Singing News Fan Awards for Favorite Musician
The Favorite Musician award is awarded yearly in the Singing News Fan Awards ceremony to honor the musician Singing News magazine readers select as their favorite that year.
History
The award was instituted in the 1971 Fan Awards and included all musicians. It was renamed Favorite SG Instrumentalist in 1989, the tenth and final year Anthony Burger won the award. In 1990, the award was renamed in Burger's honor, as the Favorite Instrumentalist / Anthony Burger Award. As part of this change, Burger handed out but was no longer eligible to win the award.
In the 1997 awards, the category was split into two. Up until 1997, a pianist had virtually always taken home the award; in 1997, the Favorite Musician award was re-structured to be handed out to any musician other than a pianist, while the pianist award became a separate category. In the 2007 awards, the categories were again combined.
Honorees
Favorite Musician (1971-1996)
- 1971: Howard Goodman, The Happy Goodman Family
- 1972: Howard Goodman, The Happy Goodman Family
- 1973: Martin Cook, The Inspirations
- 1974: Jimmy Swaggart
- 1975: Darrell Stewart, Florida Boys
- 1976: Martin Cook, The Inspirations
- 1977: Darrell Stewart, Florida Boys
- 1978: Darrell Stewart, Florida Boys
- 1979: Tommy Fairchild, Blackwood Brothers
- 1980: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1981: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1982: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1983: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1984: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1985: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1986: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1987: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1988: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1989: Anthony Burger, The Kingsmen
- 1990: Gary Jones, Gold City
- 1991: Gary Jones, Gold City
- 1992: Jeff Stice, Perfect Heart
- 1993: Roger Bennett, Cathedral Quartet
- 1994: Roger Bennett, Cathedral Quartet
- 1995: Roger Bennett, Cathedral Quartet
- 1996: Roger Bennett, Cathedral Quartet
Favorite Musician (non-pianist) (1997-2006)
- 1997: Steve "Rabbit" Easter (steel guitarist)
- 1998: Steve "Rabbit" Easter (steel guitarist)
- 1999: Steve "Rabbit" Easter (steel guitarist)
- 2000: Steve "Rabbit" Easter (steel guitarist)
- 2001: Mike Hopper, The Hoppers (drummer)
- 2002: Roger Fortner, The McKameys (lead guitarist)
- 2003: Tim Lovelace
- 2004: Tim Surrett, The Kingsmen
- 2005: Tim Surrett, The Kingsmen
- 2006: John Pfeifer, Pfeifers (trumpeter)
Favorite Pianist (1997-2006)
- 1997: Roger Bennett, Cathedral Quartet
- 1998: Roger Bennett, Cathedral Quartet
- 1999: Roger Bennett, Cathedral Quartet
- 2000: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
- 2001: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
- 2002: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
- 2003: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
- 2004: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
- 2005: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
- 2006: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
Favorite Musician (2007-today)
- 2007: Roger Bennett, Legacy Five
- 2008: Jeff Stice, Triumphant Quartet
- 2009: Jeff Stice, Triumphant Quartet
- 2010: Jeff Stice, Triumphant Quartet
- 2011: Jeff Stice, Triumphant Quartet
- 2012: Jeff Stice, Triumphant Quartet