Greta Van Fleet Leads Winners List at 2019 Detroit Music Awards

The show also honored poet/blues artist/activist John Sinclair, the original manager of the MC5, and bluegrass troupe the RFD Boys, celebrating its 50th anniversary, with distinguished achievement awards. Big City Rhythm & Blues magazine received a special achievement award, while famed Motown arranger Paul Riser, a Funk Brother who worked on many of the label's key recordings during the late '60s and '70s, was presented with the Spirit of Detroit Entertainment -- Music award from the Detroit City Entertainment Commission.

The DMAs are voted on by music industry professionals in the Detroit metro area, including musicians, producers, studio and venue personnel, media and more. Greta Van Fleet was one of six acts to receive three awards during the ceremony, including blues singer Tosha Owens, gospel singer and composer David Winans II, producer-artist T. Money Green, classical composer and performer Jill Fitzgerald and world music artist Maggie McCabe.

Country singer Frankie Ballard debuted "Try, Try, Try," one of the new songs he's working on for his fourth album, and played his cover of Bob Seger's "You'll Accomp'ny Me" during the show, while Mike Skill was joined by two other members of the Romantics for a selection of his solo material as well as the band's "What I Like About You." Rising alt-rock artist Shortly also performed, along with a 60th anniversary tribute to Motown by the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and a gospel salute to Aretha Franklin led by Detroit gospel singer Carl B. Phillips.

A full list of winners can be found at detroitmusicawards.net.

Editor's note: Gary Graff is a co-founder and co-producer of the Detroit Music Awards.