indie Pop earworms for attendees to take home with them and Soften unspooled a wonderfully mesmerizing Shoegaze mini-epic.
The show kicked off with the announcement that the annual Cincinnati Music Ambassador Award — given to homegrown acts who spread the good word of local music far and wide while never forgetting the community from which they sprung — was being renamed in honor of music icon Bootsy Collins, who gave thanks for the honor via video.
For the full recap of the evening and the list of winners, click here.
Photos by Hailey Bollinger, Adam Doty, Chuck Loftice and Brittany Thortnon
