It always amazes us when the Houston Press Music Awards ballot comes out every year. First, because it means the damn thing is finally done — which it usually isn’t until the very, very last minute — and more importantly, because of the wide-angle image, both mosaic and mural, it reveals of Houston’s organic and dynamic music community. There are probably almost 400 names below these few paragraphs.

Just to be up front, this year’s ballot was created by a small group of people who keep closer tabs on the Houston music scene than most (mostly the HP music staff, but not exclusively), also taking into account the reader suggestions we asked for a couple of weeks ago. In other words, you should have seen the first draft. If we missed someone you think deserves to be on the ballot, let us know in the comments; we will count them up and announce this year’s Reader’s Choice nominees next Monday.

Here’s the fun, official-sounding stuff. Voting is open now, and continues until August 12. Ticket presale for the post-HPMA concert featuring Hayes Carll — tickets are free, but first-come/first-serve — will run from 10 a.m. tomorrow through 10 a.m. next Wednesday, July 15. (Use the promo code ROCKSOFF.) The awards ceremony and concert is scheduled for Thursday, August 20 at Warehouse Live. Many of the names you see below will be there; they all put forth an incredible amount of hard work to bring their music to fruition. We only wish we could have made even more room on this ballot, but that would have probably driven us insane. Congratulations and good luck to all the nominees!

BEST LOCAL RECORDING
B L A C K I E, Imagine Yourself In a Free and Natural World
Jewel Brown & Bloodest Saxophone, Roller Coaster Boogie
Buxton, Half a Native
Folk Family Revival, Water Walker
Hearts of Animals, Another Mutation
Say Girl Say, Say Girl Say
The Suffers, Make Some Room
Two Star Symphony, Seven Deadly Sins
Venomous Maximus, Firewalker
The Wheel Workers, Citizens

BEST LOCAL SONG
Buxton, “Miss Catalina 1992”
Kristal Cherelle, “Only Love”
Children of Pop, “Jealous Lover”
Days N Daze, “Self Destructive Anthem”
Folk Family Revival, “If It Don’t Kill You”
Hearts of Animals, “Jesus Drug”
Say Girl Say, “What’s that Sound?”
Some Nerve, “Texas Massacre”
The Suffers, “Gwan”
The Wheel Workers, “Yodel”

BEST LOCAL MUSIC VIDEO
Kristal Cherelle, “Only Love”
Fat Tony, “H-Town to L.A.”
Knights of the Fire Kingdom, “Church of the Retarded”
Hearts of Animals, “Sea Babies”
Oceans of Slumber, “Solitude (Candlemass)”
Runaway Sun, “Bad Bad Man”
The Suffers, “Make Some Room”
The Tontons, “Pony”
The Wheel Workers, “Yodel”

LOCAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Dobber Beverley (Oceans of Slumber)
B L A C K I E
Gio Chamba
Kam Franklin (The Suffers)
Steven Higginbotham (The Wheel Workers)
Love Dominique
Mlee Marie Mains (Hearts of Animals)
Vik Montemayor (George West)
Alisha Pattillo
Roosh Williams
The Sauce Twinz

BEST NEW ACT
Black Kite
Camera Cult
Fiddle Witch and the Demons of Doom
Guilla
Kult Disney
Moji
Outside at Night
Rusted Avenue
The Sauce Twinz
Telephantom

BEST LIVE ACT
B L A C K I E
BLSHS
Gio Chamba
Electric Attitude
Los Skarnales
New York City Queens
Oceans of Slumber
The Suffers
thelastplaceyoulook
The Wheel Workers

BEST SONGWRITER
B L A C K I E
Keeton Coffman
Shellee Coley
Nick Greer
Steven Higginbotham (Wheel Workers)
Mlee Marie Mains (Hearts of Animals)
Mike Stinson
Sergio Trevino (Buxton)
The Suffers

BEST PRODUCER
BeatKing
Noah Clough
Josiah Gabriel
Wolf Michels
Chris Rockaway
Dan Workman

BEST MALE VOCALS
Gabe Cavazos (American Fangs)
Chad Grizzly (The Grizzly Band)
Henry Darragh
Ricky Dee (Ganesha)
Chase Hamblin
Gregg Higgins (Venomous Maximus)
Lee-Lonn
Omar Lopez (Lost Element)
Nava (thelastplaceyoulook)
Sergio Trevino (Buxton)

BEST FEMALE VOCALS
Jewel Brown
Doomstress Alexis (Project Armageddon)
Kam Franklin (The Suffers)
Cammie Gilbert (Oceans of Slumber)
Love Dominique
Michelle Miers (BLSHS)
Moji Abiola (Moji)
Asli Omar (The Tontons)
Tessa Kole (PuraPharm)
Danielle Renee (Only Beast)
Mary Sarah

BEST GUITARIST
Ricky Dee (Ganesha)
Anton de Guzman (Devil Killing Moth)
Jonn DelToro Richardson
Kelly Doyle
John Egan
Andrew Lee (Tontons/Wild Moccasins)
Marzi Montazeri
Tyler Saucier (Sunrise and Ammunition)
Mike Wheeler

BEST BASSIST
Rolando Fontalvo (Disfrutalo)
Nick Gaitan (The Umbrella Man)
Bob Lane (Another Run)
Melissa Lonchambon Ryan (Omotai)
Geoffrey Muller (various)
Chris Wise (Buxton)

BEST DRUMMER
Dobber Beverly (Oceans of Slumber)
Zach Elizondo (We Were Wolves)
Mikey Garcia (thelastplaceyoulook)
Will Kennedy (Yellowjackets)
John Salinas (Only Beast)
Sebastian Whittaker
Nick Zamora (The Suffers)

BEST KEYBOARDS
Beau Beasley (Oceans of Slumber)
Henry Darragh
Nick Greer
Patrick Kelly (The Suffers)
Richard Molina (Fuska)
Craig Wilkins (The Wheel Workers)

BEST HORNS
Alicia Pattillo (Alicia’s Quartet)
Jordan “Chili Sauce” Donald (saxophone)
Free Radicals (section)
Grady Gaines (saxophone)
James Murphy (Electric Attitude)
The Suffers (section)
The Suspects (section)
Woody Witt (saxophone)

BEST OTHER INSTRUMENT
Rick Carruth (beats)
Rich DelGrosso (mandolin)
Brittany Johnson (fiddle)
Allison W. MacPhail (theremin)
Ruben Moreno (accordion)
Josh Raught (mandolin)
Micah Raught (banjo)
Roberto Rodriguez (accordion)
Two Star Symphony (strings)

BEST RAP ACT
BeatKing
Biz Vicious
Chedda da Connect
Def Perception
Delorean
Le$
OneHunnidt
Sauce Twinz
T.H.E.M.
Roosh Williams

BEST RAP ALBUM/MIXTAPE
BeatKing & Gangsta Boo, Underground Cassette Tape
Doeman, Stereotypes
Guilla, Rap, Trap and Drums
Dante Higgins, Good Forever
Delorean, Look Alive
Le$, Steak X Shrimp Vol. 1
OneHunnidt, Field Sobriety
Sauce Twinz, In Sauce We Trust
T.H.E.M., Nonpareil
George Young, Ventage

BEST RAP SONG
BeatKing feat. DJ Chose, “Stand Behind Her”
BeatKing & Gangsta Boo feat. Lil’ Flip, “Like a Pimp 2015”
Chedda da Connect, “Flicka Da Wrist”
D-Boss feat. Slim Thug, J-Dawg, Paul Wall & M.U.G., “Big Ballin’ 2K14”
DJ Chose feat. MC Beezy, “Everywhere I Go”
Maxo Kream feat. Father, “Cell Boomin’”
OneHunnidt feat. E.S.G. & Bee Honey, “Screw Culture”
Sauce Walka feat. Flame, “2 Legited”
T-Wayne, “Nasty Freestyle”
George Young, “Phat Beach”

BEST RAP VIDEO
BeatKing, “Stopped”
Chedda da Connect, “Flicka da Wrist”
D-Boss feat. Slim Thug, Paul Wall & M.U.G., “Big Ballin 2K14”
DJ Chose feat. MC Beezy, “Everywhere I Go”
Doughbeezy, “I’m From Texas”
Sauce Walka, “No Features”
T.H.E.M., “Shaolin Blow”

BEST DANCE MUSIC ACT
Gracie Chavez
DJ Sun
George West
Josh Dupont
Gio Chamba
Goombotic
Hiram
Surain
-Us.
Wrestlers

BEST DJ NIGHT
A Fistful of Soul
A Really Kool Party
Gritsy
MFAH Mixed Media
Kinda Super Disco
Reverberations
Underworld

BEST POP ACT
BLSHS
Camera Cult
Chase Hamblin & the Roustabouts
Children of Pop
Deep Cvts
Glass the Sky
New York City Queens
Wild Moccasins

BEST JAZZ ACT
Alisha’s Quartet
Henry Darragh Sextet
Kelly Doyle Trio
Free Radicals
Tianna Hall & the Houston Jazz Band
Rads Krusaders 2.0
Woody Witt/Mike Wheeler Quartet

BEST BLUES ACT
Annika Chambers
John Egan
Diunna Greenleaf
Rich DelGrosso & Jonn Del Toro Richardson
Luther & the Healers
The Mighty Orq
Runaway Sun
Rusted Avenue

BEST SOUL/FUNK/R&B ACT
Brad Absher & Swamp Royale
Electric Attitude
Nick Greer & the G’s
The H.U.E.
Lee-Lonn
Love Dominique
Moji
No Refund Band
The Suffers

BEST REGGAE/SKA ACT
Cassette Tape
Fuska
Idiginis
The Suspects
Tydingz
Skatastrophics

BEST LATIN ACT
Bombon
Gio Chamba
Elyze
Espantapajaros
La Orquesta Salmerum
La Sien
Los Skarnales
Zenteno Spirit

BEST ROOTS ACT
Buxton
Cavern Hymnal
Folk Family Revival
Nick Gaitan & the Umbrella Man
Matt Harlan
Libby Koch
Grand Old Grizzly
Quiet Morning & the Calamity
Second Lovers

BEST ZYDECO ACT
Jerome Batiste & the Zydeco Players
C.J. Chenier
Brian Jack & the Zydeco Gamblers
Keyun & the Zydeco Masters
Ruben Moreno & the Zydeco Revolution
J. Paul Jr. & the Zydeco Nu-Breeds
Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws
Fred Rusk & the Zydeco Hi-Steppers
Zydeco Dots

BEST COUNTRY ACT
Bri Bagwell
Junior Gordon Band
Davin James
Arabella Jones
Mark Jones & Twenty Paces
Mary Sarah
Mike Stinson
Justin Van Sant

BEST ROCK ACT
American Fangs
Another Run
Fox & Cats
Ganesha
Mikey & the Drags
Pulse Rate Zero
Rome Hero Foxes
Sunrise and Ammunition
We Were Wolves
Young Mammals

BEST ALTERNATIVE ACT
A Sundae Drive
Black Kite
Catch Fever
Devil Killing Moth
football, etc.
Hearts of Animals
Only Beast
PuraPharm
Say Girl Say
Vanilla Sugar

BEST PUNK ACT
Back to Back
Days N Daze
Dead Rabbits
Die Young (TX)
Dress Code
Giant Kitty
Some Nerve
Talk Sick Brats
United Races
The Velostacks

BEST METAL ACT
Deadhorse
Desecrate the Faith
Funeral Horse
Linus Pauling Quartet
Nine Minutes
Oceans of Slumber
Omotai
Project Armageddon
Venomous Maximus
Versa Nova

BEST EXPERIMENTAL/NOISE ACT
B L A C K I E
Cop Warmth
D.D.A.
FLCON FCKER
Future Blondes
Pleasure 2
George West
P.L.X.T.X.
Two Star Symphony

BEST COVER/TRIBUTE ACT
Beetle
Disco Expressions
Evil Empire
The Fab 5
The Nirvana Experience
Picture Book
Thrill
Tooloji
Weezhur