rising star awards

The 2012 GigMasters Rising Star Award winners represent the top-booked entertainers and party vendors in the U.S. and Canada.

The awards are distributed annually to those members who have earned the most revenue from GigMasters bookings. In 2011, six Event Awards were added to showcase the members who booked the most weddings, children’s parties and corporate events. Congrats to the winners and happy gigging!

• Bands

  Acoustic Band	The Clubhouse Band	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania
  Beach Band	CONCH REPUBLIC	Lexington	Kentucky
  Big Band	Swing Machine	Fairfax	Virginia
  Blues Band	The Special 20s	Chicago	Illinois
  Brass Band	St. Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band	San Francisco	California
  Classical Band	Patriot Brass New York	New York	New York
  Country Band	Nolan Pick Band	Waco	Texas
  Cover Band	Nick Carver Band	Murfreesboro	Tennessee
  Dance Band	Charisma	Danbury	Connecticut
  Folk Band	Banjocats	Nashville	Tennessee
  Funk Band	The Full Strength Funk Band	San Diego	California
  Jazz Band	Oh La La!	New York	New York
  Karaoke Band	Casual Encounters "Live-Band" Karaoke	Los Angeles	California
  Mariachi Band	Trio Sol De Mexico	San Jose	California
  Motown Band	1st Generation Band	Atlanta	Georgia
  Oldies Band	The Instigators	Austin	Texas
  Pop Band	Uptown Band Feat. Erich Cawalla & Jenifer Kinder	Reading	Pennsylvania
  R&B Band	The Soul Sensations	Northampton	Massachusetts
  Rock Band	Mike Dangeroux	Chicago	Illinois
  Roots Band	Folksoul Music Bands--Tattoo And The Folksoul Band	Greenfield	New Hampshire
  Soul Band	The Adrian Duke Project	Hillsborough	North Carolina
  Steel Drum Band	Feelin IRIE	New York	New York
  Swing Band	Swing Cats Big Band	Yorba Linda	California
  Variety Band	Groove Knight	Austin	Texas
  World Band	Matt Stedman Band	Chicago	Illinois
  World Music Band	Andy Burr & Friends	Winter Garden	Florida

• Children's Entertainment

  Animals For Parties Company	Annie's Menagerie Petting Zoo	Wilmington	Delaware
  Balloon Twister	Caravan of Entertainment llc	Runnemede	New Jersey
  Children's Music Band	Birdie's Playhouse	Venice	California
  Children's Music Singer	Mariana Kids Music	Astoria	New York
  Clown	A # 1 Best Events & Entertainment	Los Angeles	California
  Costumed Character	Bubbles Productions	Bowie	Maryland
  Face Painting	Magical Memories Entertainment Face Painting	Brooklyn	New York
  Juggler	Lou Johnson	Valley Stream	New York
  Puppeteer	Penny And The Puppettes	Brooklyn	New York
  Storyteller	Debra Mims	Burtonsville	Maryland

• DJs & Emcees

  DJ

  DJ Jamm

  New Rochelle

  New York

• Ensembles

  A Cappella Group	The Tee Tones	New York	New York
  Acoustic Duo	Jon Sousa and Adam Agee	Boulder	Colorado
  Barbershop Quartet	Artistic Quartets	Las Vegas	Nevada
  Brass Ensemble	Dr. Gordon Mason	Orlando	Florida
  Broadway Duo	The Sassy Songbirds	Long Beach	California
  Choral Group	The Late Show's Gospel Choir	Peekskill	New York
  Christmas Carolers	The Music Companie Carolers	Los Angeles	California
  Classical Duo	Aleron Strings	San Francisco	California
  Classical Quartet	Art-Strings Ensembles	New York	New York
  Classical Trio	Con Brio Trio and Duo	Boston	Massachusetts
  Dueling Pianos	Ted Oliver Productions	Waukesha	Wisconsin
  Folk Duo	Muzette	Mount Joy	Pennsylvania
  Jazz Duo	Bright Moments	Tucker	Georgia
  Jazz Ensemble	Safari Jazz	Newhall	California
  Jazz Trio	Sam Graham Trio	Los Angeles	California
  Oldies Duo	Whinin' Cheez	New York	New York
  Oldies Trio	Class Act	Smithtown	New York
  Pop Trio	Bobby Alto Music	Los Angeles	California
  Rock Duo	Not Even Brothers	Spartanburg	South Carolina
  String Quartet	St. Charles String Quartet	Washington	District of Columbia
  Variety Duo	The Shoresyde Duo	Brick	New Jersey
  Woodwind Ensemble	City Winds Trio	Pompton Lakes	New Jersey
  World Music Duo	Spanish Guitar Duo	Chicago	Illinois
  World Music Trio	Celtic Sands	San Francisco	California

• Magic, Illusion & Comedy

  Comedian	Dr Kevin Fitzgerald	Denver	Colorado
  Comedy Group	The Linebenders - Improv Comedians	Fargo	North Dakota
  Fortune Teller	Gypsy	Landing	New Jersey
  Hypnotist	Jeff Jay Awarded "Entertainer of the Year"	Fishers	Indiana
  Illusionist	Taylor (Pelican Trapper) Lewis	Richmond	Virginia
  Impressionist	Joey Vincent - Funny Man With A Horn	Westmont	New Jersey
  Magician	Keith West Magic & Illusion Show	Des Moines	Iowa
  Mentalist	Larry & Raven - Mentalist Team	New York	New York
  Mind Reader	Fred Zimmerman - The Chicago Mentalist	Downers Grove	Illinois
  Palm Reader	Psychic Palmistry Chirologist	Phoenix	Arizona
  Psychic	Soothsayers Psychic Entertainment	Cheltenham	Pennsylvania
  Tarot Card Reader	Psychic Readings By Eva	New York	New York
  Ventriloquist	David Crone - I'm No Dummy Productions	Columbus	Ohio

• Party Services

  Bartender	Custom Party Bars	Torrance	California
  Limousine	Cadillac Chauffeur Service	Saint Paul	Minnesota
  Party Rental Company	Madd Matt's Entertainment	Carlisle	Pennsylvania
  Photographer	Magical Memories Entertainment	Thornwood	New York
  Theme Party Company	The Murder Mystery Company	New York	New York
  Videographer	Whitstir Productions Videography	Grapevine	Texas
  Wedding Officiant	Mike Daly, Wedding Officiant	Bloomfield	New Jersey

• Singers

  Big Band Singer	Matt Walch-Singing The Big Band Standards	Ann Arbor	Michigan
  Broadway Singer	David Meulemans	Fort Lauderdale	Florida
  Classical Singer	Nick Palance - Romantic, Classical & More	Los Angeles	California
  Country Singer	Les Vaughn Tributes Johnny Cash/Elvis Presley	The Dalles	Oregon
  Folk Singer	Kevin Toqe	Walnut Creek	California
  Gospel Singer	Valerie Dawkins	Washington	District of Columbia
  Jazz Singer	Kat Langdon	Toronto	Ontario
  Oldies Singer	Jennifer Mello	Boston	Massachusetts
  Opera Singer	Alyssa Staron, Classical Singer	Langhorne	Pennsylvania
  Pop Singer	Tom Cash	Hoffman Estates	Illinois
  R&B Singer	Oya	Beverly Hills	California
  Rock Singer	Carl Robinson	St Peters	Missouri
  Singer	Marieann Meringolo - Romantic, Standards & More	New York	New York
  Variety Singer	Stephen Lee	Atlanta	Georgia
  World Music Singer	Micheal Castaldo - Classical Crossover Pop +	New York City	New York

• Solo Instrumentalists

  Accordionist	STROLLING ACCORDIONIST. Italian-Oktoberfest-French	New York	New York
  Acoustic Guitar	Matthew Cutillo	Amityville	New York
  Bagpiper	The Royal Piper	New York	New York
  Banjo Player	Mark A. Raborn	Sullivan	Missouri
  Cellist	Celloasis by Sharon Gerber	Greenville	South Carolina
  Fiddler	Alexander Mitchell	Frederick	Maryland
  Flutist	Elena Yakovleva	College Park	Maryland
  Guitarist	Jim Perona	Wheaton	Illinois
  Harpist	Eva Murphy	Saint Louis	Missouri
  Keyboardist	Jim Loftus	Catasauqua	Pennsylvania
  Mandolinist	Beth Mullaney	Las Vegas	Nevada
  One Man Band	Owen Poteat	Charlotte	North Carolina
  Organist	Scott Michael Olson	Worcester	Massachusetts
  Pianist	J P Daine	Houston	Texas
  Saxophonist	Edmond Baker, Jr./sax	Houston	Texas
  Steel Drummer	Sterling C Sample's Island Music Steel drums LLC	East Orange	New Jersey
  Trumpeter	Kenny John	Hyde Park	New York
  Ukulele Player	Josh Kekoa Cho - PURE Ukulele & Guitar	New York	New York
  Violinist	Sweet Harmony ~ Live Music For Special Events	Woodland Park	New Jersey

• Specialty Acts

  Auctioneer	Jim Nye, The Benefit Auction Guy	Placentia	California
  Caricaturist	Darci Herbold - One Stop Events & Parties	Laguna Niguel	California
  Circus Performer	La Fiamma Entertainment	Phoenix	Arizona
  Dance Group	Gypsy Folk Ensemble	Los Angeles	California
  Dancer	Aloha Hula NYC	New York	New York
  Escape Artist	Jason Escape	Boston	Massachusetts
  Event Artist	Cindi Harwood Rose	Houston	Texas
  Handwriting Analyst	Ralph Zackheim, Handwriting Interpreter	Long Beach	California
  Mime	Chris Yerlig, MIME	Amherst	Massachusetts
  Singing Telegram Company	Artistic Singing Telegrams	Las Vegas	Nevada
  Speaker	Motivational Keynote Speaker Entertainer -Jon Petz	Powell	Ohio
  Square Dance Caller	Pat Cannon's Foot & Fiddle Dance Co.	Sloatsburg	New York
  Stilt Walker	Stilt Circus	Los Angeles	California

• Tribute & Impersonators

  Elvis Impersonator	Travis Allen #1 Young Elvis In Las Vegas	Las Vegas	Nevada
  Impersonator	Barack-alike	San Francisco	California
  Marilyn Monroe Impersonator	Camille Terry	Palm Beach	Florida
  Tribute Act	Phil Jeffrey	Sherman Oaks	California
  Tribute Band	The Bluz Brothers	Crete	Illinois
  Tribute Singer	Matt Walch - Tribute Singer	Chicago	Illinois

Event Awards — NEW!

• Children's Parties

  Children's Party Entertainer

  Theme Party Characters, Princess Visits, Superhero

  Marlton

  New Jersey

• Corporate Events

  Corporate Event Entertainer	Jeff Jay Awarded "Entertainer of the Year"	Fishers	Indiana
  Corporate Event Entertainer	Jason Love	Thousand Oaks	California
  Corporate Event Entertainer	Jeff Davis Djs	Manassas	Virginia

• Weddings

  Wedding Band	Nick Carver Band	Murfreesboro	Tennessee
  Wedding DJ	DoubleTake Productions	Dallas	Texas
  Wedding Entertainer	St. Charles String Quartet	Washington	District of Columbia
  Wedding Variety Entertainer	Travis Allen #1 Young Elvis In Las Vegas	Las Vegas	Nevada

2012 Press Release

2012 Winners

2011 Winners

2010 Winners

2009 Winners

2008 Winners

2007 Winners