Best of Rochester 2014: Arts & Entertainment 

Best Local Original Band

Joywave. joywavemusic.com

Runners up: Ack! | Teagan and the Tweeds | Tommy Brunett Band | RootsCollider

Best Local Cover Band

The Skycoasters. skycoasters.com

Runners up: Cherry Bomb | Hall Pass | Something Else

Best Local Solo Musician

click to enlarge

• PHOTO PROVIDED
• "Searching Game" by Teagan and the Tweeds

Teagan Ward. teaganward.com

Runners up: Johnny Bauer | Mikaela Davis | Skooba

Best Local ClassicalMusician/Group

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. rpo.org

Runners up: Eastman Philharmonia | Eastman Saxophone Project | Paul O'Dette | Rochester Oratorio Society | Sound ExChange | Ying Quartet

Best Local Album of 2014

"Searching Game" by Teagan and the Tweeds. teaganandthetweeds.com

Runners up: "Fortune Teller" by Mikaela Davis | "How Do You Feel?" by Joywave | "Love People" by Red Letter Statement | "Ontario Girls" by Pleistocene

Best Music Concert of 2014 (Arena/Large Venue)

click to enlarge

• PHOTO BY MATT DETURCK
• Ben Folds with the RPO at CMAC

Ben Folds with the RPO @ CMAC.

Runners up: Black Keys @ Blue Cross | Bonsai @ Sahlen's Stadium | Luke Bryan @ CMAC | Queens of the Stone Age @ Main Street Armory

Best Music Concert of 2014 (Club/Small Venue)

Lou Gramm @ Bands @ Barnard.

Runners up: Chris Pureka @ Bug Jar | Fitz and the Tantrums @ Water Street | Joywave @ The Bug Jar

Best Live Music Venue

CMAC. 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua, 394-4400, cmacevents.com

Runners up: Abilene | Bug Jar | Water Street Music Hall

Best Club DJ

DJ Kalifornia. djkalifornia.net

Runners up: DJ Alykhan | DJ Darkwave | DJ Ease | DJ Naps | Tim Tones

Best Local Author

Frank De Blase. frankdeblase.com

Runners up: Charles Benoit | Tony Leuzzi | Linda Sue Park

Best Local Theatrical Production

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" @ Highland Bowl.

Runners up: "The 39 Steps" @ Geva | "The Normal Heart" @ JCC | "The Odd Couple" @ Geva

Best Musical Theater Production of 2014

"Phantom of the Opera" @ RBTL.

Runners up: "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" @ Geva | "Bonnie & Clyde" @ Stageworks | "Hairspray" @ JCC | "Nunsence" @ Blackfriars Theatre | "Once" @ Auditorium Theater

Best Local Theater Company

Geva Theatre Center. 75 Woodbury Boulevard, 232-4382, gevatheatre.org

Runners up: Blackfriars | JCC | Stageworks

Best Local Comedian/Comedy Group

GEVA Comedy Improv. gevacomedyimprov.org

Runners up: Nuts and Bolts | Vinnie Paulino | Sky Sands | Marianne Sierk | Ralph Tetta

Best Local Comedy Show

The Comedy Club. 2235 Empire Boulevard, Webster, 671-9080, thecomedyclub.us

Runners up: Geva Comedy Improv | Goo House at the Bug Jar | Joke Factory | Open Mic at Boulder Coffee

Best Local Dance Company

click to enlarge

• PHOTO PROVIDED
• Garth Fagan Dance

Garth Fagan. 50 Chestnut Street, 454-3260, garthfagandance.org

Runners up: Groove Juice Swing | One Dance Company | Rochester City Ballet

Best Local Artist

Sarah Rutherford. sarahrutherford.net

Runners up: John Bertolone | Cordell Cordaro | Mark Groaning | Michael Moncinaiz aka St. Monci | Brian O'Neill | Mr. PRVRT

Best Art Exhibit of 2014

Wall/Therapy. wall-therapy.com

Runners up: 6x6x2014 @ RoCo | Boys vs Girls @ 1975 & The Yards | MUSE by Brian O'Neill @ Roc City Ballet

Best Art Gallery

click to enlarge

• PHOTO BY JOHN SCHLIA
• Memorial Art Gallery

Memorial Art Gallery. 500 University Avenue, 276-8900, mag.rochester.edu

Runners up: 1975 | Artisan Works | Rochester Contemporary Art Center

Best Mural

Steve Carpenter, "Four Seasons" in the Village Gate. 274 North Goodman Street, 442-9061, villagegatesquare.com

Runners up: Karen Flack, farm scene at Village Bakery | Shawnee Hill, "Evening Star" at Fuego Coffee | Caitlin Yarsky, "Andy and the Big Dead Waltz" at Boulder Coffee

Best Local Photographer

Gerry Szymanski. gerryszymanski.com

Runners up: Hannah Betts | Tammy Swales | Aaron Winters

Best Filmmaker

Ben Gonyo. fishandcrown.com

Runners up: Matthew Ehlers | Chris Hogan-Roy | Paul Rapalee

Best Film Festival

Rochester International Film Festival. rochesterfilmfest.org

Runners up: High Falls Film Festival | ImageOut Film Festival | Rochester Jewish Film Festival

Best Movie Theater

The Little. 240 East Avenue, 258-0400, thelittle.org

Runners up: Cinema | Dryden Theater | Pittsford Cinema

Best Local Family-Friendly Attraction

Strong National Museum of Play. 1 Manhattan Square Drive, 263-2700, museumofplay.org

Runners up: Seabreeze | Seneca Park Zoo | Lollypop Farm

Best Local Music Festival

Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. rochesterjazz.com

Runners up: East End Music Festival | Fairport Music and Food Festival | Party in the Park

Best Local Arts Festival

Lilac Festival. rochesterevents.com

Runners up: Clothesline | Corn Hill Arts Festival | Park Avenue Art Fest

click to enlarge

• PHOTO BY JOHN SCHLIA
• Darienne Lake

Best Local Special Event

Lilac Festival. rochesterevents.com

Runners up: Food Truck Rodeo | First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival | Park Avenue Fest | Jazz Festival | Big Rib BBQ & Blues Festival

Best Local Drag Performer

Darienne Lake. dariennelake.com

Runners up: Aggy Dune | DeeDee DuBois | Mrs. Kasha Davis | Samantha Vega