As we kick off 2026, it is very evident that our state has an abundance of amazing original music. This past year saw a multitude of original releases that deserve to be heard and given the proper attention. That’s why Born & Bred exists. We want people to know that Sierra Ferrell, Charles Wesley Godwin and Brad Paisley put out an album as much as we want people to know that Grace Campbell, Seneca, Cassidy Dickens and others across the state released music. We spend our days looking for content and artists to give exposure to, but that doesn’t mean we know everything that has come out. And because of that, we thought it would be unfair of us to pick artists for you to vote for while being unaware of others that may be worth consideration.
With your help, the process of determining the best of 2025 begins today. It is very simple. By clicking here “Nominate Your Favorite 2025 Born & Bred Artist Here” or on the button above or below you will be given a list of categories. Simply fill in the artists you want to nominate and hit submit. You do not have to fill out every category if you don’t know any artists in that genre. Please read on fro eligibility requirements.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
This part is very important. To be eligible to be nominated, an artist must have released ORIGINAL music between December 1, 2024 and November 30, 2025. Music that came out in December 2025 will be eligible for the 2026 awards. The other requirement is that the artist must be either from West Virginia or live here now and base their career out of the state. So if an artist was born in Grafton, but now calls Nashville their home and released music in June of 2025 , they meet the eligibility requirements. If an artists was born in Wisconsin, but now calls West Virginia home and released original music in September 2025, they are eligible.
The requirements are fairly simple. So now it is up to you, the reader, to get your favorite 2025 artist on the list. Click the link below to go to the form and submit your favorite artist now! Thanks for participating and good luck to all of the amazing artists in and from West Virginia.
