Colonel Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award
Colonel Finley R. Hamilton

The Colonel Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award acknowledges exceptional Army, Marine, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard enlisted musicians, and honors the memory of Colonel Finley R. Hamilton, U.S Army (Ret), who succumbed to cancer while serving as President of the National Band Association (NBA). The recipients of this distinguished award exhibit exceptional musical and leadership excellence.

This award captures Colonel Hamilton's dedication to the musicians of the armed forces and his tireless championing of outstanding musician leaders in service bands from all branches.

Eligibility Criteria
  • Be in the U.S. Armed Forces serving in a military band.
  • Be in the grade of E-4 to E-6 at the time of nomination.
  • Be an outstanding musician demonstrating excellence in both solo and ensemble performance, or in a music-support role with exceptional technical skill and mission value.
  • Display exceptional leadership qualities.
  • Display great potential for future outstanding service.
Nomination Procedure
  • Each U.S. Armed Forces band may nominate one enlisted musician per calendar year.
  • Completed nomination form must be received between November 15 and December 15.
  • The National Band Association oversees the program with the Military/Professional Band Chair as coordinator.
  • The George S. Howard panel of the John Philip Sousa Foundation validates the awards.
  • Previous recipients are ineligible for re-nomination; this award may only be received once in a career.
  • Awardees are announced each January for the previous year.

Send nominations to CPT Viglucci at richard.viglucci.mil@army.mil

Award Recipients
USA
SSG Daniel Adams

300th Army Band

USAF
SRA Mark Allen Jr.

USAF Band of the West

USN
PO2 Kevin Anderson

Navy Band Great Lakes

USCG
PO1 Mackenzie Austin

United States Coast Guard Band

USA
SGT Matthew Barbre

257th Army Band- District of Columbia National Guard

USAF
TSGT Elizbeth Barnette

US Air Force in Europe - Air Forces Africa Band

USMC
SSG Greg Burdick

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band

USN
PO1 William Camps

United States Naval Academy Band

USN
PO2 Marcelo Carrion

U.S. Seventh Fleet Band

USN
PO2 Nathan Cooper

Navy Band Northeast

USAF
TSGT Seth Ebersole

The United States Air Force Band

USMC
SSG Taylor Fleshman

"The President's Own" United States Marine Band

USA
SSG James Guffey

312th Army Band

USA
SSG Celia Hall Castro

36th Infantry Division Band

USA
SSG Brooke Hendricks

282nd Army Band

USMC
CPL Victor Hernandez Ramirez

Marine Band San Diego

USAF
SSG Michael Horrigan

USAF Band of the Pacific-Asia

USMC
SGT William Jones

1st Marine Division Band

USA
CPL Christopher King

4th Infantry Division Band

USA
SGT Nicholas Kraft

56th Army Band, HHBN, I Corps

USAF
TSGT Ryan Manzi

USAF Band of the Golden West

USA
SSG Joseph May

126th Army Band

USMC
SGT Luis Mejia

III Marine Expeditionary Force Band

USA
SSG Ross Mitchell

The United States Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps

USAF
SSG Derrick Newbold

USAF Band of Mid-America

USAF
TSGT Cody Peterson

USAF Heritage of America Band

USN
PO3 Bernadette Rocks

Navy Band Southeast

USMC
SGT Lucas Schurman

Parris Island Marine Band

USMC
SGT Andrew Sellers

Marine Detachment, Naval School of Music

USAF
TSGT Ryan Spencer

United States Air Force Academy Band

USN
PO1 Samuel Stewart

Navy Band Northwest

USAF
SRA Brennan Tolman

U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific - Hawaii

USA
SGT Steven Vought

Eighth Army Band

USA
SGT Cody Williams

202nd Army Band

USN
PO3 Taylor Yarbrough

U.S. Pacific Fleet Band

USAF
TSGT Edward Zaryky

USAF Heartland of America Band