Who will be honored with a SPAH award this year?

Who will be honored in the harmonica community in 2020? The SPAH Awards Ceremony will go live at 6:45 PM Central time, Saturday, August 15.

Non-SPAH members can tune in for free here

Each year, SPAH makes three awards to honor outstanding members of the harmonica community.

This year is no different, and we now have 25 nominees for these awards, all submitted by SPAH members in good standing. Here are the awards and the nominees. Who will win? Tune in and find out!

Stan Harper Award of Special Merit

• Candidates must have benefited the harmonica community in a manner that is deserving of singular honor.
• Candidates may be individuals who do not play the harmonica.
• Candidates may be organizations.

• “Harmonica Pete” Dupré, ninety-seven-year-old WWII veteran, ballgame celebrity, and harmonica promoter
• Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, player and SPAH Youth Committee Chair
• Joe Filisko, player, custom harmonica builder, and teacher
• Philip Franklin, SPAH membership director
• Adam Gussow, player, teacher and author
• George Miklas, player, teacher, and harmonica repair technician
• Pat Missin, player, researcher, and author
• Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune music critic who often writes about harmonica players
• Steve Watne, player, teacher, and former Twin Cities Harmonica Club President

Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award

• Candidates should have a record of achievements over a long period of time that may reasonably be considered to be the virtual equivalent of a lifetime.
• Candidates that have established themselves as outstanding harmonica players are preferred.
• Candidates should be active in promoting the preservation and advancement of the harmonica and the positive and meaningful interaction of harmonica players and devotees.
• Candidates should demonstrate generosity in sharing their talents and knowledge, and in remaining accessible to members of the harmonica community.
• Only one person may receive the Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award in any one year unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.

Nominees for the Pete Pedersen Award in 2020 are:

• Jerry Devillier, Cajun harmonica player and teacher
• Jerry Fierro, player and teacher
• Joe Filisko, player, custom harmonica builder, and teacher
• Jon Gindick, player, teacher, and author
• Adam Gussow, player, teacher and author
• George Miklas, player, teacher, and harmonica repair technician
• Mickey Raphael, longtime Willie Nelson accompanist

Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of the Year Award

• Candidates should be individuals (not organizations) who are harmonica players
• Candidates’ proficiency should be a source of pride for the community – the award should be for excellence in actually playing the instrument.
• Award should be for distinction demonstrated or attained recently, preferably during a twelve month period prior to the deadline for nominations.
• Only one person may receive the Bernie Bray Award in any year.

Nominees for the Bernie Bray Award in 2020 are:

• William Galison, jazz virtuoso
• Steve Guyger, veteran blues harmonica soloist
• Akarsha “Aki” Kumar, harmonica player , bandleader, fuser of blues and Bollywood styles, and worldwide video artist
• Hendrik Meurkens, jazz compser and harmonica virtuoso
• Antonio Serrano, versatile chromatic virtuoso and bandleader
• Ronnie Shellist, player and teacher.