WINNERS
The Drumeo Awards highlights inspirational drummers at the top of their game. Learn about this year's winners below.
The Drumeo Awards highlights inspirational drummers at the top of their game. Learn about this year's winners below.
The Drumeo Awards highlights inspirational drummers at the top of their game. Learn about this year's winners below.
The Drumeo Awards highlights inspirational drummers at the top of their game. Learn about this year's winners below.
Drumeo’s Drummer Of The Year awards - chosen by you, the community - celebrate those who stand out in different musical styles, and recognize exceptional performances, recordings, and your favorite drummer overall.
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The Drummer Of The Year Award is our biggest award. It goes to a drummer who checked all the boxes this year with recording projects, live or streaming events, online presence, and all-around excellence in their contributions to music.
Your vote made it loud and clear: II – Sleep Token’s mysterious drummer – was your favorite.
II and his band had an incredible year, releasing a new album, performing sold-out tours, rising to the top of festival lineups and pushing boundaries of heavy music.
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The winner of this award played on a single track or a full album that made an outstanding contribution to their style – or to music in general – via the drums.
You voted for Take Me Back To Eden, the new album from Sleep Token featuring II’s drumming prowess, as your drum recording of the year.
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The winner of this award put on a legendary, must-watch performance this year, either with a full band at an event or in a solo studio video.
Well, the original lineup of blink-182 reunited with a surprise set at Coachella this year (watch one of the songs here), injecting a massive dose of nostalgia for at least two generations of attendees. We don’t need to convince you that the mighty Travis Barker was at the top of his game; you can see for yourself.
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Aussie sticksmith Ashton Irwin performed his band’s hits all around the world this year with 5 Seconds of Summer.
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Barely in her 20s, Roni is an absolute force on the kit, gigging with Avishai Cohen and releasing new original music this year.
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The touring drummer and musical director for Hardy (who exploded this year and landed several #1 hits), Harry performed on record-breaking tours, at the CMAs, the ACM awards, the Grand Ole Opry and more. While ‘the Dude’ was out with Hardy, he partnered with basketball superstar Charles Barkley to donate 100 drum sets to 100 schools across the USA, offering masterclasses along the way.
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A fan favorite for many reasons, Questlove toured with The Roots, appeared on new music with Chloe Flower, Plumb, and the NBA in-season tournament theme. He killed it as usual with his ongoing Tonight Show gig, received a GRAMMY nom for best audiobook, and contributed to the GRAMMYs Present 50 Years Of Hip Hop event.
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Steve is a drummer-of-all-trades whose 2023 included recording the new Rolling Stones album, a new album with Bettye LaVette, and a reunion with John Mayer and Pino Palladino for the NYC Love Rocks benefit show and Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival.
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Tours and a new album with her band Nevell, drum festivals, and a performance at the Jeff Beck tribute concert were just a few of the highlights from Anika’s 2023.
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Danny had a busy year on the road with Tool, appeared on Seth Meyers and more.
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With a new album and their biggest tours yet, Sleep Token is enjoying their newfound prominence – and their drummer, II, has proven his chops in the metal world.
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The drummer of Mexican rock band The Warning, Paulina had a big year alongside her sisters, performing at the VMAs, supporting Muse and Guns N’ Roses on tour, headlining in their home country and more.
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This award goes to a drummer who has built their profile independently, has created a strong online community on YouTube, and is constantly inspiring or entertaining people with their drum videos, playing, and/or personality.
Now one of the most prominent drummers on YouTube and beyond, Estepario continuously impressed the community with his speed, technique and unconventional creativity, and had over 80,000 drummers enroll in his online course, Fastest Way To Get Faster.
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This award goes to a drummer who’s built a strong online community on Instagram, has created a strong brand for themselves, and constantly inspires, educates, or entertains.
Though he’s based in Brazil, Mauricio’s drum tutorials and reviews inspired metal drummers all around the world this year, supported by brand partnerships and other collabs.
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This award goes to a drummer who’s a standout on TikTok and who has used the platform to entertain or inspire the next generation of drummers.
Diana Llerena is this year’s winner. The Peruvian drummer opened an online music academy, crossed the 1 million followed mark on TikTok, and worked with multiple brands including Mini Cooper and Evans.
The Drummer Of The Year Award is our biggest award. It goes to a drummer who checked all the boxes this year with recording projects, live or streaming events, online presence, and all-around excellence in their contributions to music.
You voted for Chad Smith to receive this honor.
On top of two new studio albums, a Grammy nomination and touring with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chad worked on sessions with Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop, appeared at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert and more.
The winner of this award played on a single track or a full album that made an outstanding contribution to their style – or to music in general – via the drums.
You voted Jay Weinberg’s work on Slipknot’s The End, So Far as 2022’s top drum recording.
The winner of this award put on a legendary, must-watch performance during 2022, either with a full band at an event or in a solo studio video.
16-year-old Shane Hawkins did just that, pouring his heart and soul into a live performance of “My Hero” at a tribute concert dedicated to his late father and Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins. It touched millions of people and showed how much love, energy, and spirit can come out on the drum kit.
Sarah’s year consisted of tours with Harry Styles (including residencies at legendary venues like Madison Square Garden), percussion credits on Harry Styles’ new Grammy-nominated album, recordings with Kurt Vile, and recording her debut album with project Technology + Teamwork.
Terri Lyne released several albums this year as well as a new lead sheet compilation project with Hudson Music, appeared at prominent gigs, and ended 2022 with two Grammy nominations.
Fred Eltringham drummed on multiple Grammy-nominated albums this year with artists like Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert and Ashley McBryde. Gigs with Sheryl Crow, a Seth Meyers sit-in, an appearance on a Billy Joe Shaver tribute album, and a single for The One Eighties are just a few of his other 2022 highlights.
Her 2022 included huge tours with Karol G, a Modern Drummer cover, a sit-in with Seth Meyers’ 8G band and more.
Drumming with Fearless Flyers, Kinfolk, Cory Wong, a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, appearances at jazz fests…Nate Smith had a busy 2022.
Anika is back on the scene with a new EP, teaching, and touring with the late legend, Jeff Beck.
From big tours with Tool and appearing at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert to playing club gigs on the side, Danny Carey is still at the top of his game.
Eloy has had a busy year touring with Sepultura, teaching, and contributing his insane skills to prog project Casagrande & Hanysz and rock band Scalene.
He’s the man who never slows down. In 2022, he worked on the new Avril Lavigne, Machine Gun Kelly and Ho99o9 albums, drummed on tracks with K.Flay and Iann Dior, and racked up a ton of producing credits.
This award goes to a drummer who has built their profile independently, has created a strong online community on YouTube, and is constantly inspiring or entertaining people with their drum videos, playing, and/or personality.
Educational, skilled and hilarious, 66Samus is a staple in the metal community and knows what drummers find both entertaining and useful. He added 240k new subscribers to his channel in 2022, with a jaw-dropping 38.7M views across 44 brand new videos (the top one earning almost 2M views). Samus also hit over one hundred million views on YouTube in 2022.
This award goes to a drummer who’s built a strong online community on Instagram, has created a strong brand for themselves, and constantly inspires, educates, or entertains.
An active content creator on the platform, Kriss Drummer regularly posts fun covers of popular rock songs. In 2022 she launched her signature sticks with Meinl, collaborated with Matt McGuire, and had several videos exceed 3 million views as her page grew to 650 thousand followers.
This award goes to a drummer who’s a standout on TikTok and who has used the platform to entertain or inspire the next generation of drummers.
The drummer other drummers say is “impossibly good”, El Estepario built a following on concepts like playing tricky songs one-handed and doing ridiculously difficult things on a small setup. He shared a staggering 250 videos on TikTok in 2022, with his most popular clip reaching over 9 million views.
It’s not an overstatement to say Travis worked with everyone this year. From Machine Gun Kelly and Bebe Rexha to Avril Lavigne and Willow Smith, Barker was on speed dial in the music industry in 2021. His playing and influence transcends his punk rock roots and he’s one of the most sought after drummers in the world – especially this past year. You voted Travis Barker 2021’s Drummer Of The Year, and it’s a much deserved win!
This award goes to someone who checked all the boxes with recording projects, live or virtual events, online presence, and all-around excellence in their contributions to music. This drummer is likely to be a household name – at least among drummers – because they’ve been relentless in their pursuit of the art form over the past year and beyond.
You voted Mario Duplantier’s work on Gojira’s 2021 album, Fortitude, as Drum Recording Of The Year. With different approaches to his parts in each song – but a conscious flow with how the tracks roll together – Duplantier’s playing is tasteful, groovy, and deliberate. His writing stands out on the single “Born For One Thing” in particular.
All incredible nominees in this category either played on a single track or a full album that made an outstanding contribution to music via the drums. They have been recognized in their respective musical genres and this award was created to celebrate exceptional recorded music.
The only drummer to win in two categories this year, Mario Duplantier also took home the Drum Performance Of The Year Award for his drum solo, “Cyclone.” Combining dynamics, raw power, authenticity and tribal elements into a 2.5 minute video, the Gojira drummer reinforces the fact that drums are amazing all on their own.
Watch the full solo here. The winner of this award qualifies by putting on a must-watch performance during the year, either with a full band or flying solo, at an event or in a studio video. Each 2021 nominee had something special about their performance, whether it was their technical ability, their energy, or their innovation. You chose Duplantier!
El Estepario (just a nickname, of course) blew up this year on Instagram, Youtube and beyond. While he’s been making drum videos for 10+ years, he’s been taking his content and drumming career to the next level. A prolific creator and insane player, he finds creative ways to approach the drums and still shreds on a tiny kit.
This award goes to a drummer who has built their profile independently, has created a strong online community, and is constantly inspiring people with their videos, playing, and personality.
A new project formed in 2021 with Bruno Mars, Silk Sonic released an album based around .Paak’s drum beats, and his contributions to drumming have recently highlighted excellence in the genre. Like Karen Carpenter and other drummer-vocalists whose talents behind the kit sometimes end up flying under the mainstream radar, we’re excited that you voted Anderson .Paak as the soul/funk drummer of the year.
You voted Questlove R&B/Hip-Hop Drummer Of The Year! Not only was he the Musical Director of the 2021 Academy Awards while continuing his regular stint on Jimmy Fallon, but the Roots drummer kept expanding his career by directing an award-winning documentary (Summer Of Soul) and releasing his latest book, Music Is History. Questlove doesn’t just bring it as a drummer; he’s totally elevated his game as a completely well-rounded creative and advocate for the arts and his communities.
Step aside, Britney – you aren’t the only Spears at the top of pop. Aaron Spears – your 2021 Pop Drummer Of The Year – took on a Vegas residency with Usher, drummed on The Masked Singer and played with Ariana Grande, among other initiatives that made the past year a win in more ways than one.
A humble guy whose name you may not see adorning all the magazine covers, Billy Freeman was so busy in 2021 he was impossible to ignore. Tours with Dustin Lynch, a new album and singles, and a stint on Jimmy Kimmel gave Freeman a lot to take on. He’s your Country Drummer Of The Year.
Lewis had a big year his “Enter Sandman” video went viral, he put on a clinic at PASIC and he participated in a live stream for the Juno Awards (Canada’s Grammys). Snarky Puppy won a Grammy for their latest album while Lewis performed on JAZZFM with The Jeremy Ledbetter Trio, and he was busy coaching drums online as well.
With a new album and accompanying tour dates, a cover story in Jazzism Magazine, an appearance on Seth Meyers and a masterclass, Nate Smith had a busy 2021. A versatile drummer who could’ve also appeared in several categories outside of jazz, he brings a unique crossover edge to the style.
On top of Animals As Leaders releasing new music for the first time in five years, Matt Garstka participated in drum camps and clinics, released drum transcriptions, and even streamed on Twitch. A technical yet tasteful player, Garstka continues to break the mold in prog drumming, and at only 32 years old, his best years may still be yet to come.
Jay Weinberg of Slipknot is your Metal Drummer Of The Year. Despite ongoing pandemic challenges, Slipknot released their first new track in over two years and persevered with Knotfest, while Weinberg launched a cool ‘jam with Jay’ initiative.
Chad Smith had a busy year with a Red Hot Chili Peppers release, several supergroup collaborations, work on Eddie Vedder’s solo recordings, a track on Miley Cyrus’ Metallica covers album, and a feature on the Netflix documentary Count Me In.
These Legacy awards - chosen by a panel of industry experts - honor today’s drummers while paying tribute to the awards’ legendary namesakes.
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One of the most accomplished and well-known drummers of the 20th century, Buddy Rich is still a household name because of his virtuosic talents and his accomplishments as a bandleader. The recipient of this ‘hall of fame’ award has made their name synonymous with drumming over decades of excellence. This may be through any combination of performance, recording, teaching, or all of the above.
We chose Roy Haynes as the recipient of this year’s Buddy Rich Award. One of the last living legends from the bebop era who’s played with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk and more, he’s a jazz pioneer who inspired other greats like Elvin Jones and Tony Williams.
A multiple GRAMMY Award winner, Modern Drummer Hall of Famer and recipient of several prominent Lifetime Achievement Awards, Roy is almost 99 years old and still plays the drums when he can.
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Viola Smith was a pioneer in expanding the boundaries of drumming. From her unprecedented, massive drum set (including two elevated gong drums) to playing beyond the age of 100, she was an innovator who carved her own path in the drumming community – especially during an era when she wasn’t encouraged to do so.
This award is given to a trailblazing drummer who has shown innovation and creativity in how they approach the drum set.
Arthur Dubois isn’t just a drummer and percussionist – he uses the physics of sound (and even water) to create unique effects. His hybrid style and creative beats have captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of people on social media, including non-drummers. Arthur is a great example of someone who’s adding elements of surprise to the instrument and inspires others to look at percussion differently.
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Louie Bellson has long been credited as the first drummer to popularize double bass playing. Before metal and rock came to be, Louie transferred his skills and sounds from hands to feet, finding new ways to express rhythms on the low end. This award is presented to a drummer who has displayed excellence and creativity in double bass drumming.
Alex Cohen is this year’s Louie Bellson Award recipient. A unique and advanced drummer who’s constantly aiming to push the envelope, Alex is executing things on double bass that most would never even attempt. From playing Delecluse snare pieces on his feet to creatively applying rudiments on the kicks, he’s huge on education and encouraging other drummers to challenge the norm.
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Tony Williams was just 17 years old when he played on Miles Davis’ revolutionary album, Seven Steps To Heaven. This award is presented to a drummer who has already made a memorable impact at a young age. The winner will have made valuable contributions to drumming and/or inspired others with their music.
Tosh Peterson has already accomplished the stuff of dreams, and he’s only 22! From drumming with Royal and the Serpent, Fall Out Boy and JXDN, Tosh had a busy 2023. He also recorded with and played some huge gigs with Jung Kook of BTS, including a performance on the Tonight Show.
But this year was just one more notch on his belt: he’s been touring since he was 16 and has worked with Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Nas X, Bad Bunny and more.
One of the most accomplished and well-known drummers of the 20th century, Buddy Rich is still a household name because of his virtuosic talents and his accomplishments as a bandleader. The recipient of this ‘hall of fame’ award has made their name synonymous with drumming over decades of excellence. This may be through any combination of performance, recording, teaching, or all of the above.
We chose Phil Collins based on his incredible legacy and ability to deeply reach people, even those outside of the drumming world. He composed some of the most recognizable drum parts of the 20th century, inspiring drummers with his technical and musical approach to playing the drums and innovating with electronic sounds and finding ways to incorporate them into his music.
The drumming legend officially announced his retirement in 2022.
Viola Smith was a pioneer in expanding the boundaries of drumming. From her unprecedented, massive drum set (including two elevated gong drums) to playing beyond the age of 100, she was an innovator who carved her own path in the drumming community – especially during an era when she wasn’t encouraged to do so.
This award is given to a trailblazing drummer who has shown innovation and creativity in how they approach the drum set.
Yoni Madar is a master independence technician who pushes what’s physically possible on the instrument. His incredible control and drive has inspired an entire segment of the drumming community, yet he often still flies humbly under the radar. He’s a seasoned educator who literally marches to the beat of his own drum.
Jim Chapin was a prolific educator whose teachings are still in the hands, feet, and soul of many modern drummers. Having learned from the legendary Sanford Moeller, he taught some of today’s top drummers and educators like Dom Famularo, Russ Miller and Steve Smith. His 1948 instructional book, Advanced Techniques For The Modern Drummer, is still a staple of drum education today.
This award is presented to an educator who has displayed excellence in inspiring & informing drummers everywhere. This could be through education in an academic setting, contributions through a published book, or an online course/channel.
When we started the Drumeo Awards program in 2021, we asked drumming’s global ambassador, Dom Famularo, to choose the winner of this category. This year, we’re presenting the ‘Educator of the Year’ award to Dom Famularo himself – a man who has been through the absolute ringer, undergoing cancer treatments and navigating uncertain waters while continuing to inspire drummers around the world.
A former student of Jim Chapin, we felt it fitting to recognize Dom’s incredible tenacity and constant effort to pass these teachings to the next generation and beyond.
Louie Bellson has long been credited as the first drummer to popularize double bass playing. Before metal and rock came to be, Louie transferred his skills and sounds from hands to feet, finding new ways to express rhythms on the low end. This award is presented to a drummer who has displayed excellence and creativity in double bass drumming.
Chris Turner has so much control and precision on his feet, people have questioned how it’s even possible. But he’s proven time and time again that putting in the work gets results. Chris has been building his profile as an independent drummer, releasing an instrumental album this year and taking the tracks on the road.
Tony Williams was just 17 years old when he played on Miles Davis’ revolutionary album,
This year’s winner is barely out of his teens but he’s already proven to be a dynamo. Between performing at his first big drum festival, going on tour, playing on albums and releasing a drumming course, Greyson killed it in 2022 – he even drummed with the Beach Boys alongside John Stamos!
On top of being a busy, skilled drummer, he’s a social media powerhouse, regularly sharing clips, filming covers, and engaging with the drumming community.
One of the most accomplished and well-known drummers of the 20th century, Buddy Rich is still a household name because of his virtuosic talents and his accomplishments as a bandleader. The recipient of this ‘hall of fame’ award has made their name synonymous with drumming over decades of excellence. This may be through any combination of performance, recording, teaching, or all of the above. This year’s award-winner has the blessing of Buddy’s daughter, Cathy.
Steve Gadd has influenced a generation of giants, including Dave Weckl and Vinnie Colaiuta. He took the musical application of rudiments to the next level, created chart-topping grooves like 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, and his discography is massive. His playing style is unmatched and he is the perfect example of a living legend.
Jim Chapin was a prolific educator whose teachings are still in the hands, feet, and soul of many modern drummers. Having learned from the legendary Sanford Moeller, he taught some of today’s top drummers and educators like Dom Famularo, Russ Miller and Steve Smith. His 1948 instructional book, Advanced Techniques For The Modern Drummer, is still a staple of drum education today.
This award is presented to an educator who has displayed excellence in inspiring & informing drummers everywhere. This could be through education in an academic setting, contributions through a published book, or an online course/channel.
Dom Famularo – drumming’s global ambassador – personally selected this ‘Educator of the Year’ in honor of Jim Chapin. Here’s what he had to say about the selection:
“Emmanuelle is the perfect nominee for Drumeo’s Jim Chapin Award. Having studied with Jim starting in the late 1960s, I was able to witness dedication to learning and teaching from Jim’s actions. He was a constant student and always passed this knowledge along to anyone who would listen! His enthusiasm was contagious! I worked with him closely right up to his passing. He continued to push himself to learn.
This is what I have seen in Emmanuelle! Unending enthusiasm and a strong commitment to learn! Her recent book, “Smile! You’re Drumming” is a great example of her dedication to our art form! She is a performer playing on several TV shows in Canada and the US and has several bands she continues to work with. As an educator she teaches to make sure the next generation is excited about the expression of our instrument! I know Jim would be proud of her continuing the path Jim has started…
Thank you, Drumeo, for assisting in education online globally. Congratulations Emmanuelle!”
Louie Bellson has long been credited as the first drummer to popularize double bass playing. Before metal and rock came to be, Louie transferred his skills and sounds from hands to feet, finding new ways to express rhythms on the low end. This award is presented to a drummer who has displayed excellence and creativity in double bass drumming.
Because this is the first year we’re presenting this award, the judges felt ex-Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison was the best fit to set the standard for future winners. His influence, passion, and creativity in double bass was unmatched, and he impacted thousands of drummers around the world, including many of today’s heavy hitters. His untimely passing in 2021 left a massive hole in the drum community and we’re hoping to honor Joey’s legacy with this award.
Viola Smith was a pioneer in expanding the boundaries of drumming. From her unprecedented, massive drum set (including two elevated gong drums) to playing beyond the age of 100, she was an innovator who carved her own path in the drumming community – especially during an era when she wasn’t encouraged to do so.
This award is given to a trailblazing drummer who has shown innovation and creativity in how they approach the drum set. This year, we’re presenting the Viola Smith Award to Aric Improta (Night Verses, Fever 333). Unique and innovative, he’s a deep well of wisdom and insight who’s not afraid to challenge the status quo. He combines the worlds of drumming, performance art, electronics and visual media, and he thrills audiences in unexpected ways.
Tony Williams was just 17 years old when he played on Miles Davis’ revolutionary album, Seven Steps To Heaven. This award is presented to a “rookie” drummer who has made a memorable impact at a young age. The winner will have made valuable contributions to drumming and/or inspired others with their music during a ‘breakout’ year.
This year’s winner is Nandi Bushell, who truly embodies the spirit of this award. Her infectious energy and passion encourages and inspires people to get excited about drumming and about music. Like Tony Williams working with legends at a young age, Nandi has already collaborated with huge names like Dave Grohl and Tom Morello. She is fearlessly setting an incredible course for herself as a developing artist and positive role model.