On Dec. 7, 2022, NJ Music Festivals as a brand was founded. A year later, the website, NJ Music Festivals.com was launched. Since then, we’ve followed the best of New Jersey and have shared it with our readers.
Below, we present the winners of the inaugural NJ Music Festivals.com Awards in alphabetical order, thanks to the help of our staff and writers, partners, and readers.
The original nominees as of Nov. 23, 2024, are here. Awards for 2024 were nominated based on the best shows, artists, music, and festivals from Nov. 2, 2023, to Nov. 1, 2024.
Record of the Year for best LP, EP, or single by a New Jersey-based artist, band, or group.
Winner: Joe P – Garden State Vampire
Joe Parella’s debut full-length album as a solo artist is the highlight of New Jersey music in 2024. The debut single from the record, “Violet,” featured a music video with over 10,000,000 views on TikTok. The former Deal Casino singer performed at Sea.Hear.Now in 2024 and will headline The Stone Pony in December.
Concert of the Year for best non-festival performance and lineup.
Winner: Sum 41, The Interrupters, Joey Valence & Brae – Stone Pony Summer Stage
Sum 41’s final show in New Jersey makes you beg for their return as soon as possible. Topped with The Interrupters, a band who has played the Summer Stage three years in a row, Joey Valence & Brae, who debuted ‘THE BADDEST’ and performed at Sea.Hear.Now in 2022, a double encore, and an evening in Asbury Park, the circumstances were near-perfect for Sum 41 on their final tour.
Large Concert of the Year for best concert in a stadium or arena.
Winner: The Rolling Stones, John Batiste – MetLife Stadium
The Stones return to New Jersey for the first time in five years with two nights and four hours of live music. An 80-year-old Mick Jagger proved he still has the moves and the energy to support a crowd of over 100,000 across two days.
Midsize Concert of the Year for best concert with an approximate crowd of 5,000 to 20,000.
Winner: Creed, 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven – PNC Bank Arts Center
Creed returned to New Jersey for the first time since 2012, when they headlined the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, and turned the PNC Bank Arts Center into the Garden State Arts Center.
Small Concert of the Year for best concert with an approximate crowd of under 5,000.
Winner: The Ocean Ave Stomp featuring Tangiers Blues Band and Ocean Ave Stompers – The Stone Pony
With a difficult set of nominations to face, Danny Clinch’s Tangiers Blues Band and Ocean Ave Stompers show that when The Boss returns to his home, it tilts the ice. Though the show occurs every year at Sea.Hear.Now, this one was special, with appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Noah Kahan, Joe P, and locals.
Music Festival of the Year for best festival experience, atmosphere, lineup, and performances.
Winner: Sea.Hear.Now Festival – Asbury Park
When a music festival can book Bruce Springsteen, it’s difficult to not give props right off the bat. Along with Noah Kahan, The Gaslight Anthem, Trey Anastasio, Kool & the Gang, and many more, Sea.Hear.Now captivated the city of Asbury Park better than it ever has in the past, per writers.
Festival Set of the Year for best performance at a music festival in New Jersey.
Winner: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – Sea.Hear.Now Festival
It’s special to see Bruce Springsteen return home for an appropriately-sized show after watching him perform multiple nights at stadiums and arenas. Bruce and his band were able to return home to the beach with a nearly 200-minute set, a return of Patti Scialfa, tour debuts, and songs that haven’t been played in years.
Music Festival of the Year (Outside NJ) for best all-around festival outside of New Jersey within distance.
Winner: Governors Ball – Queens, NY
The Governors Ball, now located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, featured rock, rap, and the newest artists. From Post Malone to The Killers to a midday set from Chappell Roan, New York showed its best days of the summer at GovBall.
The inaugural NJ Music Festivals.com Awards, featuring eight awards, included 261 different artists who won an award or were nominated. A full list will be published at a later date.
Among the top of the list for most awards won is Bruce Springsteen, with three awards won (Small Concert of the Year, The Ocean Ave Stomp; Festival of the Year, Sea.Hear.Now Festival; Festival Set of the Year; Sea.Hear.Now Festival) and two additional nominations (Album of the Year, Live from Asbury Park; Concert of the Year, The Ocean Ave Stomp).
Keep the awards in mind for next year! A form for nomination submissions will be available in the fall of 2025.
NJ Music Festivals 