Empire Live to host 2nd annual Extreme Music Awards

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Extreme Music Awards will be returning for the second year to Empire Live in Albany. The event is scheduled for January 11, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.

The award show celebrates the music and talents of local and regional metal, punk, and hardcore artists. The inaugural event in 2024 featured special appearances, presentations and performances by metal royalty, including past and present members of Slayer, Overkill, Machine Head, and more. Gary Holt, guitarist of Exodus and Slayer, has already been announced as a returning presenter.

"The EMAs began out of frustration. I was attending other awards shows and realized that heavy music NEVER gets its proper accolades. The genres are skewed, watered down, and misrepresented," said Extreme Music Awards co-founder Mike Valente. "So, I said I’ll start my own awards event with the people I know that actually know something about heavy music. Albany has a rich history of hardcore and metal and we wanted to bring it back home."

Nominations for this year's awards are open to the public on the event's website through December 1. Categories range from "Best Death Metal Band" and "Best Guitarist" to "Best New Band" and "Album of the Year."

Empire Live is located at 93 North Pearl Street. You can buy tickets to the 2025 Extreme Music Awards and the accompanying Pre-Party and After-Party shows online through the Ticketmaster website, or in person through the club's box office. The EMAs are presented by Upstate Black and Blue Productions, RadioRadioX, 93.9 WABY, That Fuzzing Rock Show, and 518Scene.com.