How the 5th Annual Wavy Awards proved independent artists are building sustainable infrastructure on their own terms
In Times Square’s legendary Quad Recording Studios—where Jay-Z crafted “Reasonable Doubt,” Kanye shaped “Graduation,” and Alicia Keys found her voice—something different was happening. Supported by NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the 5th Annual Wavy Awards was a masterclass for what happens when artists stop waiting for permission and start building their own infrastructure.
The studio where hip-hop history was made became the perfect backdrop for a new chapter: independent artists claiming their own space in the same rooms where major label magic once happened.
Think Big 3 basketball, but for music. Instead of waiting for the NBA to call, players created their own league. The Wavys represent that same energy—independent artists carving out space in a crowded landscape, celebrating authenticity over the algorithm.
The Real Definition of Community
“Community is everything,” Noni Solfeggio, a Michigan-born artist who drove from Philly to perform, told us before hitting the stage. “Sometimes you just need one person to be in your corner to be like, ‘I mess with it.’ If you have more than one person, that’s even better. You’re rich.”
This is the messy, necessary work of showing up for each other that gets overshadowed by social media highlights. The Wavys, provided Communication Access Realtime Translation services during the ceremony—ensuring the space was accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing artists. This is a community that’s as diverse as it is consciously aware.
Catherine Brookman, whose ethereal performance of “I Woke Up In The Sky” from her soon to be released debut album left the audience in a trance. The Brooklyn based vocalist captured something essential about the independent journey: “It starts out lonely, but then it has to be a lot more people to make it happen.”
Creating Your Own Standards
The vision behind the Wavys extends beyond a single night of recognition. “The Wavys is about celebrating art as a human right,” said Rebecca Autumn Sansom, founder of the awards. Co-founder M The Myth sees the event as reflecting “the diversity, strength, and creativity that define New York City.” This philosophy earned backing from city leadership, with Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman of NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment noting, “We are proud to once again support the Wavy Awards, and its efforts to open doors to NYC’s music industry to all New Yorkers.”
The beauty of independent spaces like the Wavys lies in their ability to define success differently. While mainstream metrics focus on streams and chart positions, the Wavys honored Fiona Apple with the Kristyn Potter Award for her music video “Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)”—recognizing artists who breathe authenticity, courage, and uncompromising artistry through activism.
Jay Aquarious, nominated for live performance of the year, drove down from Buffalo with a clear perspective on representation: “They’re trying to help create room. They’re letting us know we can be in the room too and get a piece of what they got.”
The Wavy Awards represent building parallel systems that value different things—community over competition and longevity over viral moments.
The Night’s Big Wins
First-time host Goldilocks effortlessly entertained the audience, guiding the evening with natural ease.The evening’s winners reflected the Wavys’ commitment to diverse artistry. Kalea Jordan took the Audience Choice, people are historically drawn to authenticity. Julia Jade’s “(extra)ordinary” claimed Music Video category, while Boy Jr.’s “Zitty Stardust” captured Song of the Year with its unapologetic quirkiness.
Piper Page’s “Based on True Events” won Album of the Year—a title that speaks to the night’s central theme of lived experience as the driving force. HEESU took home the New Artist Award. Holly Cinnamon’s “Heterophobic” earned Song for a Cause, making space for perspectives mainstream platforms often overlook.
The Long Game Strategy
Kacie Luaders of Could Be Pretty Cool, an Atlanta based podcast production company focused on creative entrepreneurs, offered crucial perspective before the award show kicked off: “Statistically speaking for independent podcasters, most people quit after seven episodes. It’s definitely a longevity game. If you’re consistent and stick with it, you have a much better chance of defining whatever success is for you.”
This wisdom applies beyond podcasting. For TOCCA’s lead vocalist Risa Elledge, a Houston-born artist and designer who’s been in New York for 10 years, this approach is a lifestyle. She creates her own garments, collaborates selectively, and moves at her own pace. “I try to move with the world. I move with the creativity and let it flow naturally,” she explained, wearing a piece she’d designed herself.
The pressure to constantly produce content, to maintain multiple platforms, to be everything to everyone—these artists are pushing back against all of it. Luaders was direct: “If you do not physically have the capacity to produce something that is good, that people are actually going to want to subscribe to, forget about it.” Being consistent on one platform would be much more effective than spreading yourself too thin on multiple fronts.
Beyond Survival Mode
What struck me most at Quad Studios was the collective exhale. Behind the scenes, a lean but dedicated tech crew—Torin Rozelle, Medusa, Jon Harper, Stephanie Mae, and DJ navANGL handling the sounds— impactful events happen through committed collaboration, not massive budgets.
Ciph Boogie, whose song “Stars in the Sky” won songwriter of the year, dedicated the track to his late mother. “She came to me in a dream and said, ‘You that guy, do your thing. You got the recipe. Don’t be afraid.'” That’s the energy the Wavys cultivates—permission to be afraid and do it anyway.
The night embodied the possibilities you unlock when you stop asking to be included and start building your own table. Like the Big 3 creating space for players to keep competing at the highest level, the Wavys created infrastructure for artists who don’t fit traditional industry molds.
In a music landscape increasingly dominated by AI-generated content and manufactured viral moments, The Wavy Awards are an essential resource. Not as alternatives to mainstream success, but as foundations for sustainable creative careers built on actual human connection.
The fifth annual Wavy Awards were evidence that when artists invest in each other—really invest—they create something the industry can’t replicate: genuine community. In 2025, that might be the most valuable currency of all. What league are you building? Share your story with us at info@westwardbeans.com.
2025 Wavy Award Nominees & Winners
Audience Choice
Kalea Jordan
Artist
HEESU – WINNER
Songwriter
Underweight – DJ Pastor Rock
Stars in the Sky – Ciph Boogie – WINNER
Snow Angels – Rivita
Trust Issues – The Wanderer
She’s an Angel – Kalea Jordan
Live for the Moment – Stephanie Mae
Song for a Cause
TQIA – DJ Pastor Rock
Not Today Exploitation – Dr. Cyn & The Graduates Rise
Heterophobic – Holly Cinnamon – WINNER
Genius Daydream – Jenn DeSantis
Fight Fire with Fire – Sheryl Cohen
Burn – Contraforma
Music Video
(extra)ordinary – Julia Jade – WINNER
Waiting for You to Get Home – Michael Rider
Heterophobic – Holly Cinnamon
Did You Know? – Chanel & The Circus
What I Can’t Have – Piper Page
Pictures Fade Away – Luana Sandoval
Live Performance
Eliza and The Organix – WINNER
Production of the Year
DMGDZ – Grizzy Wynter
Sludge – Kisos – WINNER
Not a Saint – Dimitris Nezis
Purrr – Teamarrr
Beauty – Michael Rider
Aaliyah Interlude – Garfield
Take Me Away – Sherise
Song of the Year
Zitty Stardust – Boy Jr. – WINNER
Overdrive (feat. Goldilocks) – Bennett
I’m Not Your Perfect Daughter – Luana Sandoval
Trust Issues – The Wanderer
Stars in the Sky – Ciph Boogie
Guiding Light – Dimitris Nezis
Waiting for You to Get Home – Michael Rider
Invisible Man – Church Burglars
Ruthless – The Sea Tease
Serious – Piper Page
Album of the Year
Canary – Dr. Cyn & The Graduates Rise
One for the Road – Bennett
Songs of My Life – Luana Sandoval
Dimitrios – Dimitris Nezis
KITTEA CAT – Teamarrr
Toothache – Outer Shapes
Beauty – Michael Rider
The Elements of NaySoul Vol. 1 – Shanay Morant
Based on True Events – Piper Page – WINNER
Aftershocks – Matt Thompson
Performers
