On Tuesday night, fans, publicists, musicians and many more Dallasites ventured into the cold to attend the 28th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards ceremony.

The yearly event took place at The Bomb Factory for a second consecutive year and the “Observer” made great use of the space. There were giant gala like tables spread out across the floor with swag to be worn and collected by attendees. The event also featured a trailer-themed photo booth for group shots, merchandise tables and a spot for the suicide prevention group Foundation45 (learn more about Foundation45 here).

The “Observer” took advantage of The Bomb Factory’s stage by having seven of the nominated artist perform covers of songs they believed could help heal the spirit of Dallas after a tumultuous year. Nominee for best Funk/R&B  Kirk Thurmond & the Millennials did their version of Stevie Wonder’s “You Haven’t Done Nothing.” Best Live Act nominee and eventual winner Dezi 5 covered of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On.” And Art&Seek Spotlight Artist Sam Lao performed Beyoncé’s “Freedom” from the star’s acclaimed “Lemonade” album with the backing of Best Group Act winners the Texas Gentlemen.

Lao was this year’s breakout star winning an award in all five categories that she was nominated for (Best Album, Best Female Vocalist, Best Music Video, Best Rap/Hip-Hop Act and Best Song). Other notable winners included North Texas darling Leon Bridges (Best Male Vocalist and Best Funk/R&B Act), KXT favorite Charley Crockett (Best Blues Act), KXT deejay Paul Slavens (Best Radio Show/Podcast) and woman on the rise Kaela Sinclair (Best Pianist/Keyboardist).

The awards were a smashing time, but there was one sour note that seemed to hang over the entire evening. The evening’s host Jeff Gage – the “Observer’s” music editor – said his goodbyes to the crowd, because earlier this fall  the weekly decided that they would be eliminating their full-time music editor position. Many people seemed concerned that his voice might be missing in the scene, but he told Art&Seek that he would be freelancing in the area until he found a new gig.

If you would like to see the rest of the winners from the 28th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards ceremony, click here.