2013 Contemporary A Capella Recording Award Results

The following are the winners for the 2013 Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards. Congratulations to all who participated!

Genre Nominations

Best Pop/Rock Album

Winner: PTX, Vol. 1 by Pentatonix
Runner Up: (There is no Easy Way) From the Earth to the Stars by Musae

Best Pop/Rock Song

Winner: “Starships” on PTX, Vol. 1 by Pentatonix
Runner Up: “Circus” on Hold that Thought by Fermata Town

Best Hip-Hop/Rap Song

Winner: “I'm Coming Up Remix” on Life’s So Lyrical by Forte (Centerville HS)
Runner Up: “B.O.B.” on Sound the Alarm by Fundamentally Sound (U Wisconsin)

Best Soul/R&B Song

Winner: “The Baddest Girl” on PTX, Vol. 1 by Pentatonix
Runner Up: “Hate on Me” on A Kick & A Wallop by Loreleis (UNC)

Best Electronic/Experimental Song

Winner: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on German Verboten by Maybebop
Runner Up: “Earthquake” on Groundbreaker by The Techtonics (Imperial College)

Best Jazz Album

Winner: O-Kai by O-Kai Singers
Runner Up: SLIXS by SLIXS

Best Jazz Song

Winner: “Hallelujah, I Love Her So” on Inspired by Groove for Thought
Runner Up: “I Know You Know” on SLIXS by SLIXS

Best Country Song

Winner: “Top of the World” on (There is No Easy Way) From the Earth to the Stars by Musae
Runner Up: “Legend of McBride” on Young at Eight by Juxtaposition (VA Tech)

Best Classical Album

Winner: A Choral Tapestry by Voces8
Runner Up: Christmas by Voces8

Best Classical Song

Winner (tie): “A Drop in the Ocean” on A Drop in the Ocean by The Portland State Chamber Choir (Portland State U)
Winner (tie): “This Marriage” on In the Beginning by Voces8

Best Barbershop Album

Winner: Nice & Easy by Masterpiece Quartet
Runner Up: Colorado My Home by Sound of the Rockies

Best Barbershop Song

Winner: “Stormy Weather” on Nice & Easy by Masterpiece Quartet
Runner Up: “Ebb Tide” on Higher by Tim Waurick

Best Religious Album

Winner: Lead Thou Me On: Hymns and Inspiration by Vocal Point (BYU)
Runner Up: Out of the Box by The Maccabeats (Yeshiva)

Best Religious Song

Winner: “Good Shabbos” by Six13
Runner Up: “All Rise” on Higher by Tim Waurick

Best Folk/World Song

Winner: “Le Mouvement” on SLIXS by SLIXS
Runner Up: “Across the Milky Way” on The First Journal by Voco Novo

Best Holiday Album

Winner: PTXmas by Pentatonix
Runner Up: Peppermint Winter by VoicePlay

Best Holiday Song

Winner: “Carol of the Bells” on PTXmas by Pentatonix
Runner Up: “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” by Vocal Point (BYU) on Lead Thou Me On: Hymns and Inspiration

Best Humor Song

Winner: “Good Shabbos” by Six 13
Runner Up: “Sound Guy” on Voice Activated by Vox Audio

Best Song By A Solo Performer

Winner: “Shenandoah" on Covers Vol. 2 by Peter Hollens
Runner Up: “Tunnel Vision” on Patchwork Life by Janice Whaley

Continental Nominations

Best European Album

Winner: German Verboten by Maybebop (Germany)
Runner Up: Just Listen by Ommm (France)

Best Asian Album

Winner: The First Journal by Voco Novo (Taiwan)
Runner Up: O-Kai by O-Kai Singers (Taiwan)

Best African Album

Winner: The Journey by Shower Power (Zimbabwe)
Runner Up: Redeemed by Stand (Zimbabwe)

Original Music Nominations

Best Professional Original Song

Winner: “S.O.S.” by MO5AIC/Josh Huslig
Runner Up: “The Baddest Girl” by Scott Hoying on PTX, Vol. 1 by Pentatonix

Best Scholastic Original Song

“Something in the Water” Music: Brianne Holland, Lyrics: Markie Gray on Late Nights, Parades by Men in Drag (U Chicago)
Runner Up: “Mannequin” by Micaela McCall and Chris Jobe on Life’s So Lyrical by Forte (Centerville High School)

Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL) Nominations

Best Contemporary A Cappella League Album

Winner: Hold that Thought by Fermata Town
Runner Up: First Cup by Capital Blend

Best Contemporary A Cappella League Song

Winner: “Because” on First Cup by Capital Blend
Runner Up: “Stereo Hearts” on Hold that Thought by Fermata Town

Scholastic Nominations

Best Mixed Collegiate Album

Winner: III by Nor’Easters (Northeastern)
Runner Up: Shed by Purple Haze (Northwestern)

Best Mixed Collegiate Song

Winner: “We Found Love” (Single) by Voices in Your Head (U Chicago)
Runner Up: “Give Me Love” on III by Nor’Easters (Northeastern)

Best Mixed Collegiate Solo

Winner: Aviva Musicus on “Bottom of the River” on Brand New Walk by Out of the Blue (Yale)
Runner Up: Samantha Creighton on “Mama Knows Best” on III by Nor’Easters (Northeastern)

Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement

Winner: “We Found Love” by Chris Rishel, Voices in Your Head (U Chicago)
Runner Up: “Give Me Love” by Shams Ahmed on III by Nor’Easters (Northeastern)

Best Male Collegiate Album

Winner: Boyfriend Material by Exit 245 (JMU)
Runner Up: Refraction by The Pitchforks (Duke)

Best Male Collegiate Song

Winner: “Earthquake” on Groundbreaker by The Techtonics (Imperial College)
Runner Up: “I (Who Have Nothing)” on Sound the Alarm by Fundamentally Sound (U Wisconsin)

Best Male Collegiate Solo

Winner: Joe Wenninger on “I (Who Have Nothing)” on Sound the Alarm by Fundamentally Sound (U Wisconsin)
Runner Up: Ryan Sill on “Titanium” on Boyfriend Material by Exit 245 (JMU)

Best Male Collegiate Arrangement

Winner: “Hallelujah” by Chris Waybill on Refraction by Pitchforks (Duke)
Runner Up: “I (Who Have Nothing)” by Danny Mulligan on Sound the Alarm by Fundamentally Sound (U Wisconsin)

Best Female Collegiate Album

Winner: Playing with Lightning by Sil’hooettes (UVA)
Runner Up: A Kick & A Wallop by Loreleis (UNC)

Best Female Collegiate Song

Winner: “Around Us” on Playing with Lightning by Sil’hooettes (UVA)
Runner Up: “Dirty Diana” on Seamless by AcaBelles (FSU)

Best Female Collegiate Solo

Winner: Happiness Chijioke on “Mama” on Playing with Lightning by Sil’hooettes (UVA)
Runner Up: Chantel Whittle on “Mary (Don’t You Weep)” on The F Word by The Brown'sTones (Brown)

Best Female Collegiate Arrangement

Winner: “Gold Digger (feat. For the Love of the Money)” by Courtney Mickens on Seamless by AcaBelles (FSU)
Runner Up: “Plane” by Marianne Cheng on A Kick & A Wallop by Loreleis (UNC)

Best High School Album

Winner: Life’s So Lyrical by Forte (Centerville HS)
Runner Up: TAG This by The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)

Best High School Song

Winner: “Celebrate Remix” on Life’s So Lyrical by Forte (Centerville HS)
Runner Up: “Tightrope” on The Beginning by Vocal Rush (Oakland School for the Arts)

Best High School Solo

Winner: Sarah Vela for “Let Us Be Loving” on The Beginning by Vocal Rush (Oakland School for the Arts)
Runner Up: Quinton Thomas for “A Change is Gonna Come” on TAG This by The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)

The 2013 CARA Awards were directed by Julia Hoffman and Jon Pilat.

Head Nominators:

Joseph Bates
Charlie Forkish
Julia Hoffman
Thomas “Tekay” King
Jon Pilat
Steve Ryan

The coordinators also chose 82 fans and performers of varied backgrounds to consider each of the albums submitted to the CARAs and to complete nominations. 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 and judges: Thank you all for your many hours of work! You are much appreciated!