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!
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)
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
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)
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 )
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)
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
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
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)
---------------------------
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.