2020 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards Nominees

[ CARA Nominees: congratulations! Want to celebrate your nomination with CASA? Come to BOSS! We'll be celebrating in style with a Red-Carpet Event and live awards presentation! Visit bostonsings.com for the details on all of our CARA events, live in Boston on Sunday, April 5th. ]

The following are the nominees for the 2020 Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards. Congratulations to all who participated and good luck to the nominees! The winners will be announced on April 5 at a live awards ceremony at Boston Sings [BOSS], and then right here on casa.org!

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Special Awards

Best Non-Scholastic Debut Album

• Mosaik, Männersache
• Eyes of Love, From the Roots
• Business Casual, Business Casual
• MVP, MVP
• V, VXN

Best Scholastic Debut Album

• Spark, Evolve (Chesapeake Senior High School)
• Leading Me Home, Walk the Line (Rockwall High School)
• Blossom, Mixed Mode (University of Central Florida)
• Unstoppable, Trebellious (University of Rochester)
• Before You See The Light, License to Trill (Texas Christian University)

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Genre Nominations

Best Barbershop Album

• The Next Ten Minutes, After Hours
• GQ Vol. III, GQ
• Simple Gifts, Instant Classic

Best Barbershop Song

• "Pity Party " from GQ Vol. III, GQ
• "The Sound Of Music" from The Next Ten Minutes, After Hours
• "Love Walked In" from Get Happy, Kohl Kitzmiller
• "If I May" from Simple Gifts, Instant Classic

Best Classical / Traditional Song

• "Noel" from Son Of Bethlehem, Fishers of Men Sounds
• "Stille Nacht" from So this is Christmas, ONAIR
• "Kein schöner Land" from Ziel:los!, maybebop
• "La Vie En Rose" from Business Casual, Business Casual
• "Agnus Dei" from Enchanted Isle, Voces8

Best Country Song

• "Want" from Eyes of Love, From the Roots
• "Young And Crazy" from Sharing the Covers, Chris Rupp
• "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" from Close to Home, Counterpoint (Stanford University)
• "Songbird" from blank canvas, Clef Hangers (University of North Carolina)

Best Electronic / Experimental Album

• Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)
• Resolution, Acasola (California State Northridge)

Best Electronic / Experimental Song

• "Terrified/Me and Your Mama" from Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)
• "Algorhythmus" from Ziel:los!, maybebop
• "Top of the World" from Top of the World, Nomadic
• "Between Us" from Begin Again, Voices in Your Head (University of Chicago)
• "All Night" from Blossom, Mixed Mode (University of Central Florida)

Best Folk / World Song

• "Skäms" from Orkar, Orkar inte, Riltons Vänner
• "Die Gedanken sind frei" from CHORKLANGBEZIRK, Klangbezirk
• "Adon Olam" from Six13 Volume 8: Lights, Six13
• "Want" from Eyes of Love, From the Roots
• "Airdí Cuain" from M'ANAM, M'ANAM
• "Penye Nia Pana Njia" from Afro Vocal-Play Volume 1, Just 6

Best Funk / Disco Song

• "Ain't No Way" from Business Casual, Business Casual
• "Change of Heart" from Lifeline, Octopodes (Johns Hopkins University)
• "I Will Survive (Live)" from Euro EP, Six Appeal
• "Must Be Hard Being You" from Must Be Hard Being You, Inverse
• "Rise/The Weekend" from Genesis, Mind the Gap (University of Oregon)

Best Hip-Hop Song

• "For Scott (Ain't Done Yet)" from For Scott (Ain't Done Yet), Richard Steighner
• "Come Down" from Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)
• "Deja Vu" from Sincerely, Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music)
• "How Deep Is Your Love" from Unfold, The Treblemakers (Boston University)
• "Threatened " from Identity, Eight Beat Measure (Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT))

Best Holiday Album

• A Backtrack Vocals Christmas, Backtrack
• So this is Christmas, ONAIR
• Christmas Live, Rockapella

Best Holiday Song

• "Carol of the Bells" from So this is Christmas, ONAIR
• "A Star Wars Chanukah" from Six13 Volume 8: Lights, Six13
• "Christmas in L.A." from Christmas in L.A., Acasola (California State Northridge)
• "Deck the Halls" from Christmas Live, Rockapella
• "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" from A Backtrack Vocals Christmas, Backtrack
• "Just a Christmas wish" from Just a Christmas wish, Rebel Bit

Best Humor Song

• "Bohemian Chanukah" from Six13 Volume 8: Lights, Six13
• "All-Nighter" from All-Nighter, Stanford University Fleet Street Singers (Stanford University)
• "Bhaarbershop" from Ziel:los!, maybebop
• "Tights of the Round Table" from Simple Gifts, Instant Classic

Best Jazz / Big Band Song

• "No Diggity" from Business Casual, Business Casual
• "Love Never Felt So Good" from Made to Fly, Pitch, Please! A Cappella (University of California Los Angeles)
• "Alibi" from Lifeline, Octopodes (Johns Hopkins University)
• "Blue Skies" from Circadian, Point of Departure (Berklee College of Music)
• "Moments in a Mirror" from Reminiscing in Tempo, New York Voices
• "You Make Me Feel So Young" from Always / Sometimes, Hyannis Sound

Best Pop Album

• High Definition, Distilled Harmony (Northeastern University)
• Sincerely, Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music)
• Begin Again, Voices in Your Head (University of Chicago)
• Love, MICappella, MICappella
• Mosaik, Männersache
• Covers, Vol. 3, The Sons of Pitches
• Orkar, Orkar inte, Riltons Vänner
• Songs Of Kirka, Club For Five

Best Pop Song

• "FEEL YOU" from FEEL YOU, Opportunes (Harvard University)
• "Lost in Japan" from Blue Horizon, BisCaydence
• "Take the Money and Run" from High Definition, Distilled Harmony (Northeastern University)
• "Top of the World" from Top of the World, Nomadic
• "Through Your Eyes" from Love, MICappella, MICappella
• "Håll mig hårt" from Orkar, Orkar inte, Riltons Vänner
• "Okay wenn ich bleib" from Mosaik, Männersache
• "LEIJAT" from Songs Of Kirka, Club For Five

Best R&B Song

• "Hollow" from Identity, Eight Beat Measure (Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT))
• "Love Drought" from Love Drought - Single, Faux Paz (University of Maryland)
• "Love Me Right" from Speak On It, BluesTones (James Madison University)
• "Tell Me Something Good" from Live pt 1, Six Appeal
• "FEEL YOU" from FEEL YOU, Opportunes (Harvard University)
• "Glory" from Sincerely, Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music)
• "Birds of a Feather" from Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)

Best Religious Album

• Brothers, ShadowVox
• Six13 Volume 8: Lights, Six13

Best Religious Song

• "Flying" from Find Yourself, OneVoice (Briarcrest Christian School)
• "Stille Nacht" from So this is Christmas, ONAIR
• "Have God" from Have God, Take 7 (Winter Park High School)
• "Blackout" from Blackout, Gestalt (University of Florida)
• "Born Again" from Redemption, Chi Rho (Wake Forest University)
• "Soul's Anthem" from Permanent Address, No Southern Accent (University of Florida)

Best Rock Album

• Live pt 1, Six Appeal
• Signal Lost, Harmonics (Stanford University)

Best Rock Song

• "Dreamer" from Before You See The Light, License to Trill (Texas Christian University)
• "You Know My Name" from Under the Colored Lights, MIT Muses (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• "花灵 / Anima.Flower" from 花灵 / Anima.Flower, Ignite Vocal Band
• "HIM" from Unfold, The Treblemakers (Boston University)
• "Zombie" from Signal Lost, Harmonics (Stanford University)
• "Believer" from Covers, Vol. 3, The Sons of Pitches
• "Cryin'" from Flying Colors, Doo-Wop Shop (University of Massachusetts - Amherst)

Best Show Tunes / Soundtrack / Theme Song

• "I Wanna Be Like You" from Live pt 1, Six Appeal
• "Where is Love?" from Get Happy, Kohl Kitzmiller
• "There Are Worse Things I Could Do " from GQ Vol. III, GQ
• "Gravity Won't Win / Defying Gravity" from 'Til the Sun Comes Up, KeyStone A Cappella
• "Frozen Heart (From “Frozen” - feat. NSO Alumni)" from Beyond a Star, Naughty Scotty and the Octapella (Winter Park High School)
• "Where the Lost Things Go" from Sharing the Covers, Chris Rupp

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Continental Nominations

Best African Album

• Afro Vocal-Play Volume 1, Just 6
• Get On Board, Vocal Path (Valley View University )

Best European Album

• Covers, Vol. 3, The Sons of Pitches
• Orkar, Orkar inte, Riltons Vänner
• Enchanted Isle, Voces8
• Mosaik, Männersache
• Songs Of Kirka, Club For Five
• Ziel:los!, maybebop
• Telos, Aquapella (University of Bath)

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Original Music Nominations

Best Original Song by a Professional Group

• Jacob Spadaro: "White Light" from Six13 Volume 8: Lights, Six13
• Cassandra Chamoun: "Ain't No Way" from Business Casual, Business Casual
• Calin Wong: "Through Your Eyes" from Love, MICappella, MICappella
• Peter Sydén and Peter Hägerås: "Gav mig av" from Orkar, Orkar inte, Riltons Vänner
• Männersache (Severin von Rose, Roland Streicher, Nico Gomez, Lucas Günzel): "Mosaik" from Mosaik, Männersache

Best Original Song by a Scholastic Group

• Will Cabaniss and Kate Connors: "Between Us" from Begin Again, Voices in Your Head (University of Chicago)
• Gabrielle Macafee: "Cool/Fire" from Reality Lately, The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)
• State of Fifths: "I Am" from Legacy, State of Fifths (Michigan State University)
• Richie Bishop and Ava Lipford: "Bumblebee" from Bumblebee, Dragon Scales (Appomattox Regional Governor's School (ARGS))
• Annie Schindel: "Bad News" from High Definition, Distilled Harmony (Northeastern University)
• Danny G.W. and Kenyon Duncan: "One" from One, Doox of Yale (Yale University )

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Non-Scholastic and Professional Arrangement Nominations

Best Non-Scholastic Arrangement

• The Sons of Pitches: "Believer" from Covers, Vol. 3, The Sons of Pitches
• Jared Graveley: "How Will I Know" from Always / Sometimes, Hyannis Sound
• Jouni Kannisto & Tuukka Haapaniemi: "SURUN PYYHIT SILMISTÄNI (SINGLE VERSION)" from Songs Of Kirka, Club For Five
• Oliver Gies: "Die Kreation" from Ziel:los!, maybebop
• Jordan Roll: "Moondance with Billie Jean" from Euro EP, Six Appeal
• David Zimmerman: "I Get Along Without You Very Well" from Simple Gifts, Instant Classic

Best Professional Arrangement for a Non-Scholastic Group

• Matt Goldstein: "Top of the World" from Top of the World, Nomadic
• David Wright: "The Sound Of Music" from The Next Ten Minutes, After Hours
• Tom Anderson: "生命火焰(Love, Life)" from Love, MICappella, MICappella
• Andrew John Kim: "Nutcracker Medley" from A Backtrack Vocals Christmas, Backtrack
• MATTI KALLIO & CLUB FOR FIVE: "PYYDÄ VAIN" from Songs Of Kirka, Club For Five

Best Professional Arrangement for a Scholastic Group

• Robert Dietz: "High Hopes" from Find Yourself, OneVoice (Briarcrest Christian School)
• Elliott von Wendt: "Top of the World" from Obsidian, Pitch, Please! (Northeastern University)
• Matt Goldstein: "Blackout" from Blackout, Gestalt (University of Florida)
• Johnny Del Toro: "So Lonely" from Unfold, The Treblemakers (Boston University)
• Isaiah Carter: "Love Never Felt So Good" from Made to Fly, Pitch, Please! A Cappella (University of California Los Angeles)
• Tomas Padron: "The Way I Am" from Leading Me Home, Walk the Line (Rockwall High School)

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Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL) Nominations

Best Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL) Song

• "Son of a Preacher Man" from Son of a Preacher Man, The Pow! Arrangers
• "Everglow" from Everglow, Sound Off A Cappella

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Collaborative and Solo Performer Nominations

Best Collaborative / Studio Project Song

• "All Falls Down" from All Falls Down, Vocal Producktions
• "Senorita ft Michaela Paige" from Sharing the Covers, Chris Rupp & Friends

Best Song by a Solo Performer

• Chris Rupp: "Sucker For You" from Sharing the Covers, Chris Rupp
• N'Namdi Bryant (The A Cappellian): "If We Could Only Talk" from If We Could Only Talk, N'Namdi Bryant (The A Cappellian)
• Richard Steighner: "Won't You Get Down From There" from Won't You Get Down From There, Richard Steighner
• Nina Pelligra: "Sense of Self" from Sense of Self, Nina Pelligra

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Scholastic Nominations

Best High School Album

• Leading Me Home, Walk the Line (Rockwall High School)
• Beyond a Star, Naughty Scotty and the Octapella (Winter Park High School)
• Spark, Evolve (Chesapeake Senior High School)
• Find Yourself, OneVoice (Briarcrest Christian School)
• Reality Lately, The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)

Best High School Arrangement

• Richie Bishop and Ava Lipford: "Bumblebee" from Bumblebee, Dragon Scales (Appomattox Regional Governor's School (ARGS))
• Abbi Foglietta: "Unconditionally" from Focus, Ingrid Sound (Danvers High School)
• Entire group: "Lucid Dreams" from In My Head, Natural State of Mind
• Hannah Kelsey: "Masterpiece" from Focus, Falconize (Danvers High School)
• Kali Sheppard: "Chasing Tides" from Focus, Falconize (Danvers High School)

Best High School Solo

• Isabella Sbarra-Michelland: "Last Drop" from Reality Lately, The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)
• Jake Tabatowski-Bush: "Drive " from Voices of the Underground, Skyline Blues (Ann Arbor Skyline High School )
• Ava Hauser: "I'll Be There (feat. SoundProof) " from Made For More, KC A Cappella (feat. SoundProof)
• Sami Caulkins: "XO" from Spark, Evolve (Chesapeake Senior High School)
• Ryleigh Plank: "Inside" from Reality Lately, The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)

Best High School Song

• "I'll Be There (feat. SoundProof) " from Made For More, KC A Cappella (feat. SoundProof)
• "Last Drop" from Reality Lately, The A Cappella Group (Cypress Lake Center for the Arts)
• "Bumblebee" from Bumblebee, Dragon Scales (Appomattox Regional Governor's School (ARGS))
• "Through The Eyes of a Child" from Find Yourself, OneVoice (Briarcrest Christian School)
• "XO" from Spark, Evolve (Chesapeake Senior High School)
• "Drive " from Voices of the Underground, Skyline Blues (Ann Arbor Skyline High School )

Best Female Collegiate Album

• Bittersweet, Cleftomaniacs (New York University)
• Obsidian, Pitch, Please! (Northeastern University)
• Studio 104, Out of the Blue (Duke University)
• Speak On It, BluesTones (James Madison University)
• Wavelength, AcaBelles (Florida State University)

Best Female Collegiate Arrangement

• Leo Bevington: "Kamikazee" from Let Me, Unaccompanied Women (University of Chicago)
• Amanda Springer: "Dangerous Woman" from Wavelength, AcaBelles (Florida State University)
• Nicky Brenner: "I'm Gonna Be" from Bittersweet, Cleftomaniacs (New York University)

Best Female Collegiate Solo

• Alexis Restrepo, Amalie Meer, Zoe Proeber: "Praying" from Wavelength, AcaBelles (Florida State University)
• Jamiah Harrison: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" from Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), BluesTones (James Madison University)
• Katie Ryan: "The Lion the Beast the Beat" from Obsidian, Pitch, Please! (Northeastern University)
• Maryrose Hahn: "Taste" from Afterlight, Treble on Huntington (Northeastern University)

Best Female Collegiate Song

• "I Did Something Bad" from Wavelength, AcaBelles (Florida State University)
• "You Know My Name" from Under the Colored Lights, MIT Muses (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• "Top of the World" from Obsidian, Pitch, Please! (Northeastern University)
• "Taste" from Afterlight, Treble on Huntington (Northeastern University)
• "idontwannabeyouanymore" from Speak On It, BluesTones (James Madison University)
• "Kamikazee" from Let Me, Unaccompanied Women (University of Chicago)

Best Male Collegiate Album

• Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)
• Redemption, Chi Rho (Wake Forest University)
• blank canvas, Clef Hangers (University of North Carolina)
• Identity, Eight Beat Measure (Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT))
• Odyssey, The Beartones (Missouri State)

Best Male Collegiate Arrangement

• Hunter McDaniel: "Ozark" from Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)
• William Torres and Erik Fredriksen: "Greedy" from Blue Rose, The Originals (Carnegie Mellon)
• Fredrik Ohlsson: "Say Amen (Saturday Night)" from Black & White, All the King's Men (King's College London)
• Philip Milman: "Cry Me A River" from In Full Color, YellowJackets (University of Rochester)

Best Male Collegiate Solo

• Ryan Reines: "Please Don't Go" from Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)
• Derek Gieraltowski: "Evil" from Identity, Eight Beat Measure (Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT))
• Ramsey Pack: "Same Drugs" from Blue Rose, The Originals (Carnegie Mellon)
• Bilaal Ahmad: "Say Amen (Saturday Night)" from Black & White, All the King's Men (King's College London)
• Kyle Sims: "Man of Constant Sorrow" from Odyssey, The Beartones (Missouri State)

Best Male Collegiate Song

• "Candyman" from In Full Color, YellowJackets (University of Rochester)
• "Bird Set Free" from Odyssey, The Beartones (Missouri State)
• "Sober" from Blue Rose, The Originals (Carnegie Mellon)
• "iRobot" from Panorama, Reverb (Florida State University)

Best Mixed Collegiate Album

• Begin Again, Voices in Your Head (University of Chicago)
• High Definition, Distilled Harmony (Northeastern University)
• Reign, All-Night Yahtzee (Florida State University)
• Sincerely, Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music)
• Telos, Aquapella (University of Bath)
• Signal Lost, Harmonics (Stanford University)

Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement

• Will Cabaniss: "Between Us" from Begin Again, Voices in Your Head (University of Chicago)
• Eli Schleicher and Eliza Wiant: "FEEL YOU" from FEEL YOU, Opportunes (Harvard University)
• Isaiah Carter: "Glory" from Sincerely, Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music)
• Mikayla Thompson: "idontwannabeyouanymore" from Blossom, Mixed Mode (University of Central Florida)
• Christina Martino/Matthew Gagnon: "Lost in Japan" from Blue Horizon, BisCaydence
• Thaddeus Demeke: "Wings/Be My Husband" from Made to Fly, Pitch, Please! A Cappella (University of California Los Angeles)

Best Mixed Collegiate Solo

• Dharani Rao: "Say Love" from High Definition, Distilled Harmony (Northeastern University)
• Mikala Banham: "Blackout" from Blackout, Gestalt (University of Florida)
• Ryan Danca (main), Estefania Roger (rap): "Kissing Strangers" from Blossom, Mixed Mode (University of Central Florida)
• Valeria Rigobon: "Talking Body" from Reign, All-Night Yahtzee (Florida State University)
• Samuel Perkins: "Roaring 20s" from Elevate, Potsdam Pitches (SUNY Potsdam )
• Georgia Blessitt: "Midnight" from Telos, Aquapella (University of Bath)

Best Mixed Collegiate Song

• "Between Us" from Begin Again, Voices in Your Head (University of Chicago)
• "Lost in Japan" from Blue Horizon, BisCaydence
• "So Lonely" from Unfold, The Treblemakers (Boston University)
• "Blackout" from Blackout, Gestalt (University of Florida)
• "You Should See Me in A (Crown)" from Reign, All-Night Yahtzee (Florida State University)
• "Glory" from Sincerely, Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music)
• "Love Drought" from Love Drought - Single, Faux Paz (University of Maryland)

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As always, thanks to everyone who submitted, and a huge thank you to all the nominators who gave their time to help us sort through all the wonderful submissions!

The 2020 CARA committee was: Ricky Jabarin, Ian Wolfe, Jessica Chen, Shane Ardell, Thomas (TeKay) King, and Alexander Koutzoukis.