Chart page


 

This page lists the top artists of the year based on progressive amounts of airplay/exposure, plus social media standing. This list was last updated 12/25/24

OVERALL LIST

 
 

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” 

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

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:

 

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:

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:

ALL TIME CHART (based on total chart rank per Top 50 artist, covering years 2003-2025
Artists 1-100 are being revealed in a countdown podcast series throughout 2025