Best Visual Artist

What is a visual artist, exactly? Are they graphic designers? Publishers? Photographers? Painters? Well, they’re probably a bit of everything, depending on what the job calls for. Lately, Seth Smith and Paul Hammond of Yo Rodeo! have been pushed into the album cover game. They’re currently working on a cover for Jon Epworth, and they’ve recently whipped up cover art for The Stolen Minks, Dog Day and Sharp Like Knives. “It’s nice to work with a band and have them involved in the decision-making process, but it can make things a little more challenging, too,” says Hammond. “Jon’s great because he basically said, ‘I don’t care what you do, I don’t care how much it costs, just do whatever makes it look the most crazy.’”

1st runner-up: Mitchell Wiebe

2nd runner-up: Chalkmaster Dave