New regional music awards’ 1st ceremony delayed; performer showcases eyed

BETLHEHEM, Pa. — The new Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Regional Music Awards, which had hoped to hold an inaugural ceremony on Dec. 7, has delayed the show a year.

But the process is well underway, and the organization even has unveiled a new website, ABERMA President Holly Hutchison said.

And opportunity presented by the extra time has “turned into a great positive,” Hutchison said.

In the meantime, the ABERMAs plan to hold a series of artist showcases to build awareness of the awards and anticipation for the ceremony, she said.

She said the awards’ board of directors met this week and, “after much deliberation,” decided to move the first presentation to Dec. 6, 2026.

“We felt it was best for the music industry, artists and venues to have more time to raise awareness and participation and to solidify voting process.”
ABERMA President Holly Hutchison

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“We felt it was best for the music industry, artists and venues to have more time to raise awareness and participation and to solidify the voting process,” Hutchison said.

She said organizers already have “great early sponsors … we are very excited.”

It will be the first local music awards show since Lehigh Valley Music Awards went on hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic after its March 2020 show.

The initial ceremony was to be at Emmaus Theatre. The ABERMA website says it will be held there on the new date.

The LVMAs for 20 years honored regional musicians with an annual awards show — its last seven years at Musikfest Cafe at the ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem.

But its Facebook page has not been updated since December 2020 and its website is gone.

“We’re a new organization doing it a different way,” Hutchison said.

New website; showcases eyed

ABERMA’s new website recently went live, listing 31 categories in which nominations could be made — plus an “other” option for additional nominations.

But while working out the voting process and building an advisory board to oversee it, “we realized how much needed to be done in that process,” Hutchison said.

“We wanted to work out the criteria.”
ABERMA President Holly Hutchison

“We wanted to work out the criteria.”

So the nomination form on ABERMA’s website has been changed into an application form for acts to be considered for the planned showcases.

ABERMA Vice President Joe Amabile, a performing musician who also is a “well-respected talent booker” for area venues, “came up with the idea for having showcases,” Hutchison said.

The shows will let artists be showcased for them to “be nominated or even play the ABERMA show,” she said. Amabile already is working on the showcases, Hutchison said.

She said the number, locations and timing have not been worked out yet, but said, “this creates a really great opportunity and community vibe.”

Organizers have promised the awards ceremony will include professional production with presenters and crystal trophies.

“The Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton Region of Pennsylvania has a rich history of music discoveries, festivals and venues who have brought creative music inspiration for generations of music lovers,” the website says.

“We strive to build a community of passionate music lovers who share in the joy of discovering and promoting exceptional musical talent and music creators in our local & surrounding area.

“ABERMA’s mission is to support, promote & award excellence in all forms of music without prejudice or favor, by facilitating an annual awards show and media publicity.”

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Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Regional Music Awards

A map showing the coverage area of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Regional Music Awards

Eligibility, categories

The website also lists eligibility and requirements, including that all nominees — self-nominated or submitted — must be within the map guidelines of the ABERMA map layout.

Nominees “must be conducting business [includes live music, recording, promoting, etc.] in the map guideline area for the category for which they are submitted,” the website says.

That map covers artists and venues in Lehigh and Northampton counties, but also eastern Berks, northern Bucks and southern Carbon counties and parts of Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.