I listened to an awful lot of surf records this year and so throughout December I combed through them and chose my favorites organized into subcategories.
The whole list is here and there's a lot more writing about all of them on the site: http://www.stormsurgeofreverb.com/content/introducing-2018-gremmy-awards
Each category lists honorable mentions and an eventual winner. I'll italicize the winner of each.
Best Album Art
Madeira - Center of the Surf
CARLO - CARLO
The Kilaueas - Touch My Alien
Phantom Dragsters - At Tiki Horror Island
Stories from Shamehill - Royale with Cheese
Surf Zombies - Return of the Skeleton
Frankie and the Pool Boys - Spin the Bottle
Best Trad Surf Album
Ted Boys Marinos - Surf Sessions
Black Flamingos - Play Speedway and Other Hits
De Surfures - Fino a Go Go
The Kilaueas - Touch My Alien
Eldanka - Rusty Treasures
The Head Henchmen - Oh No! It's the Head Henchmen
Best Modern Instro Album
Blackball Bandits - The Lost Mission
Magic Number - Ampersand
The Beach Combers - Beach Attack
X-Ray Vision - Panique Au Biblos
The Twang-o-Matics - The Wild and Exotic Sounds Of...
Los Kosmos - Los Kosmos
Frankie and the Pool Boys - Spin the Bottle
The Mystery Men? - Firewalkers
Best "Rad" Instro Album (aggro, punk-inspired)
(THE) Katatonics - Operation Neptune
Amphibian Man - No Surfers in My Town
The Del-Vipers - Cannibal Safari EP
Moussaka - 1111 EP
King Ghidora - The Secret Origin of an Unknown Planetary Destroyer
The Madeira - Center of the Surf
Arno De Cea & The Clockwork Wizards - Retro Futurisme Volume 1 LP
Best Way-Out Instro Album (weird stuff)
Spitwater - Tapping the Source
CARLO - CARLO
Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Sonido Gallo Negro - Mambo Cosmico
Volcano Kings/Doom Ponies from Ipanema (multiple releases)
"Best" Concept Album
CHURCH SURF - CHURCH SURF
Best Compilation
Reverb Nation
Best Reissue
The Woodchucks - Cruisin' for Surf Bunnies
Sound Production
Beach Combers - Beach Attack
Los Protones - Mision OA4
Best Label
Hi-Tide
Best Thing to Happen to Surf Music in 2018
The Surfrajettes
Promising Debut EPs
Humanga Danga - s/t
Toro Jones - s/t
Les Robots - Do the Robot / One Way Ticket to the Moon
Jakub Wilak and the Cowboys - Sunrise Dust
I'm mostly posting this because I'm curious what everybody else liked this year. I know there's some albums people loved that didn't click with me...
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