What an unforgettable day it was in Atlanta, Georgia for the 2026 ISSA Awards! The Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, home to the BMI Awards, was alive with music, laughter, and an incredible gathering of talent from across the globe. The red carpet sparkled with excitement as Amy Gibaldi, Michael Botte, and Jeff Shannon conducted lively interviews, while our favorite photographer, Tom Martinelli, captured magical moments that will be cherished forever. We also had a fabulous time at our newest addition, the 360 Glam Photo Booth!
Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to our esteemed judges, whose dedication and expertise were crucial in determining the winners. Their commitment to fairness and transparency helped shine a light on the most deserving artists.
But it wasn’t just about the winners—every single participant deserves recognition for their courage, creativity, and passion. Each of them helped make this year’s event a celebration of artistry, community, and dreams in motion.
The atmosphere inside the theater was nothing short of electric. From powerful performances to emotional moments of recognition, the evening overflowed with joy, inspiration, and unity. It was a true reminder of how music connects us all and continues to bring people together in the most meaningful way.
Another major milestone highlighted during Tamanie’s closing message was ISSA’s continued recognition as a Registered Media Company with the Recording Academy/GRAMMYs®. This important distinction allows ISSA to submit eligible entries on behalf of our Gold Level Winners directly to the GRAMMYs®, creating an extraordinary opportunity for our artists and further strengthening ISSA’s commitment to helping independent talent reach new levels of recognition within the music industry.
Thank you for letting us be part of your magical, musical journey. Here’s to many more milestones, memories, and music yet to come!
2026 ISSA AWARDS USA WINNERS
USA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Brett Ryder
Silver – Lexie Blue
Bronze – Dalton Jones
USA FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Birdy Young
Silver – Katrina Lynn
Bronze – Roseann Sureda
USA MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – AK Cody
Silver – John Michael Ferrari
Bronze – Angel Dweh
USA FEMALE RISING STAR
KRISTENicole
USA MALE RISING STAR
Dreydon Gordon
MALE BEST DRESSED
ANDREW DEAN
FEMALE BEST DRESSED
Deby Kelley & Dorie Dupin
Mystic Rose
USA BAND OF THE YEAR
Gold – The Low Down Dirty Heathens Band
Silver – BrandiWyne
Bronze – Steve Coughlin with Probable Cause
USA FEMALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Kris Angelis – “Le Sigh”
Silver – Marie Norris – “Reflections”
Bronze – Nikki Benbrooks – “In My Dreams”
USA MALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Jak Fiddler – “Requiem”
Silver – Roger Fournier – “Erase 7”
Bronze – Rob Cunningham – “Carrownisky Strand”
USA FEMALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Markey Blue – “Show The World What Love Is”
Silver – Jay El Dee – “I’ll Be Fine, Right?”
Bronze – Alena Rae – “How Can I Go On Without You”
USA MALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Rich Allen – “The Ghosts We Keep”
Silver – Tay Bronson – “Golf Cart”
Bronze – Michael Botte – “Broken”
USA BAND SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – The Major Resolve – “On My Way”
Silver – Fated In Faith – “Cover Song”
Bronze – Andrew Dean & the Farm Machine – “Find A Way”
USA FEMALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Re Mattei
Silver – Katherine Lynn Nemeth
Bronze – Linda Boles
USA MALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Charles Taber
Silver – Jeff Greenleaf
Bronze – Jeremy Edmond
USA VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Gold – Wheeler & Son (Cliff & Garret)
Silver – Mystic Rose
Bronze – Emily E. Finke & Andy Smith
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Gold – Danni Elise
Silver – Keith Brooks
Bronze – Scott Parker
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Gold – Chris Chitsey – “Where Ya Been Girl”
Silver – Mark Ware – “Lost One”
Bronze – Tristan Roberson – “I Can’t Get Over You”
USA FEMALE EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Rachel Dee Lynn
Silver – Randie O’Neil
Bronze – Luana Sandoval
USA MALE EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Jay Luke
Silver – John DeRosa
Bronze – Billy Lassi
USA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
Gold – James Michael Hollenstein – The Record Machine Show
Silver – Jeff Tucker – Front Row Radio
Bronze – Rick Dayton – EMM Radio
SOUND ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Austin Davis
USA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR
Linda Marks – Boston
2026 ISSA AWARDS INTERNATIONAL WINNERS
INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Sherise D’Souza – IN
Silver – Mandi Leigh – CA
Bronze – Rik Reese – CA
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – Shalaine Stebner – CA
Silver – Kelly Cobbett – UK
Bronze – Demi McMahon – UK
INTERNATIONAL MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Gold – 2 Stereo – VE
Silver – Samuel George – ES
Bronze – Wolfe Milestone – CA
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE RISING STAR
Traci Kennedy – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE RISING STAR
Michele Annunziata – IT
INTERNATIONAL BAND OF THE YEAR
Gold – Riley’s Cove – UK
Silver – Lense – CA
Bronze – Chris Andres Band – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Luis Salsaone – CR – “La Salsa De Costa Rica”
Silver – Harry Kappen – MX – “Four”
Bronze – Darrin Walters – CA – “Blood And Grace”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gold – Fiona Ross – UK – “Moments In My Notebook”
Silver – Hayley Verrall – CA – “Echoes Of Canada”
Bronze – Ahshi – CA – “Who The Frick Is Ahshi”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Malissa Whitehouse – UK – “Over A Lifetime”
Silver – Danny Myler – DE- “Drunk Enough”
Bronze – Ruth Manning – CA – “Hot Mess”
INTERNATIONAL MALE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Andy Smith – AU – “LLT”
Silver – Aaron Halliday – CA – “Watching The Sun Meet Blue”
Bronze – Nige B – CA – “Chase It”
INTERNATIONAL BAND SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Gold – Rosie’s Smokehouse Deluxe – CA – “Hellhounds On My Trail”
Silver – Synthetik Blonde – CA – ” A Cold Romance”
Bronze – Engage – CA – “Unbattered”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Dahlia Wakefield – CA
Silver – Joy Adams – NZ
Bronze – Cherelle Jardine – CA
INTERNATIONAL MALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Gold – Neil Faulkner & Christopher Brown – UK
Silver – Whitey Somers – CA
Bronze – Kelain James – UK
INTERNATIONAL VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Gold – Sun Pinned Leaves – UK
Silver – Pamela Ward & Paul Cherrington – UK
Bronze – Glimtvis – DK
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Gold – Michele Annunziata – IT
Silver – Raffaella Piccirillo – IT
Bronze – Danny Myler – DE
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO
Gold – Malissa Whitehouse – UK – “Over A Lifetime”
Silver – Cherelle Jardine – CA – “It’s A Beautiful Day”
Bronze – Emilie Thorsby – DK – “Late Night”
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE EMERGING ARTIST
Gold – Carol Stevens – UK
Silver – Tara Kye Maines – CA
Bronze – Emma Goldberg – FR
INTERNATIONAL MALE EMERGING ARTIST
Gold – Terrence Hart – CA
Silver – Michael Hamilton – DK
Bronze – Daniel de Boer – NL
INTERNATIONAL RADIO STATION – DJ OF THE YEAR
Gold – Muriel Bessman – FR
Silver – Colin Pettitt – UK
Bronze – Bob Donaldson Radio Network – CA
INTERNATIONAL SOUND ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Samuel George – ES
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR
Muriel Bessman – FR