Big Drum Thump

Drum and Drummer News and Photos

Category: Awards

  • Vote for Best Metal Drummer of 2022

    Midterms in the U.S. are over now, but the voting isn’t done. Don’t worry: this particular election is more fun.

    Or less awful?

    Music Radar is taking votes for its annual best-metal-drummer award. Crowning a “best” musician in any genre is always a thankless, ultimately fruitless, and sometimes downright dangerous endeavor, but none of us semi-evolved simians can resist a list for long. MR’s candidates are more hit than miss at least, a good mix of legendary and new(ish) shredders, so we tip our sticks to that.

    Did your fav player make the cut? I voted for Brann Dailor…because I’m quite old I suppose but also because he’s super amazing and I’ve lately been thinking quite a lot about Mastodon, the namesake band of a certain decentralized Twitter alternative. Voting ends on November 20, 2022.

    Candidates for Best Metal Drummer of the Year

    • Art Cruz – Lamb of God
    • Ben Gordon – Parkway Drive
    • Brann Dailor – Mastodon
    • Casey Grillo – Queensrÿche
    • Charlie Benante – Anthrax
    • Charlie Engen – Five Finger Death Punch
    • Christoph Schneider – Rammstein
    • Dan Searle – Architects
    • Daniel Erlandsson – Arch Enemy
    • Danny Carey – Tool
    • Dave Turncrantz – Russian Circles
    • Dirk Verbeuren – Megadeth
    • Eloy Casagrande – Sepultura
    • Fabio Alessandrini – Annhihilator
    • Jay Weinberg – Slipknot
    • Jon Larsen – Volbeat
    • Marco Von Allmen – Zeal & Ardor
    • Mario Duplantier
    • Matt Alston – Machine Head
    • Matt Garstka – Animals as Leaders
    • Max Portnoy – Tallah
    • Michel “Away” Langevin – Voivod
    • Mike Wengren – Disturbed
    • Nicko McBrain – Iron Maiden
    • Ray Luzier – Korn
    • Thomas Haake – Meshuggah
    • Thomas Hedlund- Cult of Luna
    • Zack Simmons – Goatwhore
    • Zyon Cavalera – Soulfly

  • Winners of DRUM! Magazine Readers Poll 2008

    DRUM! Magazine unleashed its 2008 readers poll awards today. No big Drummie! surprises here: Neil Peart still reigns as everyone’s favorite living drum god, Travis Barker is apparently the best punk drummer on the planet (but only when Tré Cool and Green Day haven’t released an album), and Chad Smith is the youngsters’ funkster of choice. Let the verbal fisticuffs begin.

    Word of warning: under each category, the name presented in caps is the official winner; all the subsequent names under a category are considered by DRUM! to be “runners-up,” not necessarily “second,” “third,” “or “fourth” place winners. Why? We haven’t a clue…

    I. DRUM SET CATEGORIES

    Drummer of the Year
    NEIL PEART
    Stanton Moore
    Mike Portnoy
    Jimmy Sullivan

    Rising Drum Star
    THOMAS PRIDGEN
    Cody Hanson
    Matt Smith
    Spencer Smith

    Best Progressive Drummer
    MIKE PORTNOY
    Neil Peart
    Gavin Harrison
    Danny Carey

    Best Metal Drummer
    CHRIS ADLER
    Jason Bittner
    Joey Jordison
    Brann Dailor

    Best Jam Band Drummer
    CARTER BEAUFORD
    Stanton Moore
    Matt Abts
    Jim Donovan

    Best Jazz Drummer
    STEVE SMITH
    Peter Erskine
    Billy Hart
    Billy Kilson

    Best Funk Drummer
    CHAD SMITH
    Stanton Moore
    Zoro
    Aaron Spears

    Best Urban Drummer
    ?UESTLOVE
    Aaron Spears
    Trevor Lawrence Jr.
    Teddy Campbell

    Best Mainstream Pop Drummer
    TAYLOR HAWKINS
    Neil Peart
    Chad Smith
    Travis Barker

    Best Alternative Rock Drummer
    SAM LOEFFLER
    Brooks Wackerman
    Atom Willard
    Travis Barker

    Best Punk Drummer
    TRAVIS BARKER
    Tré Cool
    Brooks Wackerman
    Bill Stevenson

    Best R&B/Blues Drummer
    ZORO
    Stanton Moore
    Aaron Spears
    Teddy Campbell

    Best Country Drummer
    JIM RILEY
    Paul Leim
    Eddie Bayers
    Ben Sesar

    Best Drum Clinician
    THOMAS LANG
    Jojo Mayer
    Stanton Moore
    Mike Mangini

    Best Studio Drummer
    VINNIE COLAIUTA
    Steve Gadd
    Josh Freese
    Rodney Holmes

    Best Live Drumming Performer
    NEIL PEART
    Stanton Moore
    Jimmy Sullivan
    Mike Portnoy

    II. PERCUSSIONIST CATEGORIES

    Percussionist of the Year
    LUIS CONTE
    Giovanni Hidalgo
    Fausto Cuevas
    Taku Hirano

    Rising Percussion Star
    CESAR ESPINOZA
    Carlos Maldonado
    A.B. Bermudez
    Eric Velez

    Best Latin Percussionist
    RICHIE FLORES
    A.B. Bermudez
    Giovanni Hidalgo
    Poncho Sanchez

    Best Jazz/Fusion Percussionist
    SAMMY FIGUEROA
    Richie Flores
    A.B. Bermudez
    Cyro Baptista

    Best Percussion Clinician
    JESUS DIAZ
    Giovanni Hidalgo
    Alex Acuña
    Valerie Naranjo

    Best Rock/Pop Percussionist
    LUIS CONTE
    Fausto Cuevas
    Raul Rekow
    Jim Donovan

    Best Worldbeat Percussionist
    VALERIE NARANJO
    Zakir Hussain
    Taku Hirano
    Cyro Baptista

    Best Percussion Ensemble
    HIP PICKLES
    Blue Man Group
    San Jose Taiko
    Blue Devils

    Best Drum Circle Facilitator
    JIM DONOVAN
    Valerie Naranjo
    John Scalici
    Chet Doboe

    Best Studio Percussionist
    LUIS CONTE
    Lenny Castro
    Emil Richards
    Robert Vilera

    Best Live Percussion Performer
    MARC QUIÑONES
    Alex Acuña
    Hip Pickles
    Jim Donovan

    III. INDUSTRY AND PRODUCT CATEGORIES

    Best Drum Kit
    DW COLLECTOR’S TWISTED EXOTICS
    Pearl Masters MCX
    Tama Starclassic Perfomer Bubinga/Birch
    Ludwig Legacy

    Best Snare Drum
    BLACK PANTHER THICK FLAME MAPLE
    Tama 13″ Warlord Limited Edition
    Pro-Mark 50th Anniversary
    Yamaha 14″ x 5.5″ Kabuto

    Best Custom Drum Maker
    SJC CUSTOM DRUMS
    Pork Pie Percussion
    The Craviotto Drum Company
    Orange County Drum & Percussion

    Best Cymbal
    ZILDJIAN ARMAND SERIES
    Sabian 20″ HHX Evolution O-Zone Crash
    Paiste Twenty Series
    Zildjian 22″ K Medium Dark Ride

    Best Drumhead
    EVANS EC1
    Remo Powerstroke X snare head
    Remo Vintage A snare head
    Aquarian Super-2

    Best Drum Stick
    VIC FIRTH DANNY CAREY NYLON TIP SIGNATURE
    Vater Limited Edition 2007 Stewart Copeland Standard
    Zildjian Backbeat Series
    Pro-Mark Chris Adler model

    Best Hardware
    DW 8000 SERIES PEDALS
    Tama Iron Cobra Rolling Glide Pedals with Cobra Coil Speed Spring
    Pearl 900 Series
    Tama Stage Master

    Best Percussion
    LP JOHN DOLMAYAN MINI-TIMBALE
    Pearl Travel Conga
    LP More Cowbell Ridge Rider Bell Pack
    Remo Key-Tuned Djembe

    Best Drumming Accessory
    ZILDJIAN TRAVIS BARKER ARTIST SERIES CYMBAL AND DRUMSTICK BAGS
    Vater Safe ‘N Sound Earplugs
    SKB Roto-X cases
    Aquarian Super-Thin Kickpads

    Best Electronic Percussion
    ROLAND HD-1 V-DRUMS LITE
    Yamaha DTXpress IV
    Roland PM-01 Personal Monitor
    Alesis DM5 Pro

    IV. MEDIA CATEGORIES

    Best DVD
    SECRET WEAPONS FOR THE MODERN DRUMMER (Jojo Mayer)
    In Constant Motion (Mike Portnoy)
    Ultimate Realistic Rock (Carmine Appice)
    Billy Cobham Live At 60 (Billy Cobham)

    Best Drumming Book
    ON THE BEATEN PATH (Rich Lackowski)
    Drumming Out Of The Shadows (Jason Bittner)
    Hands, Grooves and Fills (Pat Petrillo)
    Jimi Hendrix: Smash Hits Drums Play-Along

    Best Drumming Album
    HELLYEAH (HellYeah)
    Obzen (Meshuggah)
    Avenged Sevenfold (Avenged Sevenfold)
    Echos, Silence, Patience & Grace (Foo Fighters)

    Best Hand Percussion Album
    THE MAGICIAN (Sammy Figueroa)
    Global Drum Project (Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju and Giovanni Hidalgo)
    Con Alma (Mark Weinstein)
    Raise Your Hand (Poncho Sanchez)
    Marimbula (Luis Conte)

    Best Web Site
    DRUMMERWORLD.COM
    Pearldrum.com
    drumsmith.com
    drumbum.com

    Best Print Ad
    PEARL’S “CHAD SMITH GRAMMY MAGNET / REFERENCE SERIES” AD
    DW’s “My Name Is… And This Is My Custom DW Kit” campaign
    Pro-Mark’s “Say It With Your Music” campaign
    Tama’s “Uncharted Rhythmic Terrain / Blue Man Group” ad