Your TRMA Academy Members

Academy Member (Musician): Quincy Yeates

www.RamajayIntercoastal.com A naturally gifted songwriter born on the Caribbean Island of Tobago, his journey into music began at age 10 where he started playing Clarinet, then promoted to Oboe for the Tobago Youth Orchestra helmed by the great Newman Alexander. With the push of his Grandmother, Hermia Yeates, a retired Elementary/Primary School Principal, lessons in…

Academy Member: John Frinzi

www.JohnFrinzi.com A gifted singer and songwriter, skillful on both guitar and piano, John Frinzi has built an audience through craft and originality. An early demo caught the ear of legendary steel guitarist and long time Coral Reefer Band member Doyle Grisham, and their working relationship led to John’s first CD, “Into The Dawn.” His second…

Academy Member: Erica Sunshine Lee

www.EricaSunshineLee.com Erica Sunshine Lee is “The hardest working woman in country music.” Sunshine is a prolific songwriter and Nashville Recording Artist and International touring ‘Georgia Gypsy.’ Sunshine just released her 8th original album titled “Buried Treasure,” penning all 12 brand new songs. Since 2007, Sunshine has been a full-time road warrior, performing around 300 shows…

Academy Member: Brooke Graham

Brookegrahamtunes.com A 6th generation Texan and super proud of it, Brooke has gained much recognition in her home state as one of the new up and coming Texas singer/songwriters. She not only captures the views and attitudes of a Southern home-grown woman, but also draws her organic, agricultural roots to surface in her lyrical style…

Academy Member: Mike McEnery

http://jshrimp.com/ Mike McEnery’s short career as a stand-up comedian lasted only three gigs. But by a strange twist of fate, two of these gigs were opening for Jay Leno, whose only advice was “Write your own material, kid!” As it turns out, that advice was helpful a bit later in life. After years as the…

Academy Member: Boomer Blake

https://boomerblake.com/ Boomer Blake is a Singer/ Songwriter whose lyrics & stories fall into the Tropical Rock genre, but a childhood of influences the likes of Billy Joel, James Taylor, Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, and the Doobie Brothers means his musical arrangements can span a wide range of rhythms and styles! Boomer was raised in Northern…

Academy Member: Todd Sparks

https://www.toddsparks.com/welcome.html Bios are boring! Most are self-congratulatory pats-on-the back of accomplishments that if you’re famous, everybody already knows and if you’re not, nobody cares! The only importance of where we were, is usually the fact that it defines where we will go. I’ll use this space for that theme! In the beginning: Family! My family!…

Academy Member: Charlie Imes

http://charlieimes.com/ Before relocating to Southwestern Florida, Charlie Imes made quite a name for himself in his adopted hometown of San Diego. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he grew up in the Los Angeles area, where he played in rock bands in high school. Charlie developed his personal style of laid-back, jazzy-beach-folk-rock music on front &…

Academy Member: Chris Bellamy

http://www.chrisbellamy.com/ Chris Bellamy…Performing Artist, Songwriter, Recording Producer, Master Guitar Player, Studio Engineer, Music Career Consultant and Owner at Chris Bellamy Publishing. Chris is a signed Artist at Silver Buckle Records in Fort Worth, Texas. That’s a lot of hats to wear! Add to that, one hundred and fifty plus dates a year, where he is…

Academy Member: Steve McCloud

http://www.theflipflopman.com/ The Flip Flop Man Steve McCloud grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and began playing music in bands at the age of 13. At age 21 Steve hit the road playing in various bands, departing from Indiana and heading out across the mid-west and then travelling south. By the mid – 80’s, Steve had travelled…

Academy Member (Musician): Trey Newmiller

http://facebook.com/TreyPlaysDrums

Academy Member: Brian Fields

www.bmmbhz.com It all started at a Parrot Head Party with margaritas, good friends and some guitars and now the rest is history! B-Man & mi-Shell live the island life in Key West, Florida. Many know may know them as the band B-Man & The MizzBeeHavens but now live in what they call “The Gateway to…

Academy Member: Aaron Scherz

wwww.aaronscherz.com IT ALL STARTED WITH A LITTLE RUM… …and a mom who raised him on good music. Jimmy Buffett, John Denver, James Taylor and others. Aaron always knew he was going to do something “different”. But he couldn’t have imagined that “different” would involve tropical islands, sail boats, catamarans, Parrotheads, Meeting Of The Minds, Coral…

Academy Member: Matt Hoggatt

https://bayoutroubadour.com/ Former Bourbon Street performer, radio DJ, and police detective, Matt is part songwriter and part storyteller. Known nationally for his work with Jimmy Buffett and Sirius XM, Matt spends his free time, performing at his favorite places around the country. You can catch Matt’s weekly “Bayou Troubadour Show” on RadioTropRock.com every Sunday at 12…

Academy Member: Ty Thurman

www.leapthecreek.com Ty Thurman began playing guitar at age 7, learning his first chords from his grandpa, a popular Oklahoma musician and fiddler. After years of playing in several rock bands, he returned to his country roots, and began to perform his own tunes around the San Fransisco Bay Area in the late 90’s. In 1998,…

Academy Member: Gary James Moeller

https://garymoeller.com/ Howdy. I’m a native Texan, born and raised. Texas has great history, heritage and character that influence all that live in this beautiful State. The people, the cultures and the traditions have created an incredible environment for music to be created and dreams to come true. Nothing seems impossible. Being a direct descendant of…

Academy Member: Bob Durand

http://www.trop-a-holic.com/ What is a Trop-a-holic? A trop-a-holic is a margarita drinker with a music problem…. Bob Durand is not only a trop-a-holic – he is a singer/songwriter of songs that you might listen to under a palm tree on a beach with an adult beverage in your hand. A native New Orleanian, he now splits…

Academy Member (Musician): Melanie Howe

https://www.djembabe.com/ Musicians hire nationally touring artist Melanie Howe when they want more than accompaniment. Attitude and expression are important factors to be considered in the entertainment industry. Melanie’s experience in music performance, dance performance and artistic expression gives her an upper hand in promoting an exciting and memorable performance for the musicians she accompanies and…

Academy Member (Musician): John Beck

https://www.facebook.com/john.beck.319 I am a native Floridian, born and raised in Orlando. My love of music began in junior high school when I joined the marching band as a drummer. Through the years I have honed my skills as a drummer, latin percussionist and singer by performing with a variety of bands in many different venues,…

Academy Member: Eric Stone

www.ericstoneband.com Sprinkled through the titles of Eric Stone’s eleven CDs lie a string of island adventures that every salty sailor hopes to have. “Bomba’s Shack,” “Dominica Discovery,” “Bequia Kind of Day,” “One Night at Corsairs” and “Goodbye Trinidad” are all stories lived and memories made by this talented sailing, surfing, songwriting singer. His music is…

Want to become an Academy Member?

TRMA Award Winners

2020
2020

It's awards season Trop Rock fans!

The nomination round of the 13th Annual Trop Rock Music Awards is complete, and the final ballot will be emailed to all TRMA members on September 1st. The voting is open until midnight September 30th and the winners will be announced at an awards show in Key West on October 30th. The location and type of show is still pending due to Covid 19 regulations currently in place.
If you are not a current member of the Trop Rock Music Association, you can still join and vote in the 2020 awards up until September 30th. Just go to https://troprock.org/get-involved/#generalmembership.

Definition of Trop Rock Music: Tropical Rock (or Trop Rock) is a genre of popular music that incorporates elements of Rock and Roll, Country, Caribbean, Reggae or other musical genres to create a laid-back or “escapist” state of mind. Trop Rock may create its tropical or “island vibe” either with tropical or island-like instrumentation and production, or with beach, tropical or escapist lyrical themes, or both.

2020 Annual TRMA Nominees

1. Male Vocalist

Awarded to the top vote getter for excellence in performing and recording by a trop rock male vocalist, including a male vocalist performing in a duo, trio or band, during the eligibility year.

  • Aaron Scherz
  • Bob Karwin
  • Donny Brewer
  • James "Sunny Jim" White
  • Mike Nash

2. Female Vocalist

Awarded to the top vote getter for excellence in performing and recording by a trop rock female vocalist, including a female vocalist performing in a duo, trio or band, during the eligibility year.

  • Aubrey Wollett
  • Erica Sunshine Lee
  • Heather Vidal
  • Isabella Stefania
  • Robin Tricker

3. Duo/Trio

Awarded to the top vote getter for excellence in performing or recording as a trop rock duo or trio during the eligibility year.

  • The Dententions
  • Highway 1
  • Thom & Coley
  • Tropicool
  • Latitude

4. Band
Awarded to the top vote getter for excellence in performing or recording as a trop rock band of four or more members during the eligibility year.

  • The Boat Drunks
  • Donny Brewer & The Dock Rockers
  • Jimmy & The Parrots
  • Johnny Russler & The Beach Bum Band
  • Trop Rock Junkies

5. Entertainer of the Year
Awarded to the top vote getting Trop Rock solo, duo, trio or band, for excellence in all aspects of entertaining, including live performance, recording, song writing, video and broadcast, during the eligibility year. There are 6 entries this year due to a tie for 5th.

  • Bob Karwin
  • Donny Brewer
  • Erica Sunshine Lee
  • Mike Nash
  • James "Sunny Jim" White
  • Steve Tolliver

6. Album
Awarded to the top vote getting qualifying trop rock album, defined as an independent release of eight or more songs or 30 minutes of playing time, released during the eligible year, or in the 12 months preceding the eligibility year if the album was not on the final ballot in the preceding awards period. Awarded to Artist and Producer(s) (if the producer(s) is/are other than artist).

  • Ocean Road - Aaron Scherz (Aaron Scherz)
  • Eat, Beach, Sleep, Repeat - Reggie Starrett (Jeremy Scruggs)
  • The Miles Between - Bob Karwin (Donny Brewer)
  • Livin' The Dream - Johnny Russler & The Beach Bum Band (Michael Shehan & Johnny Russler)
  • Stay Thirsty - Mike Nash (Dave Demay)

7a. Song

Awarded to the Songwriter (listed in parenthesis). Given to the top vote getting qualifying trop rock song released during the eligible year, or in the 12 months preceding the eligibility year if the song was not on the final ballot in the preceding awards period. The song need not be part of a qualifying album. This category is open to all artists, not only TRMA Academy members like other categories. Check them out!

  • "Tacos, Tequila & Trop Rock" - Donny Brewer (Donny Brewer/Johnny Russler)
  • "Professional Drinker" - The Detentions (Dan Sullivan/Donny Brewer)
  • "Beach Town" - Aaron Scherz (Aaron Scherz, Johnny Bulford, Heidi Raye)
  • "Down by the Coastline" - Boomer Blake (Boomer Blake)
  • "Whole Lotta Beaches" - Reggie Starrett (Reggie Starrett)
  • "Will You Be My Shore" - Jack Mosley (Jack Mosley)
  • "Bad Bitch" - Erica Sunshine Lee (Erica Sunshine Lee)
  • "Postcards From The Road" - Mike Nash (Mike Nash/Aaron Scherz)
  • "Hammock in Havana" - Jesse Rice (Jesse Rice)
  • "Somewhere in the Caribbean" - Paul Overstreet (Paul Overstreet)

7b. Single

Awarded to the Songwriter (listed in parenthesis). Given to the top vote getting qualifying trop rock song released during the eligible year, or in the 12 months preceding the eligibility year if the song was not on the final ballot in the preceding awards period. The song need not be part of a qualifying album. This category is open to all artists, not only TRMA Academy members like other categories. Check them out!

  • "Tacos, Tequila & Trop Rock" - Donny Brewer (Donny Brewer)
  • "Beach Town" - Aaron Scherz (Aaron Scherz)
    "Verona Corona" - Jonas Lorence (Ron Flynt & Jonas Lorence)
  • "Down by the Coastline" - Boomer Blake (Danny Rosado)
  • "Whole Lotta Beaches" - Reggie Starrett (Clay Page)
  • "YOLO" - Joe Downing (Nathan Smith)
  • "When the Aliens Came" - Jack Mosley (Dave Signs/Jack Mosley)
  • "Single for the Summer" - Erica Sunshine Lee (Chip Martin/Erica Sunshine Lee) "Shore Thang" - Thom & Coley (Thom Shepherd & Coley McCabe Shepherd)
  • "Hammock in Havana" - Jesse Rice (Nick Gibbens/Jesse Rice)

8. Music Video of the Year
Awarded to the top vote getting official artist-sanctioned music video for a qualifying trop rock song, which video was released during the eligible year, or in the 12 months preceding the eligibility year if the video was not on the final ballot in the preceding awards period. The song need not have been released in the eligibility year. Awarded to Artist(s) and Video producer/director (in parenthesis). Check them out!

  • "When They Bring Back Happy Hour" - Don Middlebrook (Don Middlebrook/Sherry Perry) "Verona Corona" - Jonas Lorence (Jonas Lorence)
  • "When the Aliens Came" - Jack Mosley (Jack Mosley)
  • "Nobody Wins in Vegas" - Erica Sunshine Lee (Josh Mendez/Erica Sunshine Lee)
  • "I Know You" - Bob Karwin (Bob Karwin)

9. Best Album Art/Packaging
Awarded to the top vote getting trop rock album or EP cover art/design and packaging for an album or EP released during the eligibility year, or in the 12 months preceding the eligibility year for an album was not on the final ballot in the preceding awards year for Album of the Year or Best Art/Packaging. Awarded to artist and designer/artist (in parenthesis). Check them out!

  • Ocean Road - Aaron Scherz (Aaron Scherz)
  • Eat, Beach, Sleep, Repeat - Reggie Starrett (Reggie Starrett)
  • The Miles Between - Bob Karwin (Bob Karwin/Donny Brewer)
  • Stay Thirsty - Mike Nash (Mike Nash)
  • It's Still Summer Somewhere - James "Sunny Jim" White (Adela White/Hallie C. White

10. Horizon Award
Awarded to the top vote-getting Trop Rock solo, duo, trio, or band who shows the most promise for contributing to the Trop Rock genre through performance, songwriting and recording. Previous winners are not eligible. There are 6 entries because there was a tie for 5th.

The following previous winners are not eligible: Danny Rosado, Cory Young, Jesse Rice, Donny Brewer, Brittany Kingery, The Southern Drawl Band, John Friday, Jimi Pappas, Capt. Josh, Jimmy Parrish, Troy Allan, PHINS

  • Aubrey Wollett
  • Erica Sunshine Lee
  • Joe Downing
  • Jonas Lorence
  • Paul Overstreet
  • Robin Tricker

11. Musician

Awarded to the top vote getting trop rock musicians for outstanding musicianship, intended to recognize band members, or musicians for excellence in performing and/or recording in support of trop rock artists during the eligibility year.

  • Alan Jax Bowers (percussion)
  • John Patti (steel pan)
  • Johnny Doolittle (bass guitar)
  • Mark Mireles (steel pan)
  • Steve Way (percussion)

12. Songwriter

Awarded to the top vote getter for excellence in trop rock songwriting.

  • Aaron Scherz
  • Donny Brewer
  • Erica Sunshine Lee
  • Paul Overstreet
  • Jack Mosley

13. Radio Station

Awarded to a radio station for excellence in trop rock radio broadcasting during the eligibility year.

  • Shore Life Radio
  • Palapa Mac Radio
  • Radio Trop Rock
  • Tiki Man Radio
  • Songwriter's Island Radio

14. Radio Program

There are two Radio Program categories on the ballot - "live" and "recorded". Please vote for one show in each category.

Radio Program - Live

  • "Trop Rockin' The USA" - Eric & Gina Babin
  • "Sunday Morning With the Tiki Man" - The Tiki Man & The Original Hippie Chick
  • "Island Time Radio Show" - Dennis King & DKtheDJ

Radio Program - Prerecorded

  • "4 & 4 With Gina" - Gina Babin
  • "Tropical Play with DK" - Dennis King
  • "Beach Bars & Guitars" - Johnny Russler
  • "Happy Hour 2.0" - Greg Dumas
  • "Bayou Troubadour" - Matt Hoggatt

15. Live Music Venue
Awarded to the top vote getting venue for outstanding presentation of live trop rock music during the eligibility year.

  • Nav-A-Gator Bar & Grill - Lake Suzy, FL
  • Smokin' Tuna Saloon - Key West, FL
  • T-Bone Tom's - Kemah, TX
  • Tropical Isle - New Orleans, LA
  • Whiskey Joe's - Tampa, FL

16. House Concert Venue
Small & Large Awarded to the top vote getter for outstanding house concert venue - small and large, based on annual attendance with the threshold to be determined annually at the discretion of the Awards committee. Awarded to the
host/hostesses of non-profit concert-style home-based venues featuring Trop Rock artists.

House Concert Venue - Small

  • Casa Brown - Craig & Jill Brown
  • Isla Bella - Fred & Sara Guererro
  • The Postcard - Dean & Terrie McClain
  • Wester-Rita-Ville - Mike & Becky Carpenter

House Concert Venue - Large

  • Casa Tortooga - Kevin & Tish Disston
  • The Habitat - Ken & Heather Settlemyer
  • Port of Indecision - Dan & Sharon Mueller
  • The Yard - Mark & Sharon Leverett

17. Event of the Year
Small & Large Awarded to the top vote getters for outstanding events, small and large, featuring multiple trop rock artists. Meeting of the Minds is excluded from this category because it is a National Convention. Small and large categories based on total registration, with the threshold to be determined annually at the discretion of the awards committee.

Event of the Year - Small

  • A1A Beach Bash - St. Augustine Beach, FL
  • Lone Star Luau - Marble Falls, TX
  • Phins to the West - Mesquite, NV
  • Summer ChILL - Schaumburg, IL
  • Trop Rockin' The Ozarks - Lake of the Ozarks, MO

Event of the Year - Large

  • Music on the Bay - Tampa, FL
  • Pardi Gras - New Orleans, LA

18. Music Business Professional of the Year
Awarded to the top vote getter for outstanding performance as a music business professional during the eligibility year. Eligible music business professionals include: operators or executives of independent record companies, music publishing companies and media companies; journalists; booking agents and managers; concert promoters; producers of music, broadcast or film; legal and accounting professionals, etc.

Nominees and winners are selected by TRMA academy members and will be announced at the awards show.

19. Fan of the Year

This award recognizes a Trop Rock "fan" for their support and promotion of Trop Rock music. It is meant for an individual/couple and not a group. Previous winners are NOT eligible.

The following previous winners are NOT eligible: Diana Christ, Fred Wunder, Colleen Fuchs, Debbie Hess, Marc & Tammy Hollander, Sam & Gina Densler, Steven "Koz" Kozlowski, Tami Tower, Dave & Carolyn McBride, Dale & Peach Hench, Gary & Patti Janco, Shirley Gates

  • Kristen McFadden
  • Linda Robb
  • Roger & Donna Beam Sheila Jorgerson
  • Tom Klinker & Nancy Martin
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