The results for our 2020 Best of the Bay Awards are in! Here you’ll find Tampa Bay’s best nightclubs, music acts, DJs, burlesque dancers, and more, all determined by you and neighbors. If you don’t see your personal favorites here, maybe this will lead you to a few new places to try!
Best Band (Original)
Winner: Wandering Hours, facebook.com/thewanderinghours/
Second Place: Derrick Williams & The Gospel Voice Band, derrickwilliamsvocalist.com
Runner Up: The Black Honkeys, theblackhonkeys.com
Photo by Wandering Hours/FacebookBest Bluegrass Band
Winner: The Applebutter Express, applebutterexpress.com
Second Place: The Wandering Hours,Best Burlesque Act
Winner: Mayven Missbehavin, missmayven.wixsite.com/missbehavin
Second Place: Femmes & Follies, femmesandfollies.com
Runner Up: Cherry Von Topp, facebook.com/CherryVonTopp
Photo by Creative Loafing: Tampa BayBest Club DJ
Winner: DJ Mike Sklarz, jannuslive.com
Second Place: DJ Paul Santana, djsantana.com
Runner Up: DJ Austen Van Der Bleek, avbleek.com
Photo by DJ Mike Sklarz/FacebookBest Concert in the Last 12 Months
Winner: Gasparilla Music Festival, gasparillamusic.com
Second Place: 97x Next Big Thing, 97xonline.com
Runner Up: Billy Joel at AMALIE Arena, billyjoel.com
Photo by Kelsey WalkerBest Concert Promoter
Winner: Brokenmold Entertainment, brokenmoldentertainment.com
Second Place: FwdThinkers, fwdthinkersmusic.com
Runner Up: TampaBayNightLife.TV, tampabaynightlife.tv
Photo by Brokenmold Entertainment/FacebookBest Country Act (Original)
Winner: Soul Circus Cowboys, soulcircuscowboys.com
Second Place: Aubrey Wollett, aubreywollett.com
Runner Up: J.T. Curtis and The Florida Scoundrels, facebook.com/jtcurtisandthefloridascoundrels/
Photo by Soul Circus Cowboys/WebsiteBest Cover Band
Winner: Jon Ditty’s House of Pain, jonditty.com
Second Place: SweetLick, facebook.com/sweetlicktampa
Runner Up: 60 West, facebook.com/papercranestpete
Photo by Daryl BowenBest Dance Club
Winner: Blur Nightclub, blurdunedin.com
Second Place: The Castle, castleybor.com
Runner Up: The Honey Pot, facebook.com/Honey-Pot
Photo by Blur Nightclub/WebsiteBest Drag Performer
Winner: Adriana Sparkle, facebook.com/adrianageminisparkle/
Second Place: Matthew McGee, thematthewmcgee.com
Runner Up: Kori Stevens, facebook.com/kori.stevens
Photo by Adriana Sparkle/InstagramBest Experimental Act
Winner: Infinite Eights, infiniteeights.band
Second Place: Justin Depth, facebook.com/justindepthofficial
Runner Up: The HeadTones, facebook.com/TheHeadTones
Photo by Infinite Eights/FacebookBest Hip Hop Act
Winner: Theolodge, deadwrongkrew.com
Second Place: Jon Ditty, jonditty.com
Runner Up: B-Zeik, facebook.com/BZeik/
Photo by Apple MusicBest Instrumentalist
Winner: Matt Weihmuller, saxophonist, linkedin.com/in/matt-weihmuller
Second Place: Derrick Williams, Pianist, derrickwilliamsvocalist.com
Runner Up: Nate Najar, natenajar.com
Photo by Creative Loafing: Tampa BayBest Jam Band
Winner: Uncle John’s Band, unclejohnsband.com
Second Place: The Hip Abduction, thehipabduction.com
Runner Up: Bearded Brothers, thebeardedbrothers.com
Photo by Kevin TigheBest Jazz Ensemble
Winner: Tarpon Springs High School Jazz Ensemble, tarponspringsband.com/ensembles/jazz-ensemble/
Second Place: Derrick Williams, derrickwilliamsvocalist.com
Runner Up: La Lucha, laluchamusic.com
Photo by Tarpon Springs High School Jazz Ensemble/FacebookBest Karaoke
Winner: The Corner Bar & Grill, thecornerbarandgrill.com
Second Place: CJ’s On The Island, cjsontheisland.com
Runner Up: Double Decker, doubledeckertampa.com
Photo by The Corner Bar & Grill/FacebookBest Large Concert Venue (2,000-plus capacity)
Winner: Amalie Arena, amaliearena.com
Second Place: Ruth Eckerd Hall, rutheckerdhall.com
Runner Up: David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, strazcenter.org
Photo by Marlo MillerBest Metal/Hardcord Band (Original)
Winner: Den of Thieves, facebook.com/DenofThievesTampa/
Second Place: Malice Strikes, facebook.com/Malicestrikeshc/
Runner Up: Kill the Imposter, facebook.com/killtheimposter/
Photo by Den of Thieves/FacebookBest Best Music Festival
Winner: Gasparilla Music Festival, gasparillamusic.com
Second Place: 97x Next Best Thing, 97xonline.com
Runner Up: Reggae Rise Up, reggaeriseupflorida.com
Photo by Tyler DowneyBest Best Open Mic Night (Comedy)
Winner: Side Splitters Comedy Club, sidesplitterscomedy.com
Second Place: The Verona, facebook.com/TheVeronaBar
Photo by Side Splitters Comedy Club/FacebookBest Best Open Mic Night (Poetry)
Winner: SHAMc ALIVE, safetyharborartandmusiccenter.com
Second Place: The Studio@620, thestudioat620.org
Runner Up: The Blueberry Patch, blueberrypatch.org
Photo by Yvonne GougeletBest Place to Bowl
Winner: Pin Chasers, pinchasers.net
Second Place: Dunedin Lanes, dunedinlanes.com
Runner Up: Splitsville, splitsvillelanes.com/location/tampa/
Photo by Pin Chasers/FacebookBest Place to Play Pool
Winner: CJ’s On The Island, cjsontheisland.com
Second Place: Sullivan’s Boulevard Lounge, facebook.com/sullivansnpr/
Runner Up: Peabody’s Billiards & Games, peabodystampa.com
Photo by CJ’s On The Island/FacebookBest Pop Act (Original)
Winner: Jordan Denise Williams, jordandenisewilliams.com
Second Place: 60 West, facebook.com/60westbandmusic/
Runner Up: Visit Neptune, visitneptune.net
Photo by WJordan Denise Williams/InstagramBest Record Label
Winner: Derlie Records Inc., facebook.com/DerlieRecords
Second Place: New Granada, newgranada.com
Runner Up: Wave Theory, facebook.com/wavetheory
Photo by Derlie Records/FacebookBest Record Store
Winner: Daddy Kool Records, daddykool.com
Second Place: Steelworker Records, steelworker-records.square.site
Runner Up: Bananas Records: CDs, DVDs & Vinyl, bananasrecords.com
Photo by Ray RoaBest Recording Studio
Winner: Clear Track Studios, cleartrackstudios.com
Second Place: Mullins Music, mullinsmusic.org
Runner Up: Zen Recording, zenrecording.com
Photo by Clear Track Studios/FacebookBest Reggae/Ska Band
Winner: The Hip Abduction, thehipabduction.com/band
Second Place: Victims of Circumstance, vocska.com
Runner Up: Badda Skat, baddaskat.com/home
Photo by Apple MusicBest Best Release By A Local Band
Winner: Blue Water by 60 West, jannuslive.com
Second Place: Dear Diary by Jordan Denise Williams, jordandenisewilliams.com/music
Runner Up: Playground by Alien House, alienhouse.bandcamp.com/album/playground-ep
Photo byBest Best Rock Band (Original)
Winner: Ben Rogers Band, facebook.com/beniciosband
Second Place: Row Jomah, facebook.com/RowJomah/
Runner Up: The Black Honkeys, theblackhonkeys.com
Photo by Apple MusicBest Roots/Alt-Country Act (Original)
Winner: The Wandering Hours, facebook.com/thewanderinghours/
Second Place: The Applebutter Express, applebutterexpress.com
Runner Up: Have Gun, Will Travel, hgwtmusic.com
Photo by Wandering Hours/FacebookBest Singer/Songwriter
Winner: Lisa Noe,Best Singles Hangout
Winner: Park & Rec, youthhasnoage.com
Second Place: CJ’s On The Island, cjsontheisland.com
Runner Up: The Canopy, thebirchwood.com/thecanopy/
Photo byBest Small Concert Venue (Under 2,000 capacity)
Winner: Jannus Live, jannuslive.com
Second Place: Tampa Theatre, tampatheatre.org
Runner Up: Crowbar, crowbarybor.com
Photo by Jannus Live/InstagramBest Soul/R&B/Funk Act
Winner: Derrick Williams, derrickwilliamsvocalist.com
Second Place: The Black Honkeys, theblackhonkeys.com
Runner Up: The HeadTones, facebook.com/TheHeadTones
Photo by Apple MusicBest Stand-up Comedian
Winner: Cam Bertrand, cambertrand.com
Second Place: Barry S. Naylor, facebook.com/Comedian-Barry-S-Naylor
Runner Up: Ward Smith, facebook.com/wards3
Photo by Creative Loafing: Tampa BayBest Best Stand-Up Comedy Venue
Winner: Improv Comedy Theatre, improvtampa.com
Second Place: Side Splitters Comedy Club,Best Strip Club
Winner: 2001 Odyssey, 2001nude.com
Second Place: Mons Venus World Famous Nude Strip Club Tampa, facebook.com/monsvenustampa
Runner Up: Oz Gentlemen’s Club, instagram.com/ozgentsclub
Photo by 2001 Odyssey/FacebookBest Vocalist
Winner: Veronika Naumova, facebook.com/vvtunes/
Second Place: Derrick Williams, derrickwilliamsvocalist.com
Runner Up: Rachel Villalona, facebook.com/therachelvillalona/
Photo by Veronika Naumova/FacebookBest Weekly Club Night
Winner: CJ’s On The Island Monday Sin Night, cjsontheisland.com
Second Place: Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association Monday Night Jazz Jam at The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge, aldowningjazz.com
Runner Up: Fridays at The Castle, castleybor.com
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