named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Spirit Award
Honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional dedication and service to the local music community.
Hall of Fame Induction
Recognizes lifetime contributions to the Central New York music scene through annual induction of influential artists, educators, and industry figures.
Music Educator Award
Recognizes excellence in music education within the Central New York region.
People's Choice Awards
Public-voted categories recognizing popular artists, bands, events, music series, academic organizations, and venues in the Syracuse area.
SAMMYS Awards
Annual awards program honoring outstanding local musicians, bands, and music professionals in Central New York across multiple genres and categories.
activities · 2 groups
What they do
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Music Awards and Honors Programs 4 activities
- Administers music award selection process for local artistsAccepts and reviews commercially available music submissions from Syracuse-area artists for consideration in 13–14 annual recording categories, including Best Jazz, Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop/Rap, and Best Single. An independent panel of national music industry professionals and educators evaluates entries, with 279 recordings from 212 artists submitted for the 2026 awards.
- Conducts public voting for People’s Choice awardsRuns an annual online public voting process to determine winners in fan-selected categories, including Best Artist or Band, Best Event or Music Series, Best Academic or Musical Organization, and Best Venue. Millions of votes have been collected since 2007.
- Organizes annual SAMMY Awards show and Hall of Fame inductionProduces and hosts an annual awards ceremony, known as the SAMMY Awards, to honor local musicians and music professionals in the Syracuse area, ongoing since 1993. The event includes a Hall of Fame induction dinner and is held at venues such as the Palace Theatre and Middle Ages Brewing Co., with recent events scheduled for March 2026.
- Recognizes music educators and special contributorsPresents annual special awards and honors for music education, lifetime achievement, community spirit, and founding contributions, including inductions into the SAMMY Hall of Fame. Six honorees were inducted in 2026.
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Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
- Maintains public archive and organizational visibilityMaintains a publicly accessible archive of past SAMMY Award winners on its website and supports event logistics, merchandise operations, and sponsor recognition for the annual awards program.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2021
revenue
Total revenue$6K
Contributions & grants——
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue$6K
expenses
Total expenses$16K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$5K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$5K
1 years on record · 2021–2021
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021
Who runs it
board members · 4
- Elizabeth Nowak — Executive Director
- James Austin — Board member
- Jordan Davies — Board member
- Misse Thomas — Board member
relationships · 41
Who they work with
- 315 Music Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- 92.1 The WOLF Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- 94.1/95.3 The Dinosaur Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- 96.5/100.3 The BEAT Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- Animal for Animals Partner — Recognized as a winner in the People’s Choice: Best Event or Music Series category.
- Apple Music Partner — Digital platform through which music submissions must be available for awards consideration.
- Baldwinsville Marching Band Partner — Recognized as People's Choice Best Academic or Musical Organization in 2021 and 2020.
- Bridge Street Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- Camden High School Band Partner — Recognized as People's Choice Best Academic or Musical Organization in 2025.
- Copper City Brewing Co. Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- FE FE Entertainment Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- FE FE Entertainment LLC / Palm Tree Records Partner — Collaborated in roles related to marketing, promotions, and artist management.
- Frank Malfitano Government — Founder of the Syracuse Area Music Awards who presented the Founder's Award to Liz Nowak.
- Good Life Tavern Partner — Recognized as People's Choice Best Venue in 2025.
- Joshua Johnson Design Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- KMASE Productions Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- Landmark Theater Partner — Hosted the first SAMMYS award show in 1993.
- Landmark Theater Partner — Venue host for the first SAMMYS award show in 1993.
- Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co. Partner — Recognized as a winner in the People’s Choice: Best Venue category.
- Meier’s Creek Brewing Co. Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- Meier’s Creek Brewing Company Partner — Presenting sponsor of the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.
- Middle Ages Brewing Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- Middle Ages Brewing Co. Partner — Host venue for the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.
- NewsChannel 9 Partner — Supporting sponsor of the SAMMY Awards
- Oswego Harborfest Partner — Recognized as People's Choice Best Event or Music Series in 2025 and 2023.
- Oswego High School Marching Buccaneers Partner — Recognized as People's Choice Best Academic or Musical Organization in 2023 and 2022.
- Palace Theatre Partner — Hosts the Syracuse Area Music Awards events.
- Palace Theatre Partner — Venue for the Syracuse Area Music Awards Show.
- Perform 4 Purpose Partner — Recognized as People's Choice Best Academic or Musical Organization in 2026 and 2024.
- Perform 4 Purpose Partner — Recognized as a winner in the People’s Choice: Best Academic or Musical Organization category.
+ 11 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Education and Access to Industry Knowledgemethodology: education-and-accessBy providing seminars and professional development opportunities, the organization empowers local musicians with industry knowledge, because access to expertise increases artists’ capacity to sustain careers and engage meaningfully with the broader music economy.
- Genre-Based Recognition to Support Local Artistic Diversitymethodology: genre-based recognitionBy recognizing excellence across multiple musical genres, the organization elevates underrepresented local talent and strengthens the regional music ecosystem, because inclusive categorization validates diverse artistic expressions and encourages wider participation.
- Independent Peer Review for Artistic Meritmethodology: independent_peer_reviewBy using an independent national panel of music professionals and educators to evaluate submissions, the organization ensures credible and merit-based recognition of local artists, because external expertise reduces bias and elevates artistic quality over popularity.
- Public Participation Through Community Votingmethodology: public-participation votingBy engaging the public in selecting award recipients through online voting, the organization increases community investment in the local music scene, because participatory recognition fosters ownership, visibility, and broader support for regional artists.