Chart page


 

This page lists the top artists of the year based on airplay plus social media standing. This list was last updated 12/25/25

TOP 100 FOR 2025

1 Kevin Daniel
2 Katie Knipp
3 HuDost
4 Jess Klein
5 Grace Morrison
6 Lara Herscovitch
7 Heather Pierson
8 Jesse Terry
9 Shanna In A Dress
10 Shannon Curtis
11 John McCutcheon
12 Meghan Cary
13 Maya de Vitry
14 Jo Wymer
15 Professor Louie & The Crowmatix 
16 Joy Zimmerman
17 Michele d’Amour & The Love Dealers 
18 The Wildwoods
19 The Virginmarys
20 Twisted Pine
21 Goldpine
22 Christopher Wright
23 Deni Bonet
24 Alice Howe
25 Switchback
26 Katie Dahl
27 Aimee Van Dyne
28 Jessie Kilguss
29 Ever More Nest
30 Dead Root Revival
31 Tim Grimm
32 Todd Snider
33 Cassidy Rae
34 Julian Taylor
35 Surprise Chef
36 Emm Gryner
37 Suzanne’s Band
38 Scott Yoder
39 Vance Gilbert
40 William Matheny
41 The Reverend Shawn Amos
42 Ainsley Costello
43 Tret Fure
44 Allysen Callery
45 The Faux Paws
46 Kris Delmhorst
47 Rod Picott
48 Sugar Bones
49 Michael Sarian
50 Megan Bee
51 The Matthew Show
52 Rees Shad
53 Rebecca Folsom
54 Dining Dead
55 Tenderhooks
56 Hudson Powder Company
57 Kai Crowe Getty
58 Vendredi sur mer
59 The Dirty Nil
60 Murder By Death 
61 Darlingside
62 Jesika Von Rabbit
63 Tall Tall Trees 
64 Robert Thomas & The Sessionmen
65 Jay Stott
66 Jaimee Harris
67 Crys Matthews
68 Peter Mulvey
69 Heather Maloney
70 Ordinary Elephant
71 Weep Wave
72 Sam Robbins
73 Sirsy
74 Plastic Rhino
75 Laurie Black
76 Suzie Brown
77 The Pinkerton Raid
78 Ellis Paul
79 The Bluetones
80 Cat Lion
81 Hard Maybe
82 Abbie Gardner
83 Fred Gillen Jr.
84 Lennie Gallant
85 Taxi Girls
86 Heavy Bloom
87 Monica Rizzio
88 Jack Grace
89 Starting Early
90 Joselyn & Don
91 Erin Ash Sullivan
92 Laurie Morvan
93 Keeley
94 Box Elder
95 Annie & Rod Capps
96 Jean Mann
97 Charlie Nieland 
98 Wes Collins 
99 The Bartells
100 Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem

HISTORICAL RCB CHARTS:

Best Album:
2004: “Ballads & Burlesque” – Rachael Sage
2005: “Little Star” – Girlyman
2006: “Hope & Other Casualties” – Mark Erelli
2007: “Revolution” – Sirsy
2008: “Brand New Frame” – Natalia Zukerman
2009: “Back To Love” – Tom Goss
2010: “Little Vigils” – Mark Erelli
2011: “Old White Men” – Vance Gilbert
2012: “Satellite” – Anna Dagmar
2013: “No More Rain” – The Steel Wheels
2014: “The Red Album” – Red Molly
2015: “Wage Love” – Fred Gillen Jr.
2016: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix “Music From Hurley Mountain”
2017: Kurt Henry Band “Flaming June”
2018: Mare Wakefield & Nomad “Time To Fly”
2019: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix”Miles Of Blues”
2020: Vance Gilbert “Good Good Man”
2021 Kevin Daniel “Been Here Before”
2022 Professor Louie & The Crowmatix “Strike Up The Band” 
2023 Kevin Daniel “The Life & Adventures Of Kevin Daniel” 
2024: Scott Sean White “Even Better On The Bad Days” 
2025: HuDost “The Monkey In The Crown” 

Artist Of The Year:
2003: Jenn Lindsay
2004: Rachael Sage
2005: Nadine Goellner
2006: Mark Erelli
2007: Amy Speace
2008: Andy Friedman
2009: Hungrytown
2010: Mark Erelli
2011: Vance Gilbert
2012: Vance Gilbert
2013: Aztec Two-Step
2014: Tom Principato
2015 Ellis Paul
2016 Professor Louie & The Crowmatix
2017 Jess Novak Band
2018 Lara Herscovitch
2019 Jonathan Byrd
2020 Sirsy
2021 Jonathan Byrd
2022 Heather Pierson 
2023 Professor Louie & The Crowmatix
2024: Scott Sean White
2025: Kevin Daniel 

Best EP

2004 Hunted Rebirth–Redjacket
2005 Plans In Pencil–Lisa Alice
2006 The Green Room Sessions–Kyler England
2007 Sin List–Travis McGee & The Revelers
2008 s/t– The Alternate Routes
2009 The Best Game In Town–Rebecca Pronsky
2010 From The Mouth Of Paris–The Mieka Canon
2011 Bess Rogers Presents –Bess Rogers
2012 Another Side–Daniel Levi Goans
2013: Auto Kiss Proof – Aqua Cherry
2014: Whiskey & Wine Vol 1. – Antigone Rising
2015 Butchers Blind – A Place In America
2016: Darlingside – Whipporwill
2017 The Slants – The Band That Must Not Be Named
2018: Bruce T Carroll – Finding You
2019: Castle Black “Dead In A Dream”
2020: Fred Gillen Jr “Birds”
2021 Aztec Two Step 2.0 “Birth Days”
2022 Buffalo Rose (with Tom Paxton) “Rabbit”
2023 Surprise Chef “Friendship”
2024: not awarded

2025:

Best Concept Album:

2005 Hotwalker-Tom Russell
2006 The Martini Cowboy-Jack Grace
2007 A Million Ukuleles-MJ Hibbett
2008 none awarded
2009 Up On Rockfield– Vance Gilbert
2010 Hadestown –Anais Mitchell
2011 1861 Project–various
2012 “Little Blue Egg” Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer
2013: Esperanza: Songs from Jack Kerouac’s “Tristessa” (various)
2014: none
2015: Darryl Holter “Radio Songs: Woody Guthrie In California 1937-1939”
2016: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix: Music From Hurley Mountain
2017: Kristin Hersh: Wyatt At The Coyote Palace
2018: Michael Martin Murphey: Austinology: Alleys Of Austin
2019: David Newland “Northbound: The Northwest Passage In Story and Song”
2020: not awarded
2021 David Uoskkinnen’s In The Pocket “The Philly Special”
2022: Putumayo World Music “Afro-Cubano”
2023 not awarded
2024: Putumayo World Music “Tropical Party”

2025: Shannon Curtis “80’s Kids” 

Best Tribute Album:

2018: King Of The Road – A Tribute to Roger Miller (various)
2019: not awarded
2020: Gretchen Peters “The Night You Wrote That Song – A Tribute to MIckey Newbury”
2021 “Stage Fright at 50 – An Ovation From Nashville (featuring The Rock House All Stars)
2022 Edgar Winter “Brother Johnny”
2023 Christian Parker “Sweethearts: A Tribute To The Byrds’ “Sweethearts Of The Rodeo”
2024: Christian Parker “Change Is Now: A Tribute To The Byrds” (1964-71)

2025: Lucy Kaplansky “The Lucy Story” 

Best New Artist:

2004 Simon Stinger
2005 Michael Tiernan
2006 Hundred Year Flood
2007 The Alternate Routes
2008 Corrientes
2009 Lisa Bianco
2010 The Vanguard
2011 Spuyten Duyvil
2012 The Steel Wheels
2013: Davey O.
2014: Ray Lambiase
2015: Dan Weber
2016: Monica Rizzio
2017: Just Dave Band
2018: Shane Martin
2019: Tragedy Ann
2020: Nobody’s Girl
2021: Sam Robbins
2022: Julian Taylor
2023 Jaimee Harris
2024: Zookraught

2025: Christopher Wright 

ALL TIME CHART (based on total chart rank per Top 50 artist, covering years 2003-2025
 

1 Prof Louie & The Crowmatix
2 Vance Gilbert
3 Heather Pierson
4 Sirsy
5 Lara Herscovitch
6 Jonathan Byrd
7 Patti DeRosa
8 The Slambovian Circus Of Dreams
9 Amy Speace
10 Ellis
11 Mark Erelli
12 Fred Gillen Jr
13 Red Molly
14 Kevin Daniel
15 Hungrytown
16 Natalia Zukerman
17 Tom Principato
18 Jo Wymer
19 Meghan Cary
20 Aztec Two Step
21 Chris Smither
22 Peter Mulvey
23 Davey O
24 Kurt Henry
25 Rebecca Loebe
26 Spuyten Duyvil
27 Ellis Paul
28 Jess Novak
29 Schwervon
30 Deni Bonet
31 Rachael Sage
32 Switchback
33 Todd Snider
34 The Ya Yas
35 Kris Delmhorst
36 Teresa Storch
37 Anais Mitchell
38 Livingston Taylor
39 Miss Tess
40 Shawn Amos
41 Matt Turk
42 Grace Morrison
43 Sam Robbins
44 Anthony Gomes
45 Carolann Solebello
46 Kevin So
47 John McCutcheon
48 Steel Wheels
49 Christine Havrilla
50 Avi Wisnia
Craig Sonnenfield
Scott Cook
Tim Grimm
Jesse Terry
Tim Blane
Julilan Taylor
Dana Sue Robinson
Marina V
Katie Knipp
Ash & Eric
Karen Collins
Tori Sparks
Defibulators
Sam Shaber
Butchers Blind
Jean Mann
Josh Ritter
Mare Wakefield
Kennedys
Andy Friedman
Eilen Jewell
Shane Martin
Girlyman
Sloan Wainwright
Taylor Davis
Michele D Amour
Kyler England
Liz Longley
Amber Rubarth
Whiskey Treaty
Bloody Jug Band
Joy Zimmerman
Nicola
Crooked Still
Betty Dylan
Keller Sisters
Jaimee Harris
Garrison Starr
Julian Velard
Los Hermanos Rodriguez
Waybacks
Castle Black
Flo Anito
Julie Loyd
Mieka Pauley
Anna Dagmar
Kenny White
Mike Field
Alternate Routes
Joanne Juskus