Some familiar Ramona names were among the winners when the 35th San Diego Music Awards concluded with an awards ceremony on May 6.
The Beard and The Bird, the husband-and-wife duo with Jon Hasz and Cathryn “Cat” Curry Hasz, took home the honors for Best Folk or Acoustic Song for their tune, “My Dearest Eloise.”
Elizabeth Bowersox won for Best Folk or Americana Album award. She lives in Pacific Beach, but grew up in Ramona and often performs locally.
“It was the biggest surprise,” said Jon Hasz of their award, adding that he and his wife didn’t think they were going to win.
“There were some heavy hitters and such great songs in this category,” Cat Hasz said. “We were super shocked and kind of in a daze when they called our name.”
The song was inspired by a vintage Victorian home they own in New York, where they spend half the year performing on the East Coast.
Among the special moments of the evening for the pair were having their friends and supporters, including their fellow Ramona musicians, cheering each other on throughout the evening, they said, as well as the SDMA tribute to local artists who died over the past year, including Craig Fischer of Farm Truck.
Since no good celebration is complete without food, after the ceremony they “promptly went to In-and-Out and got burgers and took pictures with our award,” Jon Hasz said.
Hasz said they woke up after the win to a full inbox of people reaching out for the duo to perform at several new venues and be a part of upcoming events.
Their future plans include numerous gigs across the county, as well as opening for Modest Mouse on the East Coast.
“We also put out a brand new song, “Waiting on May,” and are working on our first album, which we hope will be out this summer,” Cat Hasz said. “We’re both eager to put more music out.”
Elizabeth Bowersox took home the Best Folk or Americana Album for “California Queen” at the 2025 San Diego Music Awards. (John Cocozza)
Elizabeth Bowersox took home the Best Country or Americana Album award for “California Queen.”
“It’s my biggest collection of songs yet,” she said about her debut album, adding she was feeling ill when she first learned of the nomination.
“I was sick at home in my studio apartment, lying on my couch, and seeing my name pop up at the nominee announcement show revived me,” she said.
Knowing how busy and chaotic the awards ceremony can be, she said she celebrated the nomination with her closest friends and crew before the event.
During the awards, Bowersox said she wasn’t thinking about winning or losing.
“I knew that my people voted and showed up for me, so I had a force of support behind me,” she said. “I felt like I had won with all their support and encouragement.”
As the nominees in her category were read, she said she was holding hands with Jessie Lark on one side and her partner, Jack Hackett, on the other.
“When my name was called, it was like my heart cracked open and my soul expanded,” she said. “It was a very surreal moment to walk up there.”
Bowersox said she celebrated the win with Hackett by going to Prince Street Pizza, which is close to where she lives in Pacific Beach. “We ordered the ‘Naughty Pie,’ pizza.”
Her future plans include the release of her new single, “Red Hot Summer,” in the next couple of months, as well as numerous gigs in San Diego and Los Angeles, and opening for Joe Peters at the Big Bear Lake Summer Concert Series.
“There’s a country scene in L.A., with lots of two-stepping, and I want to branch out and play new places,” she said.
“I’ve been singing my whole life and working to pursue this career in music and it feels very validating,” she said. “Going into the next year of my life, I have fire and momentum and I’m excited to make new music.”
Visit the social media pages of The Beard and The Bird and Elizabeth Bowersox for their upcoming performances.
Some of Ramona’s nominated musicians and their supporters pose for a photo at the 2025 San Diego Music Awards Ceremony on May 6. (Dan Chusid)
Several Ramona musicians made the 2025 nominee list, including Chloe Lou (Liddell) for Best Pop Artist; Cathryn Beeks and Ashley E. Norton for Best Country or Americana Artist; Thea Tochihara of Thea The Band for Best Country or Americana Album for “Whiskey Revival;” and Michael Dean Goodrich for Best Country or Americana Song for “Get Back Home.”
Musician Jeff Berkley received three nominations; Best Country or Americana Album for “Abracadabra,” a song on the album, “A Buffalo Trace,” for Best Folk or Acoustic Song, and Best Local Recording for the album “Fall Risk,” which he recorded with his band, The Bastards.
The San Diego Music Academy, host of the San Diego Music Awards, has been awarding artists and albums since 1991. The Awards program is the primary fundraising vehicle for the San Diego Music Foundations Guitars for Schools. Both Barnett Elementary and Olive Peirce Middle School participate in the program.