Whew…the sound you just heard wasn’t a sigh.  It was simply us catching our breath after tabulating the votes from our writers for the nominees of our second annual Newbie Awards, honoring the top new band, female, male and album of 2013.  While there were some names that we fully expected to see—and did—there were others that caught us by surprise…in a good way.

Five different acts—a real Who’s Who of 2012’s new bands, and top male and female artists—earned multiple nominations in last year’s five categories.  This year, only three acts did so.  That’s a testament to both the tremendous number of new recording artists that released great music, but also the diverse musical tastes of our writing staff.

Our 2013 multiple nominees—Los Angeles female trio Haim, and a pair of 19-year-olds: British rocker Jake Bugg and rising hip-hop star Earl Sweatshirt—shouldn’t pop the champagne bottles just yet.  Last year, two bands earned three Newbie Awards nominations each but went home empty-handed.

This year, we’re encouraging our readers to vote online for their favorite nominee in each category.  You’ll find the simple voting form on each of the four category pages:

See our nominees for Best New Band and vote for your favorite HERE

See our nominees for Best New Male Artist and vote for your favorite HERE

See our nominees for Best New Female Artist and vote for your favorite HERE

See our nominees for Best New Album and vote for your favorite HERE

Eligibility was based on artists’ recording and touring activity from November 1, 2012 – October 31, 2013.  Voting ends Friday, December 6.  The winners will be announced the following week.