The Arkansas music scene is set to receive a new spotlight with the Crash Cast Awards, an event conceived and organized by the hosts of the Arkansan-run Crash Cast podcast. Kurt Lunsford and Cory Fisher, the duo behind the podcast, have committed themselves to highlighting successful Arkansas artists, recently publishing their 200th episode.

Lunsford and Fisher created the awards as a community event to bolster the Arkansas music scene while building awareness for their podcast. The hosts plan to make it an annual tradition. 

The Crash Cast Awards feature 20 categories, including “Best Live Venue,” “Best Guitarist,” “Best New Band,” and “Best Music Festival.” Notably, Buckshot Princess, a seemingly ubiquitous band from Conway, Arkansas, has emerged as a finalist in 10 of the 20 categories.

“They are ‘for the people, by the people’ in that the general public submitted nominations [via Google Form] for each category, then the top four with the most votes were chosen as the finalists,” Lunsford says. 

Voting is underway, and the public is encouraged to participate. Click here to cast your vote, and stream Crash Cast on any platform.

Crash Cast Hosts Kurt Lunsford and Cory Fisher