North American Music Awards shines light on rising Mansfield-area legends

MANSFIELD — A man with cerebral palsy made his way to the stage after being announced Best Alternative Rap Artist at the North American Music Awards (NAMA) on Saturday night at the Richland County Fairgrounds.

“For someone like me – I’ve never won anything,” Brooklyn said, fighting tears.

Bulletproof Moo gives an acceptance speech.

“Now you did!” a supporter from the crowd yelled as everyone applauded.

The NAMAs were so much more than an awards show – a place to celebrate local talent and those emerging in the craft from around the country – all while acknowledging the endless hours of grind it takes to produce art.

“It is my first award,” NAMA Grind Award winner Bulletproof Moo said. “I just came home from doing eight years, and my mama just passed two weeks ago. So this for her, and this for me and her. My whole life is my heart. That’s what I rap about. That’s what I speak about. That’s where I live. Music.”

Moo was also nominated for Best Hip Hop for Left for Dead.

Frank Boyd Jr and the Bona-Fide Truth kicked off the celebration, which was more like a highbrow wedding reception, in both class and formal attire. It included so much glitter and sparkle from the gowns, jewelry and endless color coordination.

“How many of y’all want to hear some real blues?” asked Frank Boyd.

Forty-seven hip-hop-based music and art-related categories were announced before the show, with 134 unique nominees. Live performances were mixed between announcements, as the showcase’s structure has evolved over the years.

Frank Boyd Jr. and Emerald & Jade, The Twinz / Photos by Zac Hiser

“I started (NAMAs) in 2007; at that time, there were no award shows on a local level,” NAMA founder Tyrone Johnson said. “It took a year of planning.

“This year’s a different crowd, a different atmosphere, and we’ll definitely be back next year.”

The MC of the night and fellow NAMA organizer Danny Holmes emphasized the origins and growth of the event.

Danny Holmes addresses the NAMA crowd at Richland County Fairgrounds.

“It originated in New Jersey and migrated to Columbus, Shelby, Cleveland,” Holmes said. “I’m a musician myself; I work with two major labels, Empire and Roc Nation. So it was really exciting for me to be able to get behind the scenes and to work on a second award show, to be able to honor the artists.”

As the ceremony began, champagne glasses were filled with sparkling fruit juice as the live entertainment continued, along with a buffet-style meal of chicken and salad.

“Autism don’t define us. ADHD don’t define us,” Emerald & Jade, The Twinz sang on stage from their song nominated for the Video Vanguard Award and Song of the Year. (Emerald Neki was nominated for Best Lyricist Female as well.)

After the show they talked about how overcoming things was a big part of their song creation.

“Never give up on your kids, never give up on your dreams,” the Twinz said.

Richland Source was honored to receive The Impact Award and it was a blast doing an acceptance speech with Zac Hiser.

Zac Hiser and Adam Doc Fox at the North American Music Awards — Hiser (left) and Fox proudly accept the Impact Award for Richland Source at the 2026 NAMAs

People who traveled to the NAMAs – In their own words

“LeBron Flames,” David Blackson said. “He’s an artist out of Akron, and I have been trailing him since I went to a broadcast school after being released from prison. I love the behind-the-scenes and radio and shooting videos for the rappers, man. I’m currently working on a documentary about the music culture in Akron.”

“I’m from Ashtabula, Ohio,” Lil Pit said. “I’ve been nominated for three out of four awards for the hip hop category (Best Hip Hop and Hit Maker Award for What’s Greatness and Best Artist of 2025). You can go to LILPIT.com, my website, or you can hit me up on YouTube, Instagram, LIL underscore P1T.”

“My music, typically I listen to a beat, right?” O-Tae said after his show. “I find my beats, the beats typically speak to me. I hear them, and then I hear my story being played behind these beats and I just start digging that life, asking questions around, asking my mom, ask my uncle, asking family, just figuring out some shit about myself.  

“I get everybody go through their different hardships. My hardship is different than someone else’s. So, I’m not knocking nobody else. I’m just saying it’s best to teach the young now to not do the shit. So that way you can avoid being discriminated against or being hated upon by police, by just anybody who isn’t you, because you’re different. So that’s just pretty much my whole outcome of my music is just be different for a good cause. Don’t be different just to break the rules.  

“I don’t want history repeating itself. We seen what happened to Malcolm X. We seen what happened to Tupac, Martin Luther King…”

“With my bars, it’s just really a part of my life,” Ahnie Bandz said after her live performance on the NAMA stage. “Everything that I’ve been through. And I take my time with it. I’m not a freestyler. I sit for like a few days and then I come up with a song and I kill it. As far as the speed of it all, I talk fast.

“When they hear my music, they should expect all realness, all honesty. I don’t like to uh, call it fiction rap. I don’t like to rap about stuff that I am not doing, I haven’t been through, you know?

“And so this is where the lyrical part comes in because you want to say it without saying it. Where people who have been through that or have been through similar situations would understand the metaphors and the literacy of it all.”

A 19-hour drive from Texas to Mansfield

“I seen he [Trapboy] was on tour with Flames OhGod (whose song Crazy now was nominated for Best Video, Best Pop song for You Bl** Me, nominated for Most Influential and who won Album of the Year for Heroes Die Legends), and I hit him up, and I was like, hey, me and my brother Mookey trying to go on this tour,” Uboy Midnite said.

“So I hit up my brother, I was like, ‘Hey, man, you want to do it?’ And he was like, ‘Hey, man, let’s do it.’ And then me and my guy Texas Trill, we just dropped a project called Trill Cowboys, and I hit him up like, ‘Hey, bro, we’re going to Ohio. You wanna go or what?’”

“Just like that, just like that,” Texas Trill said.

“I just love music. I love what I do and I want everybody to hear it, man. Like, that’s my biggest goal. Like, money is cool, but I just love music so much,” Midnite said.

Doc Fox interviews Uboy Midnite, Mookey Baby and Texas Trill outside the venue.

Question: This is your first time probably ever in Mansfield, Ohio, right? So what are your initial impressions? 

“It’s cold as sh**,” Midnite said. “But I like that the people are friendly here, you know what I’m saying? I like that as a connection of musical artists here, we love Ohio.

“Smooth Gator is my style. It’s a different type of style. I don’t like to be considered a rapper. I’m an artist. I love music. It shouldn’t be no genres. Music is music, and I love it, and it’s only genres because of racism. That’s why we have genres. I believe music is universal in every which way of form. So for my music, I just want to give a positive vibe, get some good vibes, and represent for the underdogs.”  

“I’m your boy, Texas Trill, the other half of the Trill Cowboys, and for me, it all started through pain, and it’s God’s message, whatever God tells me to say is what I say,” Trill said.

“And for me, you know, they call me Mookey Baby, you know, I’m from Temple, Texas,” Mookey said.

“I’m just real, you know what I mean? I put my pain and I put my worst, inside of the music, you know what I’m saying? It’s relatable, you know, all aspects of life, you know what I mean? And that’s the kind of person I am. I just want people to feel the music and keep going with that. That’s how we feel.  You know what I’m saying? That’s how we do it in Texas, man. The southern hospitality, it’s all up.”

Performance photos / Credit: Zac Hiser
(the story continues below)

Winners, the nominees and trophy hunters – In their own words

A.P. the Kidd won Best Producer, Video of the Year for Young Legend’s Hood Famous and Artist of the Year. He was nominated for Most Influential Artist of the Year.

“Honestly, there is a lot of good competition in the bracket (for Best Producer),” A.P. the Kidd said. “I try to make sure that the artist gets exactly what they want. You want to give a very unique experience.” 

Question: But is that challenging at all?

“Sometimes it is, I will not lie, sometimes it gives me headaches, but at the same time, I stay driven to the goal because I know the purpose that I have. I try to resolve it in ways that actually work better for the artists, instead of it just constantly being, like, a standoff with them.”

Question: What makes you feel like, okay, that was a good session?

“It sounds kind of childish, but, like, if my kids end up listening to it, like, if they’re all jamming it.”

O-Tae performs Saturday night at the NAMAS

SEMPEL won Visionary Award. Nominated for Best Video and Video Vanguard Award for the song Summers of Sweet Nothings, nominated for Best Hip Hop and Hit Maker Award for Billy Badazz, nominated for Legend in the Making Award and Most Outstanding Artist.

“When we made the video, shout out Don, we wanted to try to recreate the cover art, but also do something to, like, represent the city,” SEMPEL said.

“So that’s why we decided on 3rd Cup of Tea [now The 101 Tea Company]. Shout out to Braxton for letting us do that. Yeah, and that was right before the name changed, so that video is like a moment in time.

“That was the first song I even recorded for the album. So after that, that’s when I was like, okay, we’re just gonna dive into this and see where it takes us.

“This is a platform for creators. It doesn’t just have to be music, they got categories for all this other stuff, so I’m appreciative of them trying to build a platform and to show appreciation to artists and the creatives.”

VaunDoom won Best Lyricist Male, nominated for Best Rap Overall with Great Ruins, nominated for Best Video Production for Vaundoom Audio Cinematic universe (V.A.C.U), nominated for Inspiration Award, Visionary Award, Most Outstanding Artist and Best Artist Overall.

Question: What does it mean to be nominated for best lyricists?

“That’s standard issue, brother. That’s standard issue. I’m one of the illest out here.

“And I’m very honored to be recognized by the North American Music Awards, for seeing my talents and skills as being top owners. I really appreciate it.”

Brandi Johnson – won Lifetime Achievement Award

“It means a lot to me; it’s an honor, because all these years, I thought that my work has gone unnoticed,” Brandi Johnson said. “It lets me know that what I do impacts people here in Mansfield.

“My writing, I keep it as close as possible to real life situations. My family and friends have a running joke, like, don’t tell Brandi, because it’ll end up in the book.”

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Big Kye Boogie, winner of The Impact Award

“Podcaster, educator, influencer, community activism– I’m, you know, real tight in my city, love my city, family, people in it,” Boogie said. “I’m just here spreading the word, setting the vibe, setting the tone, and giving people recognition.

“The success is about the journey and the accolades that you have throughout this success. Not about certain points or the beginning or the middle. It’s about the journey, you know what I mean?  And this event is for the unheard voices. For people that’s on the grind with the music, ’cause Mansfield has a great music platform.”

Jody Odom Jr. and Kid Kulture won Anthem of the Year for Pull Up. Odom Jr. was also nominated for Most Influential Artist of the Year and The MVA Award (Most Valuable Artist).

“I heard that our song got nominated, and we were just more than thrilled to be a part of something that’s, you know, in our own city,” Odom Jr. said.

“This is our first song that we did together. So it was a long time coming as far as that song was concerned. So to see it nominated is an honor and a blessing,” Kulture said.

“We pray that our music innovates somebody else and outside of here, you know, with more reach, outside of here, you know, to pull more people to the city as well,” Odom Jr. said.

“In relation to the city, we just hope that it grows, that we grow along with the city,” Kulture said.

“I’ve dropped three songs this year. You’re welcome to stream: First Choice, God Showing Off and Too Cold. Dropping an album around June that I’ve been putting finishing touches on,” Odom said.

IMPACT AWARDS: Aurelio Diaz (left), Brandi Johnson (center) and Ryan James (right) were all honored Saturday night for their work in the community.

Thuh Koz won Pave the Way Award and Legend in the Making Award. Nominated for Most Innovative Producer.

“We appreciate getting our flowers while we alive to smell them,” Tika said on winning two awards.

“Putting ourselves out there when nobody believes. When nobody knew our names, stepping out on faith and doing whatever we could and and just wanting it, wanting it, wanting it — wanting to show the city of Mansfield and the people that we know, what we have, what we can do. And that turned into, um, I guess, paving the way for others, you know? Seeing others with talent and inviting them in,” Jamison said.

Red carpet photos & crowd shots / Credit: Zac Hiser