For the third year, the team behind 95bFM’s Dirtbag Radio show are organising an alternative music award, the Dirtbag Awards. 

“Born out of a drunken 4am conversation cursing the avalanche of shit that fills commercial music award shows, the Dirtbag Awards celebrate the hard-working, under-praised musicians, artists, bar staff, promoters and sound engineers that make up our local underground music scene.”

For the first time, the award will cover categories for favourite bands by bNet stations countrywide, filling a gap left by the late bNet NZ Music Awards that were last held in 2007. Thisyear, the organisers have also added categories for hip hop, metal, folk and experimental.

The award party will take place at Auckland’s Whammy Bar on December 9, with performances by all nominees for Best Live Performance and a mystery international guest.

Online voting went live yesterday and will stay open for a week. You can cast your votes here.

“Please remember these awards are still the effort of peeps who host a genre-specific radio show from a small scene in Auckland. If we have missed off a band/artist you think should be nominated feel free to add them in the own choice category at the bottom of each segment of nominees. Some awards are Auckland-centric because that is the scene we live and breath.”