EXTREME MUSIC AWARDS 2027 RETURNS WITH ALL-STAR LINEUP, STACKED WEEKEND
ALBANY –The Extreme Music Awards – the New York Capital Region’s largest annual music awards event and only show of its kind devoted to just heavy music in all its forms – is set to bring its fourth installment here to Empire Live, on January 16, 2027. The music and all-star filled weekend kicks off on Friday, January 15, 2027, at Empire Underground, with a stellar Pre-Party that includes a six-band live show.
In addition to the awards presentation, the main event on January 16 also features once-in-a-lifetime performances from the cast of Jason Bittner’s All-Star Jam, plus opening and closing sets from Big 4 thrash metal tribute Uncle SAMM. Some of the biggest names in heavy music will convene here this winter as presenters and performers, attesting to the remarkable growth of an event that started in 2023-24 as a way to honor local musicians in the often overlooked and underrepresented world of heavy and extreme music.
“The EMAs began out of frustration. I was attending other awards shows and realized that heavy music never gets its proper accolades,” reflects Mike Valente, co-founder of the EMAs and talent buyer for Empire Live, the Capital District’s premier music venue. “The judges of the typical award shows are misinformed and out of touch. The genres are skewed, watered down and misrepresented. Remember when Jethro Tull won the Grammy for Best Heavy Metal, over Metallica?”
For the upcoming EMAs, a who’s who of heavy musicians, including notables from Rancid, Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, Death, Shadows Fall, Category 7 and Sick Of It All, will be in attendance to honor the very best in Northeast region extreme music. The show will also feature the comedy of Don Jamieson, host of That Metal Show.
And that’s just the second day. The weekend kicks off with the ever-popular Pre-Party at sister venue Empire Underground on Friday, January 15, featuring a headlining set from Boston’s Great American Ghost, as well as guests Everdredd, Monarch, Eyes of Apathy, Oceans & Ghosts, and Echoes in Eternity. The Friday show and entire weekend is an annual highlight that showcases the union of national touring acts and local talent.
“Albany has a rich history of hardcore and metal,” says Valente. “We wanted to bring it back home.”
A focal point of the awards presentation also continues to be the All-Star Jam led by 518-based drummer Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Category 7), who assembles a different crew of players each year to rip through metal classics throughout the night. Previous participants include Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer), Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Phil Demmel (Machine Head), Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (Overkill), Jesse Leach (Killswitch Engage), Dan Lilker (Nuclear Assault), Eric “AK” Knutson (Flotsam and Jetsam), Matt Byrne (Hatebreed), Danny Schuler (Biohazard) and many more. This year’s installment promises to be another scorcher that’s not to be missed.
Nominees for this year’s Extreme Music Awards will be announced in December. Stay tuned for more as the anticipation surrounding this event unfolds!
About the Extreme Music Awards
The Extreme Music Awards is the culmination of the partnership between Upstate Black and Blue Productions, 518Scene.com, 93.9 WABY, and That Fuzzing Rock Show. The 2027 edition marks the fourth year of this amazing event, which celebrates all things metal, punk and hardcore in the greater 518 Capital Region of Upstate NY. The fourth-annual EMAs will be held at Empire Live — the home of metal, punk and hardcore in the Albany region — on Saturday, January 16th, 2027. For more information, visit: https://extrememusicawards.com/
The 2027 Extreme Music Awards is proudly sponsored by: Tour De Thrash, Tree-Fizz, Chewin’ The Rag, Tacos N’ Stuff, Wolfe Security, Jessica Comtois Realty, Raven Events, Purgatory Tattoo, Minty Fresh Presents, Wreck O Mended Towing and Recovery, Southpaw Plumbing, Villa Valenti Pub, American Shooter Supply, 518 Masonry, Missed Merch, B&E Merch, Warhead Presents, ManicMerch, Front Row Recording, Blood Rite Covenant Music, 8 Second Fabrication, and 2 Flights.
