April 25, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Wisconsin Area Music Industry organization is thrilled to bring its annual awards show to Green Bay on May 19, 2024 marking its inaugural Titletown show and its first in Northeast Wisconsin since 2018. The 42nd WAMI Awards will feature live music performances, Hall of Fame inductions and award presentations honoring the best of Wisconsin music across 2023.
This year’s show will take place at the Epic Event Center with doors opening at 6 p.m. The WAMI Awards show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and are available at epicgreenbay.com.
WAMI will recognize members of the Wisconsin Music Industry across a variety of categories including Album of the Year, New Artist of the Year and Best Male and Female Vocalists. Award recipients were chosen by our members using a proprietary voting system designed to preserve data integrity.
The championship-caliber show will also feature performances from:
This year, we honor a superb 2024 WAMI Hall of Fame class, which includes:
Garbage
Formed in Madison, studio remix work served as the inspiration for a band that would become an international success and sell more than 17 million records. Garbage, consisting of Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, Butch Vig and Shirley Manson, was a staple of 1990s radio and has consistently delivered innovative and genre-defying music over more than 30 years.
Todd “Speech” Thomas
Todd “Speech” Thomas channeled his black experiences in Milwaukee and its suburbs into music that had a major impact across the country and around the world. Thomas is a Milwaukee native and a founder of the influential and pioneering hip hop group, Arrested Development. A two-time Grammy winner and four-time platinum seller, Speech has also had success in his solo career as an artist, speaker and ordained minister.
The Fendermen
In just a few short years, The Fendermen – a Madison-area rockabilly duo – managed to climb the Billboard Hot 100 and tour the country with American music royalty. Formed in 1958 by Jim Sundquist and Phil Humphrey, their lone hit single, “Mule Skinner Blues”, peaked at no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It propelled them opening slots for Johnny Cash and appearances on both the Grand Ole Opry and American Bandstand. As fate would have it, their last show as The Fendermen would be at Green Bay’s Rockabilly Fest in 2005. Jim and Phil have since passed away and family members will accept their induction into the Hall of Fame.
About the Event
This year, WAMI Weekend kicks off on Saturday night with our May 18 Curtain Raiser event at The Bar on Holmgren Way. Join the Wisconsin music community for this free event, featuring performances from Brass Differential, Amelia Ford and Social Cig.
The public is invited to participate in both the Curtain Raiser event and the 42nd WAMI Awards. Tickets to the awards show include $25 general admission floor seats, $45 mezzanine VIP seating and reserved tables for 10 at $450. For more information on the show, our award finalists and hotels featuring special WAMI rates, please visit our website, wami.org.
