First Place: Elev8

reverbnation.com/elev8ormusic

Second Place: Gritty City Records

Third Place (Tie): Daniel Herrmann and Chance Fischer

Richmond is a town of faith. So maybe it’s not too surprising to see a gospel hip-hop duo win this category. Per its Reverb Nation page, the members of Elev8 note that “they bring a faith-based message and deliver truth through their music.” They’ve played venues from Los Angeles to New Jersey and as far south as Florida, spreading that Jesus flow. Gritty City Records has connections that run back to old-school local hip-hop legend Divine Profitz. The group includes Johnny Ciggs, Fan Ran, Pandemic and Sirus the Virus, among others, and is respected as legit by those in the know. A tie for third place goes to Daniel Herrmann, a local bartender whose promotions company, Laborem Entertainment, lists Dook & Drez and Flair Tiger as talent, and well-known local rapper and Cornell University grad Chance Fischer.