The ceremony itself will take place at 7 p.m. on March 24 at the Hershey Theater, and it was created as a way to grow the area’s music scene. The ceremony will be a Grammy-style red carpet event honoring the best musical groups of the past year and supporting businesses. More than 200 nominees were selected in nearly 40 categories.

Additionally, legendary musicians Les Brown, The Emperors, The Pixies Three, Third Stream, The Del McCoury Band and Live will be inducted into the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame as part of the evening’s events.

Ten nominees will represent the Cumberland County area at the Central Pennsylvania Music Awards. They include Observe the 93rd (Best Song of the Year, Best Male Vocalist and Best Alternative Rock), DEAD (Best Tribute Band), Rock Mill Studio (Best Recording Studio), Woodshed Guitar Works (Best Instrument Shop) , Cumberland Honey (Best Band/Folk Artist), Colt Wilbur Band (Best Cover Band), Gillian Smith (Best Female Country Artist, Best New Band/Artist), Christian Yeager (Best Young Artist/Band), Nick Andrew Staver ( Best Alternative Country) and Nesmith Films (Best Videography).

Asked what the Central Pennsylvania Music Awards mean to him, Derek Henry, a Mechanicsburg resident who was nominated for Best Male Vocalist, said, “It’s obviously nice to be nominated and recognized, but the music community coming together to celebrate this mutual passion is really what we appreciate about it.

Henry is one half of the Observe the 93rd group, which he says has kept quite busy during the pandemic. “We released a new song every month or so and a handful of new music videos,” he said. “Our latest release is a song called Dopamine.” Look for the group at Lovedraft’s Brewing Co. in Hampden Township, which is one of their new favorite spots.

Steph Landis said the nomination means being recognized for the heart and soul that Cumberland Honey puts into their music. “We have a very supportive following of people who enjoy our music, so I feel like the chances of being selected in the folk category are strong,” she said. “But the same could be said for the other nominees.”

During the pandemic, the group did a few live streams via Facebook and continued to practice together and craft new songs. They have many favorite local places to play including Molly Pitcher Brewing Co. in Carlisle, The Winery at Long Shot Farm in West Pennsboro Township, Burd’s Nest Brewing Co. in Carlisle, Crostwater Distillery in Lewisberry, Hook Distillery & Flask at Carlisle and any outdoor music festival. Landis and his musical partner Virginia Masland grew up in Carlisle, but have since moved to Gardners and Elliottsburg respectively.

Gillian Smith, who lives in Mechanicsburg, said she was thrilled and honored to receive nominations in two categories this year. “I’m very new to the PA music scene, so even being considered for these awards is a hit in my book,” she said.

During the pandemic, Smith focused a lot on writing songs with other people and performing wherever she was allowed. “I think the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame Awards do a great job of making sure live music and artists are recognized,” she said. “Having their support helps us all, and it keeps the music scene alive in Central PA.”

Christian Yeager, a Mechanicsburg-area high school student, said he was grateful to the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame for supporting young artists in the area. Yeager is an aspiring performer and songwriter who did very well on the charts with the debut single, “Born For A Friday Night,” which he recorded last fall in Nashville. A follow-up single will be released in March. Additionally, on March 3, 4, 5, and 6, he will star as Joseph in Mechanicsburg’s springtime musical, “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Yeager plans to move to Nashville in the fall to attend Belmont University.

Tickets for the awards show are $25 and can be purchased at cpmhof.com. The Hershey Theater is located at 15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey. An after-party will be held at The Englewood located at 1219 Research Blvd., Hummelstown beginning at 9:30 p.m.