Chart page

This page lists the top artists of the year based on progressive amounts of airplay/exposure, plus social media standing. This list was last updated 12/25/24

OVERALL LIST

HISTORICAL RCB CHARTS:

Best Album:
2004: “Ballads & Burlesque” – Rachael Sage
2005: “Little Star” – Girlyman
2006: “Hope & Other Casualties” – Mark Erelli
2007: “Revolution” – Sirsy
2008: “Brand New Frame” – Natalia Zukerman
2009: “Back To Love” – Tom Goss
2010: “Little Vigils” – Mark Erelli
2011: “Old White Men” – Vance Gilbert
2012: “Satellite” – Anna Dagmar
2013: “No More Rain” – The Steel Wheels
2014: “The Red Album” – Red Molly
2015: “Wage Love” – Fred Gillen Jr.
2016: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix “Music From Hurley Mountain”
2017: Kurt Henry Band “Flaming June”
2018: Mare Wakefield & Nomad “Time To Fly”
2019: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix”Miles Of Blues”
2020: Vance Gilbert “Good Good Man”
2021 Kevin Daniel “Been Here Before”
2022 Professor Louie & The Crowmatix “Strike Up The Band” 
2023 Kevin Daniel “The Life & Adventures Of Kevin Daniel” 
2024: Scott Sean White “Even Better On The Bad Days” 

Artist Of The Year:
2003: Jenn Lindsay
2004: Rachael Sage
2005: Nadine Goellner
2006: Mark Erelli
2007: Amy Speace
2008: Andy Friedman
2009: Hungrytown
2010: Mark Erelli
2011: Vance Gilbert
2012: Vance Gilbert
2013: Aztec Two-Step
2014: Tom Principato
2015 Ellis Paul
2016 Professor Louie & The Crowmatix
2017 Jess Novak Band
2018 Lara Herscovitch
2019 Jonathan Byrd
2020 Sirsy
2021 Jonathan Byrd
2022 Heather Pierson 
2023 Professor Louie & The Crowmatix
2024: Scott Sean White

Best EP
2024: not awarded

2023 Surprise Chef “Friendship”
2022 Buffalo Rose (with Tom Paxton) “Rabbit”
2021 Aztec Two Step 2.0 “Birth Days”
2020: Fred Gillen Jr “Birds”
2019: Castle Black “Dead In A Dream”
2018: Bruce T Carroll – Finding You
2017 The Slants – The Band That Must Not Be Named
2016: Darlingside – Whipporwill
2015 Butchers Blind – A Place In America
2014: Whiskey & Wine Vol 1. – Antigone Rising
2013: Auto Kiss Proof – Aqua Cherry
2012 Another Side–Daniel Levi Goans
2011 Bess Rogers Presents –Bess Rogers
2010 From The Mouth Of Paris–The Mieka Canon
2009 The Best Game In Town–Rebecca Pronsky
2008 s/t– The Alternate Routes
2007 Sin List–Travis McGee & The Revelers
2006 The Green Room Sessions–Kyler England
2005 Plans In Pencil–Lisa Alice
2004 Hunted Rebirth–Redjacket

Best Concept Album:
2024: Putumayo World Music “Tropical Party”
2023  not awarded
2022: Putumayo World Music “Afro-Cubano”
2021 David Uoskkinnen’s In The Pocket “The Philly Special”
2020: not awarded
2019: David Newland “Northbound: The Northwest Passage In Story and Song”
2018: Michael Martin Murphey: Austinology: Alleys Of Austin
2017: Kristin Hersh: Wyatt At The Coyote Palace
2016: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix: Music From Hurley Mountain
2015: Darryl Holter “Radio Songs: Woody Guthrie In California 1937-1939”
2014: none
2013: Esperanza: Songs from Jack Kerouac’s “Tristessa” (various)
2012 “Little Blue Egg” Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer
2011 1861 Project–various
2010 Hadestown –Anais Mitchell
2009 Up On Rockfield– Vance Gilbert
2008 none awarded
2007 A Million Ukuleles MJ Hibbett
2006 The Martini Cowboy Jack Grace
2005 Hotwalker-Tom Russell

Best Tribute Album:
2024: Christian Parker “Change Is Now: A Tribute To The Byrds” (1964-71)
2023 Christian Parker “Sweethearts: A Tribute To The Byrds’ “Sweethearts Of The Rodeo”
2022 Edgar Winter “Brother Johnny”
2021 “Stage Fright at 50 – An Ovation From Nashville (featuring The Rock House All Stars)
2020: Gretchen Peters “The Night You Wrote That Song – A Tribute to MIckey Newbury”
2019: not awarded
2018: King Of The Road – A Tribute to Roger Miller (various)

Best New Artist:
2024: Zookraught
2023 Jaimee Harris
2022: Julian Taylor
2021: Sam Robbins
2020: Nobody’s Girl
2019: Tragedy Ann
2018: Shane Martin
2017: Just Dave Band
2016: Monica Rizzio
2015: Dan Weber
2014: Ray Lambiase
2013: Davey O.
2012 The Steel Wheels
2011 Spuyten Duyvil
2010 The Vanguard
2009 Lisa Bianco
2008 Corrientes
2007 The Alternate Routes
2006 Hundred Year Flood
2005 Michael Tiernan
2004 Simon Stinger

ALL TIME CHART (based on total chart rank per Top 50 artist, covering years 2003-2024
Artists 1-100 are being revealed in a countdown podcast series throughout 2025

Red Molly 13
Hungrytown 14
Natalia Zukerman 15
Tom Principato 16
Aztec Two-Step 17
Chris Smither 18 
Peter Mulvey 19
Kevin Daniel 20 
Jo Wymer 21
Meghan Cary 22
Davey O 23
Kurt Henry 24
Rebecca Loebe 25
Spuyten Duyvill 26
Ellis Paul 27 
Jess Novak 28
Schwervon! 29
Rachael Sage 30
Deni Bonet 31
The YaYas 32
Switchback 33
Teresa Storch 34
Anais Mitchell 35
Kris Delmhorst 36 
Livingston Taylor 37 
Miss Tess 38
Matt Turk 39
Todd Snider 40
The Reverend Shawn Amos 41
Sam Robbins 42
Anthony Gomes 43
Carolann Solebello 44
Kevin So 45
The Steel Wheels 46
Christine Havrilla 47
Avi Wisnia 48
Craig Sonnenfeld 49
Scott Cook 50
Tim Blane 51
Dana & Susan Robinson 52
Marina V 53 
Ash & Eric 54
Karen Collins 55
Tori Sparks 56
The Defibulators 57
Sam Shaber 58
Butcher’s Blind 59
Josh Ritter 60
Mare Wakefield 61
Jean Mann 62
The Kennedys 63
Andy Friedman 64
Eilen Jewell 65
Shane Martin 66 
Girlyman 67
Sloan Wainwright 68 
Taylor Davis 69 
Tim Grimm 70 
Kyler England 71
Liz Longley 72
Amber Rubarth 73
Whiskey Treaty Roadshow 74
Julian Taylor 75 
Bloody Jug Band 76
Grace Morrison 77
Nicola 78 
John McCutcheon 79 
Crooked Still 80
Betty Dylan 81
The Keller Sisters 82
Jaimee Harris 83
Garrison Starr 84
Julian Velard 85
Los Hermanos Rodriguez 86
The Waybacks 87 
Castle Black 88
Flo Anito 89 
Mieka Pauley 90
Julie Loyd 91
Anna Dagmar 92
Kenny White 93
Mike Field 94
The Alternate Routes 95
Joanne Juskus 96
Mary Gauthier 97
Frenchy & The Punk 98
Danielle Miraglia 99
Drivin n’ Cryin  100