2012 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards Nominees

The following are the nominees for the 2012 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. Congratulations to all who participated and good luck to the nominees! The winners will be announced on April 13, in front of a live audience at BOSS. If you would like to attend the awards ceremony, buy your tickets (including the red carpet package!) today!

The top 10 male, female, and mixed collegiate albums will be posted on casa.org on March 1, 2012.

Genre Nominations

Best Pop/Rock Album

5 by MO5AIC
Committed by Committed
Inbound by Redline
Postyr Project by Postyr
The Backbeats by The Backbeats
The Boxettes EP by The Boxettes

Best Pop/Rock Song

Born This Way” on The Backbeats by The Backbeats
Break Anotha” on Inbound by Redline
Hey, Soul Sister” on UnPractice Makes Perfect by Street Corner Symphony
I Gotta Feeling” on 5 by MO5AIC
Kissanainen” on Ihmiset by Club for Five
Little of Your Time” by Transit
Moves Like Jagger” by Overboard featuring Hannah Juliano

Best Hip-Hop/R&B Song

All the Above” on Fresh Aire by Aires (Dartmouth)
Bad Habits” on Take III by Casual Harmony (Rutgers)
Blue and White (Black and Yellow Remix)” on House Rules by Clef Hangers (UNC)
How Low” by Overboard
Love the Way You Lie” on Group Therapy by No Southern Accent (UF)

Best Jazz Album

Color by Number by Chapter 6
He Said, She Said by Angie Doctor and Dan Schumacher
Midnight by The Songmen
Northern Lights by Vocado

Best Jazz Song

Cooler than Me” on The Sing Off Best of Season Two by Groove for Thought
Es Tanzt Ein Bebop-Butzemann” on Extrem Nah Dran by Maybebop
Harold’s House of Jazz” on Color by Number by Chapter 6
My Funny Valentine” on Northern Lights by Vocado
Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on Simply Put by Simply Put

Best Classical Album

Coming Home for Christmas by Amarcord
Days of Awe and Rejoicing: Radiant Gems of Jewish Music by Chicago A Cappella
Missa Baltica by Key Ensemble
Songspin by Juice

Best Classical Song

Four Motets: Horeyni Darkecha” on Days of Awe and Rejoicing: Radiant Gems of Jewish Music by Chicago A Cappella
Fum, Fum, Fum” on Coming Home for Christmas by Amarcord
Der är en Ros Utsprungen” on Unto Us a Child is Born by Amadeus Chor
Poor Wayfaring Stranger” by Peter Hollens with Swingle Singers

Best Barbershop Album

New York State of Mind by Round Midnight
That Lucky Old Sun by Crossroads
Vocal Spectrum III by Vocal Spectrum
Workin’ for a Livin’ by Zero 8

Best Barbershop Song

Heart of My Heart” on Workin’ for a Livin’ by Zero 8
Nothing Can Change This Love” on New York State of Mind by Round Midnight
That Lucky Old Sun” on That Lucky Old Sun by Crossroads
When I See An Elephant Fly” on Vocal Spectrum III by Vocal Spectrum

Best Religious Album

From Dust by Testimony (Stanford University)
Six13 Vol. 4: Zmanim by Six13
There is a Way by Praise Apella
Unplugged by John K. Brown

Best Religious Song

Can’t Go On” on From Dust by Testimony (Stanford)
Friend of God” on There is a Way by Praise Apella
Hinei Mah Tov” on Six13 Vol. 4: Zmanim by Six13
Soon Ah Will Be Done” on Committed by Committed

Best Folk/World Album

Blue Junxion by Africappella
Gigo! By Soul Influence
Panoramic by Penn Masala (University of Pennsylvania)
V.O. by Ocumé

Best Folk/World Song

“Emtzah Halailah” on Transitory by Tizmoret (Queens College)
Håll Mig Kvar” on Northern Lights by Vocado
Hengilas” by Overboard
La Llave de mi Corazón” on V.O. by Ocumé
Viel Zu Viel” on Extrem Nah Dran by Maybebop

Best Holiday Album

A Rockapella Holiday by Rockapella
Cool Yule by Cadence
It’s Christmas time by Eclipse
JOULUYÖ by Rajaton
The Sing Off: Songs of the Season by The Sing Off Contestants

Best Holiday Song

Christmas as a Child” on It’s Christmas Time by Eclipse
Coventry Carol” on The Sing Off Songs of the Season by SONOS
I Hear the Bells” on I Hear the Bells by face
Santa Claus is Coming to Town” on Back in Blue by Vocal Point (BYU)
Sleigh Ride” on Cool Yule by Cadence

Best Humor Song

Fpaniff” on Extrem Nah Dran by Maybebop
I Light It” on Six13 Vol. 4: Zmanim by Six13
Reverb” on Color by Number by Chapter 6
The Price is Right” on John McMahon & The Barkers by The Barkers

Continental Nominations

Best European Album

Hjemmebane by Basix
Ihmiset by Club for Five
JOULUYÖ by Rajaton
Postyr Project by Postyr
The Boxettes EP by The Boxettes

Best African Album

Blue Junxion by Africappella
He Cares by Intune
Jerusalem by Unshaken
Love Everlasting by Sweet Symphony
Young Generation by Assurance

Original Music Nominations

Best Professional Original Song

M. Mengoni, P. Calabrese, M. Calabrese, S. Clabrese, and S. Fabiani for “Un Gioco Sporco” by Cluster with Marco Mengoni
Mark McLemore  for “Most of It” on Unpractice Makes Perfect by Street Corner Symphony
Neo Joshua  for “Free” on The Boxettes EP by The Boxettes
Oliver Gies  for “Was Uns Verbindet” on Extrem Nah Dran by Maybebop
Theron Thomas, Tyson Evans, and Joseph Getfield  for “Break Free” on Committed by Committed
Tine Fris  for “Go! Don’t Stop!” on Postyr Project by Postyr

Best Scholastic Original Song

Adam Levine for Phoenix on Phoenix by VoiceMale (Brandeis)
Manoj Racherla, Bhuwan Vashisht, & Vinay Rao for Is Pal Main on Panoramic by Penn Masala (UPenn)
Marissa Bergmann for *** on Still Point by Out of the Blue (Duke)
Michael Miller for Dreamers on BAM by Logarhythms (MIT)
Tara Vaughan for 22 on Windows Down by sQ! (Tufts)
Chris Rishel and Zachary Madden for Sharp on I Used to Live Alone by Voices in Your Head (U of Chicago)

Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL) Nominations

Best Contemporary A Cappella League Album

Inbound by Redline
Simply Put by Simply Put

Best Contemporary A Cappella League Song

Break Anotha” on Inbound by Redline
Human Nature” on Simply Put by Simply Put
Price Tag” by The Red States

Scholastic Nominations

Best Mixed Collegiate Album

Aftershock by Acappology (NCSU)
Code Blue by Octopodes (Johns Hopkins)
Group Therapy by No Southern Accent (UF)
Hands Off the Mannequin by Amalgamates (Tufts)
I Used to Live Alone by Voices in Your Head (U Chicago)
Pulse by The Chordials (Cornell)

Best Mixed Collegiate Song

Boy Lilikoi” on Hands Off the Mannequin by Amalgamates (Tufts)
Cosmic Love” on Pulse by Chordials (Cornell)
Everything’s Just Wonderful” on Group Therapy by No Southern Accent (UF)
Ghosts n Stuff” on Aftershock by Acappology (NCSU)
I’d Like To” on I Used to Live Alone by Voices in Your Head (U of Chicago)
Teenage Dream” on Strugglebus by Mind the Gap (UO)

Best Mixed Collegiate Solo

Billy Ferguson for “Touch” on Pulse by The Chordials (Cornell)
Elspeth Michaels for “I’d Like To” on I Used to Live Alone by Voices in Your Head (U of Chicago)
Hannah Juliano for “Halo” on Pitch Slapped by Pitch Slapped (Berkelee)
Jessica Lucas for “Gunpowder & Lead” on Aftershock by Acappology (NCSU)
Kristen Ford for “Oh Atlanta” on Windows Down by sQ! (Tufts)

Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement

Chris Rishel for “I’d Like To” on I Used to Live Alone by Voices in Your Head (U of Chicago)
Christopher Rienas for “Cry Me A River” on Group Therapy by No Southern Accent (UF)
Daniel Reardon for “Black and Gold” on 16 Edgewood by Out of the Blue (Yale)
Ethan Lobenstine with Ben McCormackon for “Mad World” on On the Rise by After Hours (U Rochester)
Hannah Juliano for “Got To Get You Into My Life” on Pitch Slapped by Pitch Slapped (Berkelee)

Best Male Collegiate Album

BAM by Logarhythms (MIT)
BATTLE by Beelzebubs (Tufts)
House Rules by Clef Hangers (UNC)
No More Bets by Bruin Harmony (UCLA)
Off the Hook by Ithacappella (Ithaca College)
Phoenix by VoiceMale (Brandies)

Best Male Collegiate Song

Crawl” on A Gentleman’s Game by Accidentals (UGA)
“Eleanor Rigby” on Take III by Casual Harmony (Rutgers)
Kings and Queens” on BATTLE by Beelzebubs (Tufts)
Mothers Eyes” on No More Bets by Bruin Harmony (UCLA)
Phoenix” on Phoenix by VoiceMale (Brandeis)
There Goes My Baby” on BAM by Logarhythms (MIT)
Telephone” on Off the Hook by Ithacapella (Ithaca)

Best Male Collegiate Solo

Adam Levine for “Phoenix” on Phoenix by VoiceMale (Brandeis)
Brendan Lynch-Salamon for “A Change is Gonna Come” on Fresh Aire by Aires (Dartmouth)
Harry Nichols for “Man for Life” on Off the Hook by Ithacapella (Ithaca)
Marcus Hines for “I Shall Not Walk Alone” on A Gentleman’s Game by Accidentals (UGA)
Micah Lorenc for “Got To Get You Into My Life” on Back in Blue by Vocal Point (BYU)
Ryan White for “February Song” on House Rules by Clef Hangers (UNC)

Best Male Collegiate Arrangement

Alexander Koutzoukis for “Kings and Queens” on BATTLE by Beelzebubs (Tufts)
Jordan Yance for “Subterranean Homesick Alien” on Pillow Talk by Academical Village People (UVA)
Michael Miller for “Dreamers” on BAM by Logarythms (MIT)
Nikhil Marathe for “Heartless / Kabhi Kabhi” on Panoramic by Penn Masala (U Penn)
Robert Dietz for “The Sound of Silence” on Off the Hook by Ithacapella (Ithacapella)

Best Female Collegiate Album

Black and Blue by BluesTones (JMU)
IMPACT by Shockwave (Rutgers)
Playing with Fire by Jackson Jills (Tufts)
Still Point by Out of the Blue (Duke)
Worth Fighting For by Premium Blend (Ithaca College)

Best Female Collegiate Song

crushcrushcrush” on Black and Blue by BluesTones (JMU)
Love, Save the Empty” on Good Morning, Mr. Jefferson by The Belles (UVA)
Unbreakable” on Playing with Fire by Jackson Jills (Tufts)
Undisclosed Desires” on Still Point by Out of the Blue (Duke)
“Uninvited” on IMPACT by Shockwave (Rutgers)

Best Female Collegiate Solo

Andrea Perrone for “Rolling in the Deep” on Worth Fighting For by Premium Blend (Ithaca)
Arabelle Luke  for “Say My Name” on IMPACT by Shockwave (Rutgers)
Debra Armour for “Bust Your Windows” on Still Point by Out of the Blue (Duke)
Helen Corless for “Unbreakable” on Playing with Fire by Jackson Jills (Tufts)
Nicola Bertoni for “Broken-Hearted Girl” on Black and Blue by BluesTones (JMU)

Best Female Collegiate Arrangement

Brianne Holland for “On the Wing” on On the Wing - Single by Men in Drag (U Chicago)
Danielle Belsky for “Colorblind” on IMPACT by Shockwave (Rutgers)
Nadia Shutkufski for “Numb” on Another Round by The Cocktails (U South Carolina)
Tian Yuan for “Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!!” on Still Point by Out of the Blue (Duke)

Best High School Album

2 the Wire by Forte (Centerville HS)
Decade by Eleventh Hour (Kettering Fairmont HS)
Matching Voices by The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)
Play it Coy by The 18 Wheelers (The Wheeler School)
The Blue and White Album by GFS A Cappella (Germantown Friends School)

Best High School Song

“Dr. Feelgood” on The Blue and White Album by GFS A Cappella (Germantown Friends School)
Dynamite” on 2 the Wire by Forte (Centerville HS)
Follow Me Back Into the Sun” on There is no I in A Cappella by XIV Hours (Durham Academy)
“Just What I Needed” on Elements of Sound by Elements of Sound (St. Anne’s)
Settle Down” on Play It Coy by The 18 Wheelers (The Wheeler School)

Best High School Solo

Genetta Kah for “Settle Down” on Play it Coy by The 18 Wheelers (The Wheeler School)
Nychombanyathiira Muchai-Kinya for “New Soul” on Matching Voices by The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake)
Johanna Velasquez for “Dr. Feelgood” on The Blue and White Album by GFS A Cappella (Germantown Friends School)
Sonia Mehta for “Firework” on 2 the Wire by Forte (Centerville HS)

Best High School Arrangement

Alex Graff for “She’s Leaving Home” on Play it Coy by the 18 Wheelers (The Wheeler School)
Alex Phan for “To the Wire Dance Medley” on 2 the Wire by Forte (Centerville HS)
Jojo Nielsen for “Happy Ending” on Love You Mean It by Luminescence (Marblehead HS)
Maddie McFerrin for “Roxanne” on The Blue and White Album by GFS A Cappella (Germantown Friends School)

CASA Board President, Julia Hoffman, served for the 8th year as the Director of the Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards. Jon Pilat, a singer, arranger, vocal percussionist, and previous CASA board member, served for the 8th year as the CARA Co-Director.  The coordinators also chose 56 fans and performers of varied backgrounds to spend months considering each of the albums submitted to the CARAs. Anyone holding a current or former affiliation with a group or album under consideration is not allowed to take part in the consideration of that award. To the nominators: Thank you all for your many hours of work! You are much appreciated!