“Sleeze Machine”<\/a> at the ninth annual Carolina Music Video Awards on Sept. 21. They are the first rock band from Fayetteville to win a Carolina Music Video Award.<\/p>\n“Drawing on the flamboyance of M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce and the anthemic hooks of KISS, they fuse classic hard-rock attitude with modern energy and visuals,” a news release from the group announcing their win said. “The band has built a fiercely loyal regional following \u2014 more than 16,000 Instagram fans and growing \u2014 and a reputation for electrifying live shows that feel equal parts arena spectacle and underground club mayhem.”<\/p>\n
The Fayetteville-based band members \u2014 who go by stage names \u2014 are lead singer Isaac “Ice” Anderson, 22; rhythm guitarist Lizzy Hall, 21; lead guitarist Mello Wes, 22; bassist Momo, 18; and drummer Winston Heart, 29.<\/p>\n
Anderson said Oct. 2 that this was the band’s first award since forming in 2022.<\/p>\n
He suspects their video came to the attention of the Carolina Music Video Awards through word of mouth and fan recordings from one of the more than 55 live shows they’ve performed. He said the award has allowed them to grow their Instagram fanbase exponentially.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day that we won the award, we got over 1,000 followers instantly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
All five members attended schools in Cumberland County. Heart said he is a Douglas Byrd High School alum and disabled veteran; Anderson, who attended Terry Sanford High School, owns rental properties throughout Fayetteville; and Wes, who also attended Douglas Byrd, attends UNC Charlotte. Momo, who attended Seventy-First High School, and Hall, a Southview High School alum, are fulltime musicians.<\/p>\n\n\nFayetteville band Punk Angels posing for a photo at the 9th annual Carolina Music Video Awards at The Parr Center in Charlotte, Sept. 21, 2025<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Who are the Punk Angels?<\/h2>\n Anderson said the band attracts venue owners with their mature attitude despite their wild looks.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shake somebody\u2019s hand you look somebody in the eyes \u2026 and that\u2019s the biggest way that we\u2019ve promoted our band,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are a huge, contagious ball of energy that can\u2019t be replicated.”<\/p>\n
Heart, the drummer, said that the band plays original songs, and their sets consist of about 11 songs.<\/p>\n
Anderson said that the band members still have other responsibilities, including school and work, but each member understands Punk Angels is a priority, and he hopes this award proves that the sky is the limit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe show people through our actions that at the end of the day, we are serious about it,” he said. “That also further shows, to anybody that maybe doubted or hesitated or questioned anything about us, that shows the validity of what we\u2019ve been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The band last played in Fayetteville at the Crown Complex at the Michael Williams Jr. vs. Demarcus Corley boxing match in October 2024. Since then, Anderson said, Punk Angels has played at various venues throughout North Carolina.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been playing Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilmington \u2026 We\u2019ve kind of been on an unofficial tour,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are random towns in North Carolina that I\u2019ve never heard of before \u2026 and we\u2019re just playing there.\u201d<\/p>\n
What does the future have in store?<\/h2>\n The focus of the Punk Angels has now turned to releasing their debut album, “Angels With Dirty Face,” which Anderson said should be released before the year’s end.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been sitting on an album for a good minute,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The band is next scheduled to play at Reboot Arcade in Winston-Salem on Halloween, but also has performances scheduled in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Dec. 12; and in Atlanta on Feb. 7, 2026.<\/p>\n
For updates on the band, visit instagram.com\/punkangelsofficial<\/a> or facebook.com\/PunkAngelsxxx<\/a>.<\/p>\nPublic Safety Reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.<\/em><\/p>\nThis article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Punks Angels of Fayetteville take home Carolina Music Video Award<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n