The Josie Music Awards is the largest independent music awards show in the world. This year, more than 52,000 entries were reviewed by a distinguished panel of music industry experts, and fewer than 1.5 percent of entries received a nomination. Radlmann stood out against a field of 21 nominees to snag top honors in her category.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized among such an enormously talented field,” said Radlmann. “New Jersey has not been historically known as a country music mecca, but this award might be one small step toward putting Jersey on the country music map.”

Southpaw was also nominated for Country Group of the Year, but it was Radlmann’s time to shine. “Christine’s heartfelt and distinctive vocals move people,” says Southpaw guitarist Colin McConnell. “It’s a thrill, but not surprising, to know the signature voice of Southpaw moved the judges too.”

Radlmann’s feat is particularly noteworthy given that Southpaw is entirely self-produced, from songwriting to performance, engineering and production. “Mixing and producing music is such a joy when you have fantastic material to work with,” says Southpaw keyboardist and producer Sean Garnhart. “It was so exciting to see Christine honored for her work at the legendary Opry.”

Since their 2021 debut album, “Unhitched,” Southpaw has been played on more than 400 radio stations worldwide. The band was also named a top-ten national finalist in the Jack Daniels Battle of the Bar Bands competition, sponsored by the country’s largest radio broadcaster, iHeartRadio.

Southpaw is presently producing singles for their second album, and their upcoming single, “Your Name” debuts on November 11 of this year. Formed in 2018, Southpaw is a collaboration of three Union County, New Jersey, musicians with distinctly different, acclaimed creative careers—published poet and literary editor Christine Radlmann, Emmy-winning sound designer Sean Garnhart, and award-winning advertising professional Colin McConnell.