The Eureka Springs Music Awards are returning for a second year, bringing everyone in the local music scene together for an afternoon of camaraderie, live performances and spirited acceptance speeches.
The 2026 awards will be presented beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 12, at The Auditorium.
“I feel absolutely wonderful. We’re really excited,” said event founder and co-host Que Thomas. “Last year’s event was probably five times better than we expected it to be.”
Thomas remembered how many people filled The Aud for the first iteration of the event, which highlighted local soloists, duos, groups, male and female vocalists, music festivals and event promoters.
“It made us all feel like we were on cloud nine when it was over,” Thomas said. “We kept hearing positive stuff about it for months after that, and it just made us so excited to do it again. We can’t hardly wait.”
Co-host Danyelle Harris agreed.
“To see an event executed so impactfully is emotional for me,” Harris said.
Harris described the impact music has on our community. A lifelong musician herself, Harris knows the power music can have on the brain. Music helps people cope with the trials they face, Harris said. That’s why it’s so important to honor the work musicians do in our local community.
“Musicians have a very special place in my heart,” Harris said. “I appreciate so many genres, so to be part of an organization that supports our local incredible talent … it’s a no-brainer to me.”
Harris continued, “Musicians do it for the love of the music, so I love that we’re recognizing the talent we have performing in our town.”
Thomas recalled the moment he got the idea for the event. He was walking through downtown Eureka Springs when he heard music overhead. He assumed it must be pre-recorded because the singing and playing sounded so crisp.
“Then, I realized it was coming from the Balcony Bar at the Basin Park Hotel,” Thomas said. “I knew we had good musicians here, but it just sounded amazing.”
That’s when he thought about all the local talent in Eureka Springs. He wondered what he could do to highlight their work. Reaching out to the City Advertising and Promotion Commission for help promoting the event, Thomas was surprised at how excited everyone was about it.
“The CAPC offered to go in conjunction with us and present it at The Auditorium,” Thomas said. “Then, I knew it would be bigger than I anticipated.”
It exceeded those expectations, Thomas said.
“It ended up just being spectacular,” he said. “The day of the ceremony, everything went off without a hitch. No big issues, nothing. It was almost like we’d been doing it for years.”
Several people who didn’t attend last year are eagerly anticipating this year’s ceremony, Thomas said. They’ve added a new award recognizing songwriters.
“A lot of our local musicians write their own music, and there are a lot of good songs out there,” Thomas said.
Attendees will hear some of these songs at the event, which will feature four live performances from acts that did not perform last year. That’s meant to keep things fresh, Harris said, especially as new musicians are nominated for the awards. About half of the nominees are new, Thomas said.
“I’m hoping that as this happens annually, it will become more popular and we’ll get even more talent nominated,” Harris said.
Each musician is nominated and voted on by the public.
“Last year, it was such a success that people saw it and thought, ‘Hey, this is something new,’ and now they’re getting on and nominating their people,” Thomas said.
He’s loved working with Harris, saying he couldn’t ask for a better co-host. Thomas said he hopes the event will attract more visitors to Eureka Springs. Last year, he said, several visitors attended the event after seeing the hubbub at The Auditorium.
“We had several compliments from visitors who did not know a single nominee, yet enjoyed the show,” Thomas said. “Everyone loves a nice awards show.”
Harris agreed.
“The ESMAs are our Grammys. It’s our way of showing love and appreciation for the musical talent we have in Eureka Springs,” she said. “It’s not meant to highlight winners or losers. It’s about drawing attention to the incredible varied talent in our community.”
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