Meet the Mass. musicians who swept the 2025 New England Music Awards

Massachusetts musicians dominated at the 2025 New England Music Awards last month.

Bands and solo artists from across New England gathered at the Six String Grill and Stage in Foxborough on Nov. 16.

Seven of the winning bands and artists agreed that the NEMA award ceremony is about more than just winning, it’s about the community.

The Cape Cod-based band Crooked Coast won Act of the Year. Although the band attended the award ceremony, they left before the Act of the Year was announced after losing the other two categories they were nominated for, said Luke Vose, vocalist and guitarist.

When Vose woke up to congratulations texts the next morning, he was “happily surprised.” He continued, “you always just have your head down trying to create the next thing … [and] when you look up and you’re acknowledged for the work you’ve been doing, it’s a beautiful thing really.”

Crooked Coast plans to release an album featuring other artists next year. The band is performing at Brighton Music Hall on Dec. 20 and hosts Coast Fest in Falmouth annually in August.

The Far Out is a Boston-based funk and soul band consisting of six members. The band won Live Act of the Year and Video of the Year for their “Laurel” music video.

The band was nominated for Live Act of the Year in 2024 but lost, so this year’s win feels “pretty incredible,” said vocalist Olivia Lowe.

The “Laurel” music video features scenes swapping from an office, filmed at Lowe’s workplace, 92.5 The River, to the band dressed in ’70s clothing performing the song, which is on par for the “DIY” band, Lowe said.

The New Artist of the Year award was awarded to Vanna Pacella. The 18-year-old ethereal rock singer was “absolutely honored” to be recognized at the NEMA.

This year, Pacella released her debut album “Listen” in July and also won awards at the New England Songwriting Competition and the New England Music Festival for three of her original songs, which was an extra special recognition because “that’s my baby,” she said.

Nikki and the Barn Boys took home the award for Song of the Year for their song “Strawberry Hill.”

Four childhood friends, two sets of brothers, formed the band in 2020 and the lead singer, Nikki Childs, joined soon after.

“Strawberry Hill” was inspired by a tune Childs had stuck in her head since she was in the 5th grade and evolved from there, the band told Boston.com.

Since the band is in Austin, Texas right now, they heard they won the award from a fan, which was “so cool” and “an honor,” the band members agree. While in Austin, the band plans to produce an EP that will be released mid-winter or in early spring while testing out the songs on the road before then.

The winner of the World Act of the Year was FM Collective, a Boston-based Latin band consisting of five Berklee graduates.

“We literally ran to the stage,” band member Marcelo Trisano said. “It was so rewarding because we put so much work in [this] year” with the band playing up to three shows in one day a few times this year.

Although the band typically has five members, FM Collective invites other musicians in its circle to all of their gigs and even invited attendees to join their performance at the Brighton Farmers Market this summer, Trisano said.

FM Collective is hoping to release two singles with musician Moncho Berry early in 2026 and its second album next year as well.

The rock ‘n’ roll duo Dred Buffalo was named the Rising Star of Massachusetts.

Alerisa Rose and Chase Cavacco started their musical duo six years ago and have worked hard ever since, so the recognition feels “pretty good,” Cavacco said.

The duo got its name after their friend had a dream where “Dred Buffalo” was written in the sky.

Rose and Cavacco are set to record a new single, “Shaking Hands with the Devil,” in December.

Ward Hayden & The Outliers were on tour in Spain when they won Performers of the Year and Country Act of the Year.

The band was touring for their last two albums “Little by Little” and “Piece by Piece,” which are both Bruce Springsteen cover albums done in the band’s style.

This is the first time Ward Hayden & The Outliers have missed the NEMA award ceremony. “I feel like every year we’ve gone win or lose, we have left in very good spirits, feeling very positive, and excited” to have been nominated and to be a part of a community of New England musicians, bassist Greg Hall said.

The band created four albums during the pandemic shutdown and is ready to produce all new music in 2026 with a new album and a few acoustic duet songs on the horizon.

Find the full list of winners here.