Ongoing Appy Awards voting features a wealth of local talent

Dec. 8—Pulaski County has a lot of talent — and it needs your help to make sure the whole region knows.

Voting is now open for the fourth-annual Appalachian Arts & Entertainment Awards — also known as the "Appys." The ceremony will be held Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, Ky., but people can participate now by voting online for nominees. The top three vote getters from each category will be submitted to a panel of judges along with the nominee's work, and a winner will be selected based on top average rankings.

Nominees had to be from or currently living in an Appalachian state, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.

Votes can be cast up until December 31.

Every year, Pulaski County has been well-represented in the Appys, with multiple nominees and winners, and this time is no different. Locals appear in a variety of categories, but perhaps none more prolific than Brando Vanschoyck, a Hindman native who found his way to Pulaski and has been gaining steam as a singer-songwriter in recent years.

Vanschoyck has been nominated in 10 different categories: Best Social Media Influencer, Best Strings (non-guitar/bass), Best Male Vocalist, Best Music Video, Best Blues, Best Indie/Indie Folk, Best Original Song, Best Pop, Best Rock, and Best Singer Songwriter.

"I was pretty freaked out, honestly," said Vanschoyck with a laugh of the number of nominations he received. "It's a real flattering thing. ... It was a big deal to me because I feel like as an artist, and I've spoken to a lot of other local guys like me, we're not signed, we don't have any money behind us or anything. We have to sacrifice so much of our everyday life to try to be as good as we can at music and put our time and our energy and our money (into it). There are so many ups and downs that it feels good to be appreciated."

Regarding the "Social Media Influencer" nominated, Vanschoyck pointed out that "I don't have any team, it's just me. I don't have any artists that work with me, I don't have a band, I have no management, I have no booking agent. I record my own stuff, I play all the instruments on my own stuff, produce it, mix and master it, I distribute it. All my posters and stuff, I make those. All the artwork for the singles I put out, I make those. So I guess that's where I came from because I do a lot of that."

Vanschoyck won last year for "Best Singer Songwriter" and "Best Original Song." Another Pulaski winner at the 2023 awards ceremony earlier this year was Cody Lee Meece and the Poor Excuses for "Best Country." Meece is back in the nominations this year as well, for "Best Guitarist."

"I don't know what I can say that hasn't been said other than I am, yet again, beyond honored to be nominated alongside fellow great musicians from my area who do such great works on their respective stages and in their communities," said Meece. "Thanks again to all who have supported, and continue to support, myself and the Poor Excuses at home and abroad."

A number of other local individuals were also nominated, including:

—STATELAW, for "Best Rock," "Best Alubum" ("Collision"), and "Best Music Video" (under the name "Justin Petrey")("Let Them Go")

—Hunter Flynn, for "EP of the Year" ("Appalachian Soul")

—Logan Purcell, for "Best Country"

—Shades of Raven, for "Best Rock"

—Spooky Fox, for "Best Singer Songwriter"

—Jadan Trammell, for "Best Singer Songwriter"

—Jonathan New, for "Best Guitarist"

—Rachel Crowe, a Stanton, Ky., native who frequently performs locally, particularly with Jonathan New, for "Best Blues"

—Olivia Atwood, for "Best Religious/Spiritual/Worship"

—Jarfly Gospel Hour Band, for "Best Religious/Worship/Spiritual"

—Mill Springs Studio, for "Best Recording Studio/Engineer/Producer"

—Tara Helser-Sellers of The Shine House, for "Best Art Educator"

"What an honor that truly is," said Helser-Sellers. "There are so many talented humans nominated! I feel The Shine House is being seen for the gift it truly is! Amazing!"

If any local individuals or entities were nominated that aren't listed here, please inform the Commonwealth Journal so they can also be recognized.

Visit appalachianartsandentertainmentawards.com to vote and for more information.