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Scott Stambaugh
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6/5/2026 7:28:42 PM
Golden Kayak Awards 2026, everybody please read this thread.
The 2026 Golden Kayak Awards are here! Please read, everybody..

ok the first thing you need to know about the 2026 Golden Kayak Awards is we're doing it pretty much identically to how we did it before. I will add if you spot any songs on Norm's Contenders lists that you think used AI, write me with a link at indiemusicpeople2 at gmail, because we strive to keep all those ineligible.
Some of the genres like before are combined due to a smaller amount of songs in their categories and because we don't want the awards show to go on forever. :) We reserve the right to combine and/or eliminate categories if nominees for any category are scarce.
I'll say upfront that just as it is patriotic to participate when your country has a national election, I implore you to do your part for indiekind. It may not be the most pleasant thing for you to contemplate who amongst your peers had good songs in this past year but we ask you to spend a little energy, whatever you can spare, chiming in for this worthwhile cause. As far as we know it's the only indie awards show of this kind and I feel it's the best and most real one because the nominees are generated by the artists themselves along with listeners who frequent the site.
Eligibility - Anyone who was an artist or pipeline participant up to the time this was posted can send one nomination email (and one vote email once the ballot comes out). If you have multiple pages you can still only send one of each. It helps if you use the email listed as your contact email to send so we can verify but make sure your name is on it somewhere.
Songs eligible- To make it easier for everyone this year, for you cause the songs are all in one place and for me because so often folks sent in nominations using songs from years past, all you need to do to look for songs to nominate is to go to Norm's Condenders Stations for 2026, on the top of the right column on the front page. There are songs from every genre so make sure you cover that. but any song released after May 11, 2025 up til June 1st 2026 12 AM PST is eligible.
Anyway you can nominate one item in each of 24 categories, Cut and paste the list below and put your member name at the top so we can easily check eligibility. No member name, we don't process. You can't nominate any song you took part in creating and any song I'm involved in is ineligible as well. Do not nominate any song which uses AI in the making of that song. Don’t waste a nomination on Negative Tendencies because I am ineligible. We ask that you don't fill your nominations with a list of your friends but rather let quality of song be the criteria. Put the name of song and the name of artist in the appropriate genre. In combined categories like Ambient and Classical, you can nominate one song for either category but not both. You can leave some of the categories blank if you want in your nominations email. One thing/stipulation we're adding this year: If we get any of these nomination sheets where somebody basically sent it to nominate one act, we're throwing those out, it's not real participation from our vantage point. People get their friends to nominate all their songs and any super-halfassed effort like this will not be included. This is not about selfish interests but about musical posterity so be true to the music please.
Also if you want to ask folks to nominate you or someone else you're a fan of on the pipeline, you can do that, no problem at all.
Send your nominations email to indiemusicpeople3@gmail.com, they must be in by 12 AM PST 6-21-26.
___________________________________________________________
Cut and paste this part between the lines
member name (required) -
(no more than one song per genre/category)
Alternative -
Alternative Modern Rock -
Alternative Pop Rock -
Alternative Retro and Psychedelic -
Ambient and Classical -
Blues -
Christian/Spiritual - nominate under Miscellaneous please
Classic and Progressive Rock, and Guitar Instrumental -
Country -
Easy Listening/Soft Rock -
Electronic and Dance -
Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana -
Hard and Harder Rock - (Hard Rock, Hard Alternative - Industrial/Beat Rock - Punk/Emo/Ska)-
Hip Hop/Rap -
Jazz -
Miscellaneous and Comedy -
Pop -
R&B/Soul -
Rock -
World -
Best Band -
Best Male Artist -
Best Female Artist -
Station Manager of the Year -
____________________________________________________________

Send your nominations email to indiemusicpeople3@gmail.com, they must be in by 12 AM PST 6-21-26. Please get the email address right on this cause every year we end up finding several emails sent to the wrong address.
Genres used will be based on the main genres that artist chose. If you see an odd genre, hold cursor over that and you'll see the main genre you're working with.
When nominations are all in (by June 21st), a ballot will be created, probably by 7-4-26. Musicology Dept. will help with this as there will be many songs with just one nomination. Each category on the ballot will have 3 to 9 songs in it. Then you will have 2 weeks to vote for whoever.
Any weird shit like songs where the artist changes genres in the middle or ballots we can't verify and so on will be thrown out of the competition.
If there is a final tie in the voting (on final ballot), there's no tie-breaker, both or all 3 songs will get the Kayak.
When tabulating is done there will be an On Demand Awards Show to announce the winners which will also be provided to our affiliate stations. There are no prizes except for a banner on your page and a permanent listing on the Golden Kayak Wall of Fame. The results and radio show will deliver a substantial amount of exposure to the winners. The tentative date for the awards show is July 19st but that is subject to change.
Any questions?
Anything at all, remember you can write me at indiemusicpeople2 at gmail but use indiemusicpeople3 at gmail for your nominations please.
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Scott Stambaugh
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6/5/2026 7:30:31 PM
---- Updated 6/5/2026 7:30:31 PM
remember, nominations emails go to indiemusicpeople3, not indiemusicpeople2 at gmail which is the support hotline.
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Larree
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6/5/2026 9:35:14 PM
This was a banner year for great indie music on IMP!
Good luck to everyone! Happy Kayaking!
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Psyche's Muse
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6/6/2026 1:07:06 AM
---- Updated 6/13/2026 9:46:52 PM
THANK YOU! Scott. And Larree, I can't stop myself from saying this, but all I'd like to do is TO BE "Yacking". Seriously! Oh "Kay"?
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Shawn Adam Williams
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6/6/2026 2:25:13 PM
Thank you
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Meristolis
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6/6/2026 4:31:35 PM
Yay, good luck to all and may many, many, many people buy your songs on Band in a Camp. Eighteen years on a treadmill. . . . man, have I lost weight!
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Seismo Electrifried
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6/6/2026 5:20:10 PM
Done and Submitted.
TONS of Great Music Here for Sure.
Everbody have a Great Weekend and Keep It Rockin!
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Larree
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6/6/2026 9:43:35 PM
Type "2026 gk" in the search bar and all of Norm's Golden Kayak stations pop up neatly.
And a HUGE thank you to Norm for doing this for us. You rock, bro!
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Lars Mars
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6/7/2026 12:15:51 AM
Ditto..
Special thanks to Norm for all he does.
And the many who help in ways I can't imagine.
Off to have a listen.
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The Rhythm Kings
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6/7/2026 6:35:13 AM
---- Updated 6/7/2026 6:35:13 AM
Scott, thank you for your incredible efforts each year organizing this body of work. Then compiling into a beautiful show. Good luck to all!
Indie forever!
Bruce
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Bryon Tosoff
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6/7/2026 11:15:36 PM
All the best to you Phenoms musical geniuses
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Gregg-Sterling30
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6/8/2026 8:58:10 AM
Hmnnn, I'm not seeing any categories for Symphonic, Operas or Violin & Piano Concertos...
Can you fix that please?
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Larree
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6/8/2026 2:05:54 PM
Hiya, Gregg! See "Ambient and Classical."
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Scott
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6/8/2026 2:59:42 PM
Gregg , songs using AI are not eligible.
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Shawn Adam Williams
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6/8/2026 5:22:06 PM
I listened to every song, and thank you, Scott!
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Scott
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6/8/2026 5:47:07 PM
Great, now fill in your ballot with the ones you liked best and send that to me.
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Shawn Adam Williams
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6/8/2026 7:59:43 PM
On email
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Paul groover
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6/9/2026 4:40:05 AM
It gets harder and harder top pick so much great music
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Shawn Adam Williams
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6/9/2026 8:20:22 PM
Done filled it! Scott, here ya go!
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Desperado Revue
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6/10/2026 8:59:37 AM
Done, E-mailed.
Good luck everyone.
Norm.
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JeffAllenMyers
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6/11/2026 12:58:34 PM
Thank you Scott, I appreciate all you do! I will listen and Submit over the weekend Good luck to all who took the time to Create, in the age of AI i think organic /Indie music will have a place, and it may grow as a result of an AI Backlash that I think is coming. Regards, Jeff
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Larree
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6/16/2026 10:22:00 AM
I should be done any day. I listen hard!
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Bryon Tosoff
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6/16/2026 6:00:27 PM
not sure if i will get much done as it is our wedding anniversary and we are busy doing celebrations dinners and sight seeing , might get a couple few listens but no real time to listen to everything.
good luck to all'
bryon
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