Music makers and music lovers from all around Austin gathered for Black Fret's third annual gala at Paramount Theatre. The sold-out affair was one-part concert and one-part awards show, as Black Fret handed out $220,000 in grants to 20 deserving singers, songwriters, and musicians.
"I'm still waiting for Kanye to show up at my door and tell me Beyoncé deserves this grant," said long-time Austin musician and 2016 grant recipient Ray Prim. "Seriously, on the real, I've been playing music in Austin since 1992 and this is the best thing that's ever happened to me hands down."
Black Fret members pay to join the exclusive organization and are rewarded with access to special events. This allows the nonprofit to award tens of thousands of dollars in grant money each year to the Austinites that make our city the Live Music Capital of the World.
"To feel the love for Austin music at the Paramount as we awarded $220,000 to this year's group of Black Fret artists was an amazing experience," said Black Fret co-founder Matt Ott. "It is an honor to stand on that stage while grants are awarded to such incredible talent."
Major grant recipients ($17,000):
Bee Caves
Carson McHone
Dan Dyer
Nakia
Ray Prim
Suzanna Choffel
Swimming With Bears
The Peterson Brothers
Walker Lukens
Wendy Colonna
Minor grant recipients ($5,000)
Brownout
Calliope Musicals
Dana Falconberry
Daniel Eyes & The Vibes
Golden Dawn Arkestra
Harvest Thieves
Leopold and His Fiction
Magna Carda
Sweet Spirit
The Name Sayers
Dana Falconberry.
