Massachusetts musicians dominated at the 2025 New England Music Awards last month.

Bands and solo artists from across New England gathered at the Six String Grill and Stage in Foxborough on Nov. 16.

Seven of the winning bands and artists agreed that the NEMA award ceremony is about more than just winning, it’s about the community.

The Cape Cod-based band Crooked Coast won Act of the Year. Although the band attended the award ceremony, they left before the Act of the Year was announced after losing the other two categories they were nominated for, said Luke Vose, vocalist and guitarist.

When Vose woke up to congratulations texts the next morning, he was “happily surprised.” He continued, “you always just have your head down trying to create the next thing … [and] when you look up an

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