CALIFORNIA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

CELEBRATING

THE BEST

MUSIC

VIDEOS

INFLUENCED BY

CALIFORNIA

CALFORNIA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

5th Annual California Music Video Awards Announce Nominees for Year’s Best Music Videos and Films

TasteTV and the CALIFORNIA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS are pleased to announce the Finalist Nominees in the 5th Annual awards competition for all categories, including films and documentaries. In addition, selected Special Achievement Award Honorees have been announced.

This year’s competition has been fierce, with scores of fantastic, creative and exciting music videos and short films.

The CALIFORNIA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS celebrate some of the most exciting and creative California-influenced music, musicians and artists. They honor great work and that California connection!

Additional Award Nominees and Honorees will be announced prior to the 2022 awards ceremony.

MUSIC VIDEO FINALISTS

Best Male Solo Artist

  • Beating,Emre Okten
  • The End, Timon Birkhofer, Ossey James, Jørg Kundinger, Lacey Dunn
  • Lovely, Yared Gebrekidan Nathan Witte
  • Math, Jamezz Hampton Dandrell Scott
  • China Blue, Brett Caroline Levner Brettt Levner
  • Lose It All, Ed “Radio” H 821 Palm Studio, Lonnie Payne, Shawn Powers, Harvey Marie Records
  • Alexandra, Sarah Hanner
  • Bad Boy Rocker, Giorgio Serafini Gina G. Goff
  • You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) vs Vogue, Adam Parmalee

Best Female Solo Artist

  • Swept, Orlando Torres George Almanza
  • Private Paradise, Angelina Alexon, Igor Volkov
  • DASHA – Love Me Till August
  • Won’t Pick Up The Phone, Grant Spanier Femke Weidema
  • The Dimming, Sara Niemietz
  • Fireflies, David Perkins, Elijah Durnell Abbie Thomas
  • Water & Oil – Jenni Rudolph,Brandon E. Lee
  • Run It Up, Art By Black De’Vona Denise Battle
  • Second Best, Amanda Duncan
  • Love Is Love, Jeremy Eichenbaum Jasmine Crowe

Best Duet

  • All Hail Hyperion, Jonny Zeller Tim Frazier
  • Hot Summer, Zap Rath, Jericho Law
  • Unforgettable, Michael McCallum, William C. McCallum
  • I’ll Never Find Another You, Ozan Fikri
  • Tell Me – Jane Leo , Gille Klabin Jane Ellen Bryant

Best Band or Group

  • TBA

Best Music Video

  • TBA

Best Movement (Choreography)

  • RADIX 2, Cristiano Leone CLProduction
  • Sweet Guilty Pleasure, OUTERSPACE Leo Lin Chien Cheng
  • Snakebite, Tim Cash, Irie Adina, Julian Brooks
  • Brown Beauty, Monique DeBose Hannah Randle
  • The Remedy (Feel Alright), Benjamin Jones
  • Noise, Marcelo Mayen Dylan Storey
  • Don’t Give Me No, Kim Cameron
  • Picknick,Verena Billinger, Sebastian Schulz
  • Bananas!, Jessica DeShong

Best Eye (Cinematography)

  • Fireflies, David Perkins, Elijah Durnell Abbie Thomas
  • Tell Me – Jane Leo, Gille Klabin Jane Ellen Bryant
  • Water & Oil – Jenni Rudolph, Brandon E. Lee
  • Ma, Igor Nieto Spirit Voyage Records
  • Wasteland, Genéa Gaudet Emmy Gyori
  • The Official Rainbow Music Video, Michelle Bossy Brooke Josephson
  • RENTON, Ximena Garrigues, Sergio Moya German Ormaechea
  • Sweet Guilty Pleasure, OUTERSPACE Leo Lin Chien Cheng
  • China Blue, Brett Caroline Levner Brettt Levner
  • Brown Beauty, Monique DeBose Hannah Randle
  • Never Hold Me Down (N.H.M.D.), Toby Sidler PacSol Entertainment,The Mighty, Underground Original
  • Red Carpet, Jeremy “Jace” Wallace Gem Little, Elizabeth Douglass

Coolest Video Effects

  • Won’t Pick Up The Phone, Grant Spanier Femke Weidema
  • Monkey Magic, Ozan Fikri
  • Brr, Kaitlin McQueeney, Eliézer Ojeda, Barbara McQueeney
  • Hellmouth – Stars+Crusaders, Domenico Morreale
  • Sweet Guilty Pleasure, OUTERSPACE Leo Lin Chien Cheng
  • The Official Rainbow Music Video, Michelle Bossy Brooke Josephson
  • Quarantine Valentine, Dimitra Korri, Nicholas Kuznacic

Lyrics and Verse

  • Beating, Emre Okten
  • GOODX3, Sara Niemietz
  • Snakebite, Tim Cash, Irie Adina, Julian Brooks
  • The End, Timon Birkhofer, Ossey James, Jørg Kundinger, Lacey Dunn
  • DASHA – Love Me Till August
  • Fixer Upper, William Gawley Michelle Robertson
  • RENTON, Ximena Garrigues, Sergio Moya German Ormaechea
  • Won’t Pick Up The Phone, Grant Spanier Femke Weidema
  • A World on Fire, Travis White
  • Red Carpet, Jeremy “Jace” Wallace Gem Little, Elizabeth Douglass

Best Inspirational Video

  • The Dimming, Sara Niemietz
  • A World on Fire, Travis White
  • Evolution of Earth, Wind and Fire, Grayson Villanueva, Bakari Holmes Ed Boyer, Nicholas Girard, Bill Hare
  • Lovers Of The World, Adrian West, Rochelle Storts
  • Gai Mou Sou Rap, Clara Hsu
  • Brr, Kaitlin McQueeney, Eliézer Ojeda, Barbara McQueeney
  • Purpose of Life, Mohammed K Paika
  • Coretta, Jessica Elizabeth Davenport, Jeaneen Lund
  • The End, Timon Birkhofer, Ossey James, Jørg Kundinger, Lacey Dunn

Made Me Laugh (Humor)

  • All Hail Hyperion, Jonny Zeller Tim Frazier
  • Mulletude, Jeff Hilliard
  • Monkey Magic, Ozan Fikri
  • Someone who doesn’t know you, Albert Rudnitsky Oleg Blinov, Terry Kaelber
  • Roll It , Nate Chateaux
  • Social Distancing Music Video, Koli Kohler
  • Hot Dog Stand – GME, Kyle Waters Geller, Linze Champagne Peters
  • Steeler Nation, Daniel Roemer Haley Noel Bedocs, Mark Kohr (Academy of Art University)
  • Freaks Me Out, Ryan Sheehy

Best Fashion and Makeup

  • Siuzanna – Parim, Ruslan Borisov Evgenii Shmelev, Ilya Naishuller
  • You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) vs Vogue , Adam Parmalee
  • The Remedy (Feel Alright), Benjamin Jones
  • Mulletude, Jeff Hilliard
  • VILDÁ – Utsjoki disco, Kim Saarinen
  • SaaWee – New Ritual, Gugak in project Song Hyun-seok
  • Private Paradise, Angelina Alexon, Igor Volkov
  • Run It Up, Art By Black De’Vona Denise Battle
  • Water & Oil – Jenni Rudolph, Brandon E. Lee
  • Swept, Orlando Torres George Almanza
  • Alexandra, Sarah Hanner

Best Location or Set Design

  • SaaWee – New Ritual, Gugak in project Song Hyun-seok
  • Private Paradise, Angelina Alexon, Igor Volkov
  • Run It Up, Art By Black De’Vona Denise Battle
  • Water & Oil – Jenni Rudolph, Brandon E. Lee
  • Alexandra, Sarah Hanner
  • GUIIM PROJECT – My Sea, Gugak in project Song Hyun-seok
  • Llave de tu Corazón, Sisygambis Nomades Kultur
  • Ma, Igor Nieto Spirit Voyage Records
  • Wasteland, Genéa Gaudet Emmy Gyori
  • Tell Me – Jane Leo , Gille Klabin Jane Ellen Bryant
  • Song From The Future, Ruben Noksound Dave Muddy
  • RADIX 2, Cristiano Leone CLProduction

Best LGBTQ

  • The Official Rainbow Music Video, Michelle Bossy Brooke Josephson
  • You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) vs Vogue, Adam Parmalee
  • The Remedy (Feel Alright), Benjamin Jones
  • Love Is Love, Jeremy Eichenbaum Jasmine Crowe

Best Editing

  • TBA

Best Directing

  • TBA

Best Action or Adventure

  • Snakebite, Tim Cash, Irie Adina Julian Brooks
  • Sweet Guilty Pleasure, OUTERSPACE Leo Lin Chien Cheng
  • Remember, Garik Sukachov, Andrei Tomashevsky

Best Foreign Language Music Video

  • Space of Variations – ULTRABEAT (feat. alyona alyona), Oleg Rooz
  • Siuzanna – Parim, Ruslan Borisov Evgenii Shmelev, Ilya Naishuller
  • Salome, Laís Catalano Aranha, Drica Czech, Josi Herculano (remote shooting)
  • RENTON, Ximena Garrigues, Sergio Moya German Ormaechea
  • Hellmouth – Stars+Crusaders, Domenico Morreale
  • Sweet Guilty Pleasure, OUTERSPACE Leo Lin Chien Cheng
  • The Eight Buddhist Monks Dance, Gangryeong Talchum Research Institute Song Hyun-seok
  • GUIIM PROJECT – My Sea, Gugak in project Song Hyun-seok
  • VILDÁ – Utsjoki disco, Kim Saarinen
  • Up’n Down – Suistamon Sähkö, Kim Saarinen
  • Comment, Cécile Nordegg, Patryk Senewiki Tahnee Nordegg, little.egg productions

The Trippy Award

  • Hand of Time – Triptides Music Video, Lejla Subasic
  • Snakebite, Tim Cash, Irie Adina, Julian Brooks
  • Mulletude, Jeff Hilliard
  • Up’n Down – Suistamon Sähkö, Kim Saarinen
  • VILDÁ – Utsjoki disco, Kim Saarinen

Best Latinx

  • Tatacoa, Santiago Fierro El Feeling
  • Salome, Laís Catalano Aranha, Drica Czech, Josi Herculano (remote shooting)
  • Quarandreaming aka Isla Fiesta, Chris Ross
  • Wanna Taste You Tonight, Daniel Prypchan, Christian Barbeitos, Yeimy Reina
  • My Heart, Shayan Ali

Best Sci-Fi Music Video

  • Up’n Down – Suistamon Sähkö, Kim Saarinen
  • First Class Ticket, Mike Schneberg
  • Won’t Pick Up The Phone, Grant Spanier Femke Weidema
  • Undead, Leslie Alejandro, Dani de Jesus, Pete Mills
  • All Hail Hyperion, Jonny Zeller Tim Frazier
  • Someone who doesn’t know you, Albert Rudnitsky Oleg Blinov, Terry Kaelber
  • Set It Off Tonight ,Mindy Strouse, Lisa Dietrich
  • Siuzanna – Parim, Ruslan Borisov Evgenii Shmelev, Ilya Naishuller
  • Quarantine Valentine, Dimitra Korri, Nicholas Kuznacic
  • The Party – Angel Drive, Madison Van Buren, Ally Schnaidt

Best Live or Studio Performance

  • Do No Harm from TRUTH OR DARE, Rebekkah Hilgraves Rebekkah Hilgraves
  • All Your Love (Live), Reymundo Santos Sara Niemietz, Snuffy Walden
  • Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter, Richard Maltby, Jr., Robert Learner Lyle Saunders, Stevie Holland

Best Musical

  • Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter Richard Maltby, Jr., Robert Learner Lyle Saunders, Stevie Holland
  • Wasteland Genéa Gaudet Emmy Gyori
  • Authenticity: The Musical Johnny Cassidy Grayson Shapiro, Johnny Cassidy

Best Dance Program, Film or Documentary

  • My Heart, Shayan Ali
  • The Eight Buddhist Monks Dance, Gangryeong Talchum Research Institute Song Hyun-seok
  • 9:02 in OKC, mackenzie lee baumert, dominique mcCollum, Blayke Bayer, Daisy Mcmillen

Best Student Production

  • 9:02 in OKC, mackenzie lee baumert, dominique mcCollum, Blayke Bayer, Daisy Mcmillen
  • Authenticity: The Musical, Johnny Cassidy Grayson Shapiro
  • We Make It Up as We Go, Ruitong Zhao
  • Kismet, Jocelyn Fee Miller, Anastasia Klaffert, Erin Grissom
  • From Nirvana to Silvana, Katarina Krstic Jelena Petković, Marta Alimpijević

FILM & DOCUMENTARY FINALISTS

Best Mini Music Film or Documentary (3-10 Minutes)

  • VO-GONE (Short Film) Ft. Sandy Redd, Marquis Simmons
  • Sweet Guilty Pleasure, OUTERSPACE Leo Lin Chien Cheng
  • Snakebite, Tim Cash, Irie Adina Julian Brooks, Julian Brooks
  • Nautilus, Ariel Neo Ariel Neo
  • Remember, Garik Sukachov, Andrei Tomashevsky
  • What Happened to Stephanie?, Ciro Ayala Jessica Elizabeth Davenport, Provoke Films
  • Cash Money Honey, Will Branner Dawg Paw Productions
  • Alexandra, Sarah Hanner Sarah Hanner

Best Short Music Film or Documentary (10-40 Minutes)

  • 9:02 in OKC, mackenzie lee baumert, dominique mcCollum, Blayke Bayer, Daisy Mcmillen
  • Kismet, Jocelyn Fee Miller, Anastasia Klaffert, Erin Grissom
  • From Nirvana to Silvana, Katarina Krstic Jelena Petković, Marta Alimpijević
  • Cold Blue – A Portrait, Jeff Rona
  • GIMME SOME WINE: The Story of a Song, Mark Calderbank David Tregunna
  • Talilo and Wassla, Jon Meyer
  • Death & Robyn G. Shiels, Tristan Crowe
  • Everlasting Tape, Haley Keegan
  • Take it Easy , Suja Raghuram Manoj Manoj Venugopal
  • Satori The Film, Sabrina Iacobellis

Best Feature Music Film or Documentary 

  • Celebration: Broadway Jewish Composers, Ivan Gulas
  • Box of Rain, Lonnie Frazier, Elizabeth Kopetka
  • A Year in the Pit: A Journey into Music Photography, John M. Woody, Bob Adamek
  • The Reflectacles Are Dead, Donovan McCarty Courtney Hardebeck McCarty
  • Songbirds, Dagan Beckett Irv Berner, David Davidson, Dagan W. Beckett
  • Bad Animal, Remsy Atassi Sean Robert Kelly, Kelsey Bunner, Brittany Wagner
  • Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter, Richard Maltby, Jr., Robert Learner Lyle Saunders, Stevie Holland
  • Shaman Blues, Арсен Баянов
  • The Innocents, Wojciech Lorenc Valentina Trevino

MUSIC VIDEO FINALISTS

True California

  • Snakebite, Tim Cash, Irie Adina, Julian Brooks
  • Stick it, Kirby Ronald Andruss
  • The End, Timon Birkhofer, Ossey James, Jørg Kundinger, Lacey Dunn
  • Freaks Me Out, Ryan Sheehy
  • A World on Fire, Travis White
  • Lovers Of The World, Adrian West, Rochelle Storts
  • Song From The Future, Ruben Noksound Dave Muddy

Best EDM/Dance

  • Beating, Emre Okten
  • RENTON, Ximena Garrigues, Sergio Moya German Ormaechea
  • Hellmouth – Stars+Crusaders, Domenico Morreale
  • The Remedy (Feel Alright), Benjamin Jones
  • Noise, Marcelo Mayen Dylan Storey
  • You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) vs Vogue, Adam Parmalee
  • Don’t Give Me No, Kim Cameron
  • Siuzanna – Parim, Ruslan Borisov Evgenii Shmelev, Ilya Naishuller
  • Evolution of Earth, Wind and Fire, Grayson Villanueva, Bakari Holmes Ed Boyer, Nicholas Girard, Bill Hare
  • Wanna Taste You Tonight, Daniel Prypchan, Christian Barbeitos, Yeimy Reina

Best Hip Hop

  • Never Hold Me Down (N.H.M.D.), Toby Sidler PacSol Entertainment, The Mighty, Underground Original
  • Mulletude, Jeff Hilliard
  • Hot Summer, Zap Rath, Jericho Law
  • Unforgettable, Michael McCallum, William C. McCallum
  • Math, Jamezz Hampton Dandrell Scott
  • Run It Up, Art By Black De’Vona Denise Battle
  • VO-GONE (Short Film) Ft. Sandy Redd, Marquis Simmons

Best R&B

  • Never Hold Me Down (N.H.M.D.), Toby Sidler PacSol Entertainment, The Mighty, Underground Original
  • Evolution of Earth, Wind and Fire, Grayson Villanueva, Bakari Holmes Ed Boyer, Nicholas Girard, Bill Hare
  • GOODX3, Sara Niemietz
  • Brown Beauty, Monique DeBose Hannah Randle
  • China Blue, Brett Caroline Levner Brettt Levner
  • Lose It All, Ed “Radio” H 821 Palm Studio, Lonnie Payne, Shawn Powers, Harvey Marie Records
  • Lovely, Yared Gebrekidan Nathan Witte
  • Water & Oil – Jenni Rudolph, Brandon E. Lee
  • Swept, Orlando Torres George Almanza
  • The Dimming, Sara Niemietz
  • Miles Around – Aventurine, Armin Nasseri Jo Harmon

Best Pop

  • Set It Off Tonight, Mindy Strouse, Lisa Dietrich, Mindy Strouse
  • Beating, Emre Okten
  • Private Paradise, Angelina Alexon, Igor Volkov
  • Salome, Laís Catalano Aranha, Drica Czech, Josi Herculano (remote shooting)
  • Lovely, Yared Gebrekidan Nathan Witte
  • Second Best, Amanda Duncan
  • Alexandra, Sarah Hanner
  • We Make It Up as We Go, Ruitong Zhao

Best Rap

  • Still Don, Lyandre Pierre Tezeta Solomon
  • Mestizo & Controller 7 – Promised Land (ft. D-Styles), Zack Kasten
  • Quarandreaming aka Isla Fiesta, Chris Ross

California Heat Index

  • Won’t Pick Up The Phone, Grant Spanier Femke Weidema
  • Water & Oil – Jenni Rudolph, Brandon E. Lee
  • Math, Jamezz Hampton Dandrell Scott
  • Hot Summer, Zap Rath, Jericho Law

Best Love Song

  • The End, Timon Birkhofer, Ossey James, Jørg Kundinger, Lacey Dunn
  • Brown Beauty, Monique DeBose Hannah Randle
  • DASHA – Love Me Till August
  • Brr, Kaitlin McQueeney, Eliézer Ojeda, Barbara McQueeney
  • Fixer Upper, William Gawley Michelle Robertson
  • Beating, Emre Okten
  • China Blue, Brett Caroline Levner Brettt Levner
  • GOODX3, Sara Niemietz
  • Lose It All, Ed “Radio” H 821 Palm Studio, Lonnie Payne, Shawn Powers, Harvey Marie Records

This Rocks

  • Got You Where I Want You, Nate Chateaux
  • Wasteland, Genéa Gaudet Emmy Gyori
  • Space of Variations – ULTRABEAT (feat. alyona alyona), Oleg Rooz
  • Stick it, Kirby Ronald Andruss
  • First Class Ticket, Mike Schneberg
  • Hand of Time – Triptides Music Video, Lejla Subasic
  • Freaks Me Out, Ryan Sheehy
  • Siuzanna – Parim, Ruslan Borisov Evgenii Shmelev, Ilya Naishuller
  • She Shakes Me, Kirby Ronald Andruss
  • Bad Boy Rocker, Giorgio Serafini Gina G. Goff

Best Animation

  • Set It Off Tonight, Mindy Strouse, Lisa Dietrich Lisa Dietrich
  • First Class Ticket, Mike Schneberg
  • The Dimming, Sara Niemietz
  • Brr, Kaitlin McQueeney, Eliézer Ojeda, Barbara McQueeney
  • All Hail Hyperion, Jonny Zeller Tim Frazier
  • Up’n Down – Suistamon Sähkö, Kim Saarinen

Best Folk, Country or Blues

  • Got You Where I Want You, Nate Chateaux
  • DASHA – Love Me Till August
  • A World on Fire, Travis White
  • I’ll Never Find Another You, Ozan Fikri
  • Copper Lines, Banjii & Mayuri Kahani Records
  • Roll It, Nate Chateaux
  • Social Distancing Music Video, Koli Kohler
  • Ma, Igor Nieto Spirit Voyage Records
  • Fixer Upper, William Gawley Michelle Robertson
  • Comment, Cécile Nordegg, Patryk Senewiki Tahnee Nordegg, little.egg productions
  • Cars Hiss By My Window – Delta Haints, Kurt St. Thomas
  • Whiskey Summer Blues, Kirby Ronald Andruss

Best Instrumental or Jazz

  • Ma, Igor Nieto Spirit Voyage Records
  • Picknick, Verena Billinger, Sebastian Schulz
  • SaaWee – New Ritual, Gugak in project Song Hyun-seok
  • Butterfly Cries, Grim Goblin Jack
  • Once Around the Block, Joe Wiedemann

Best World Music

  • Picknick, Verena Billinger, Sebastian Schulz
  • SaaWee – New Ritual, Gugak in project Song Hyun-seok
  • GUIIM PROJECT – My Sea, Gugak in project Song Hyun-seok
  • Llave de tu Corazón, Sisygambis Nomades Kultur
  • Tatacoa, Santiago Fierro El Feeling

Best Single Camera Production 

  • It’s A Boy, HarrisonTinsley
  • Lovely Lies, Sara Niemietz
  • Run It Up, Art By Black De’Vona Denise Battle
  • Picknick,Verena Billinger, Sebastian Schulz
  • Beating, Emre Okten
  • Hot Summer, Zap Rath, Jericho Law
  • She Shakes Me, Kirby Ronald Andruss
  • Fireflies, David Perkins, Elijah Durnell Abbie Thomas

COVID / FILMED AT HOME FINALISTS

Best Music Video

  • Tell Me – Jane Leo, Gille Klabin Jane Ellen Bryant
  • Salome, Laís Catalano Aranha, Drica Czech, Josi Herculano (remote shooting)
  • Social Distancing Music Video, Koli Kohler
  • GOODX3, Sara Niemietz
  • Breathe, Troy Christian Shane Proffitt, Laura Proffitt
  • Second Best, Amanda Duncan
  • The Dimming, Sara Niemietz
  • Miles Around – Aventurine, Armin Nasseri Jo Harmon
  • Lonely Nights, Kirby Ronald Andruss Kirby Ronald Andruss
  • It’s A Boy, Harrison Tinsley
  • Lovely Lies, Sara Niemietz

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER HONOREES

Best Music Podcast 

  • Saranade Podcast

The Word

  • TBA

Peace

  • TBA

Social Justice and Hope

  • TBA

Breakout Storytellers

  • TBA

Spotlight Award

  • TBA
VISIT THE CMV AWARDS HOME PAGE