Third Annual San Marcos Music Awards

Each January, KZSM hosts the San Marcos Music Awards, distributing awards in 20 categories at a joyous ceremony celebrating the local music scene. Proceeds help support your non-commercial community radio station!

Use This Link to Vote on Finalists! See Finalists – VOTING OPEN TO ALL!

The Third Annual SMMA takes place January 30, 2026, at the historic Price Center in San Marcos. KZSM needs your input to make it a celebration to remember. Nominate and vote for your local favorites! You must be a SMMA member to nominate or to vote in the First Round. Join SMMA at this link, or renew your membership here.

Corporate sponsorships are open! See sponsorship levels and benefits at this link.

Important Dates

Open Nominations Nov 1–

Dec 8 (SMMA Members Only)

Round One voting is Dec 12–Dec 27 (SMMA Members Only)

Final Round of voting is Jan 1– Jan 24 at 11:59 PM (Open to All)*

*Final Round is Top 5 vote getters per category from Round One.

Third Annual San Marcos Music Awards FINALISTS

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

EZ Maldonado

Kevin Adams

Metal Mark Moniz

Missoula Slim

Ricky Fullen

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

Missoula Slim

Rob Roark

Ace Pepper

Ricky Fullen

Metal Mark Moniz

BEST NEW ARTIST

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

BEST NEW ARTIST

Echo Page

DJ Squared

Kitchen Knives

Elle Townley

Wyatt Hall

BEST ARTIST

BEST CLASSICAL

BEST NEW ARTIST

Deadnamez

HateWaker

Our Last Daze

Rankin

David Rosenblad

BEST VOCALIST

BEST CLASSICAL

Will Riley

Amber Elison

Michael Douglas

Ricky Fullen

Rankin

BEST CLASSICAL

Siren Strings

Purgatory Creek Chorale

San Marcos HS Jazz Band

San Marcos HS Varsity Orchestra

Harley Robledo

BEST JAZZ

BEST BLUES

BEST JAZZ

San Marcos HS Jazz Band

San Marcos Jazz Ensemble

Tracy Weinberg

Los Gatos 512

TXST Jazz Ensemble

BEST R&B

BEST BLUES

BEST JAZZ

KELLER

Attic Ted

DFOY Music

Donja

Justin James Bridges

BEST BLUES

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

Missoula Slim

Justin James Bridges & Friends w/ Kali Rose KB

Ace Pepper Band

BARTLY

CONWAYTHEWHALE

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

Sheri Swartz

Will Riley

HalleyAnna Finlay

Rankin

Amber Elison

BEST AMERICANA

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST AMERICANA

Todd Snider

John Michael & the Retro Cats

Will Riley

Rockbottom String Band

Rankin

BEST COUNTRY

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST AMERICANA

Loose Screws and Rusty Hearts

Sam Downing

Wyatt Hall

HalleyAnna Finlay

Broken Arrow

BEST FUNK

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST FUNK

FunkOTron

Justin James Bridges (MadDabber710) & Kali Rose KB

Henry Invisible

Ashlee Hawkins

Batooter

BEST ROCK

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST FUNK

Hatewaker

Deadnamez

Grace THE Empress

John Michael and the Retro Cats

The Trips

BEST HIP-HOP

Lil Boodang

Chief and the Doomsday Device

MadDabber710

DFOY Music

SymmaTree

BEST REGGAE

BEST HIP-HOP

Dr Dubbist

Gateway to Love

Dirty Wine

DFOY

Judivan Roots

BEST LATIN

BEST REGGAE

BEST LATIN

Los Gatos 512

Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel

La Distanica

Ren

Orquesta Del Rio

BEST POP

BEST REGGAE

BEST LATIN

Will Riley and the Band Of Brothers

The Trips

The Oh Hellos

Our Last Daze

Cheer Up, Cheer Up

BEST DJ

BEST SINGLE

BEST ALBUM

DJ Squared

Kali Rose KB

Kinder

DJ Aminal

DJ Alpha

BEST ALBUM

BEST SINGLE

BEST ALBUM

Sink or Swim - Our Last Daze

San Marcos - Cookie Lone Star

Gotta Start Somewhere - The Trips

Livin' It Up Remastered EP - Justin James Bridges

The Gift of Sisyphus - Chief and the Doomsday Device & Geoff B

BEST SINGLE

BEST PROMOTER

Lucid - HateWaker

Kali Muruga Dark Star (ft. P-Funk All-Star Muruga Booker) - Kali Rose KB

Medusa (ft. Will Riley) - Cookie Lone Star

Time - Justin James Bridges

Zip Codes - Our Last Daze

BEST PROMOTER

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST PROMOTER

Ricky Fullen

Shelly Hardin

Mitchell Meitler

EZ Maldonado

Sheri Swartz

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

The Rev Jason Woolery

The Wiz

Viva La Ronny

Kali Rose KB

Justin James Bridges

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

The Porch

Cheatham Street Warehouse

San Marcos Saturday Farmers Market

Jacks Roadhouse

Sean Patrick's

SMMA Tickets – Sponsorships – Memberships

KZSM 2026 San Marcos Music Awards Tickets

KZSM 104.1 and the Price Center present the 2026 San Marcos Music Awards, a red carpet event with live shows, raffles and more. Get SMMA Tickets Here.
Extra Drink & Food Tickets

2026 SMMA Corporate Sponsorships

KZSM 2026 San Marcos Music Awards Tickets

Choose a level of sponsorship to the San Marcos Texas Community Radio Association, a Non-Profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, that can work as an end-of-year donation.

2026 SMMA Membership Renewals

KZSM 2026 San Marcos Music Awards Tickets

2026 SMMA Membership Renewals

To thank everyone who participated in our 2nd Annual SMMA awards this year, KZSM 104.1 announces that renewal memberships are now open for just $10!

2026 SMMA New Memberships

KZSM 2026 San Marcos Music Awards Tickets

2026 SMMA Membership Renewals

KZSM 104.1 is excited to announce that 2026 SMMA memberships are open for just $20! Join us in celebrating the best local talent.
Join at this link.

Congratulations to the 2025 SMMA Winners!

Lifetime Achievement: Christopher Paul Cardoza

Best New Artist: Loose Screws & Rusty Hearts

Best Artist: Our Last Daze

Best Singer/Songwriter: Jack Henry

Best Classical: San Marcos HS Jazz Band

Best Blues: Rock Bottom Strings Band

Best Rock: Our Last Daze

Best Funk: FunkOTron

Best Reggae: Sugar Waves

Best Hip-hop: Chief & The Doomsday Device

Best R&B: The Hot Pipes

Best Country: Loose Screws & Rusty Hearts

Best Latin: Los Gatos 512

Best Pop: The Trips

Best Vocalist: Will Riley

Best Producer: David Beck

Best DJ: Chief & The Doomsday Device

Best Promoter: Listen San Marcos

Best Radio Personality: The Wiz

Best Single: “Falling Asleep” – The Trips

Best Album: Small Bites by Kinder and Chief & The Doomsday Device

Best Live Music Venue: Tantra Coffeehouse

Best Live Performance: Our Last Daze

Golden Martian: Christopher Paul Cardoza

Thanks to our volunteers, program hosts and community members who came out for the KZSM Sock Hop, July 19, 2025! It was a fun night, and almost $4000 was raised to keep community radio alive in San Marcos. John Michael and the Retro Cats kept the dance floor full with their Rockabilly sound.

This would not have happened without all the work, diligence on the details, and creative flair of Songbird Sheri Swartz!

And a big Thank You to our local businesses and friends who donated! The businesses are featured on our Supporters Page.

Thanks to Individual Supporters

Jim & Jean Baggot

Garrie Borden
Karl and Karen Brown

Jane Hughson

Jeannie Lewis

John Michael & Colunga Family
Emma Milsap

Linda Oppel

Scott Oshen

Sheri & Wayne Swartz

Viva La Ronny and Joey Rodriguez

Third Annual San Marcos Music Awards

Important Dates

Third Annual San Marcos Music Awards FINALISTS

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

BEST NEW ARTIST

GOLDEN MARTIAN AWARD

BEST NEW ARTIST

BEST ARTIST

BEST CLASSICAL

BEST NEW ARTIST

BEST VOCALIST

BEST CLASSICAL

BEST CLASSICAL

BEST CLASSICAL

BEST CLASSICAL

BEST CLASSICAL

BEST JAZZ

BEST BLUES

BEST JAZZ

BEST R&B

BEST BLUES

BEST JAZZ

BEST BLUES

BEST BLUES

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST AMERICANA

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST AMERICANA

BEST COUNTRY

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER

BEST AMERICANA

BEST FUNK

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST FUNK

BEST ROCK

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST FUNK

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST REGGAE

BEST REGGAE

BEST HIP-HOP

BEST LATIN

BEST REGGAE

BEST LATIN

BEST POP

BEST REGGAE

BEST LATIN

BEST DJ

BEST SINGLE

BEST ALBUM

BEST ALBUM

BEST SINGLE

BEST ALBUM

BEST SINGLE

BEST SINGLE

BEST PROMOTER

BEST PROMOTER

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST PROMOTER

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE

BEST PRODUCER

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE