2025 Bass Magazine Awards Photo Recap

Take a look at the biggest bass event of the year with the official recap of the 2025 Bass Magazine Awards

2025 Bass Magazine Awards Photo Recap

Take a look at the biggest bass event of the year with the official recap of the 2025 Bass Magazine Awards

The 2025 Bass Magazine Awards is in the books and it was truly a historic night of bass. Taking place at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California, the show kicked off at 7:00 PM with a solo performance by Nashville singer-songwriter/upright bass phenom Scott Mulvahill, who appeared throughout the evening. Bass Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jon D’Auria, Senior Editor Chris Jisi, and Editor-at-Large Elton Bradman took the stage to launch the awards segment. First up was a Future of Bass award presented by Bradman and Nathan East to Mohini Dey. After dedicating the award to her late father, Mohini strapped on her bass for a solo set that electrified the audience with her rapid lines and masterful 5-string fretboard command. 

Honored next with a Lifetime Achievement Award was John Patitucci, preceded by words from Jisi, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten. John offered thanks to those influential in his long career on both coasts, and took the stage with his band, featuring keyboardist John Beasley, guitarist Adam Rogers, and drummer Obed Calvaire. The quartet began with John on acoustic bass (borrowed from Billy Mohler) for “Deluge on 7th Avenue,” an original composition from John’s upcoming record, Trio Fall. He then switched to his Yamaha 6-string for a stirring medley of John Coltrane’s “Spiritual” and “Lonnie’s Lament,” before closing with his funkified take on Thelonius Monk’s “Evidence.”

Tool bass legend Justin Chancellor was next to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, with thoughts and presentation by D’Auria, Wooten, and Steve Bailey. Chancellor gave an excited acceptance speech before taking the stage to perform “Just-in Time,” his collaboration with Bass Extremes members Wooten and Bailey, anchored by Tool’s Danny Carey on drums. 

The big surprise of the night came when Wooten and Bailey exited the stage making way for the entrance of Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Adam Jones, assembling Tool for their first-ever award show appearance, and the first time the band has played a club-size venue since 1991. The band kicked off with “Schism,” boasting a bass intro by Chancellor, before bringing down the house with “Jambi.” 

The second surprise of the evening came when D’Auria and Bradman welcomed Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tal Wilkenfeld to the stage to give a Lifetime Achievement Award to Chris Jisi, in celebration of his 43 years of bass journalism. The moment was made even more poignant when Jisi’s wife Joan Walker came to the podium to deliver a heartfelt speech about her husband and his contributions to the bass community.

Throughout the four-plus-hour show, the balcony and backstage hangs boasted bass notables, including “Ready” Freddie Washington, Alphonso Johnson, James Genus, Jerry Jemmott, Oskar Cartaya, Hadrien Feraud, Henrik Linder, Amos Heller, Bryan Beller, Juan Alderete, Bubby Lewis, Poliana Magellan, Ed Friedland, Jon Herrera, Freddy Villano, Vicky Warwick, Scott Devine, Ian Martin, Blu DeTiger, Derek Frank, Janek Gwizdala, Matt McJunkins, former bassist/YouTube superstar Rick Beato, and many others.

Capping the night was MonoNeon’s Future of Bass award, presented by D’Auria, who welcomed Les Claypool to the stage for his remarks. After a very brief and hilarious acceptance speech, MonoNeon joined band members Dominique Taplin on keybords, Xavier Lynn on guitar, and Jackie Whitmill on drums onstage. The quartet strode into “Hot Cheetos,” worked the reflective ballad “Stereo,” and busted out “Jelly Roll.” Claypool joined in to apply his bass wizardry to “Under the Spell of You” and guitar deity Oz Noy sat in for the show-closing “Life is a Glittery Fuckery.”

The remaining news of note was the absence of Sting, who had contracted a viral/bacterial infection that left him unable to sing and unable to leave London; fortunately, he’s on the road to recovery. The other notable absence was Thundercat, who – after issues with the Los Angeles wildfires – was unable to attend. 

A big thank you from Bass Magazine to all who attended and supported the event, including our sponsors, Korg (Spector/Aguilar/Darkglass Electronics), Dingwall Basses, EBS Sweden, Aluminati Guitars, Mono Creators. DR Strings, MTD Basses, and Sweetwater. We are already at work on the 2026 Bass Magazine Awards, so stay tuned for more. Enjoy the many photos below from some esteemed photographers who were there to capture it all.

Photos by Todd Cooper

Photos by Kristen Taylor

Photos by Alex Kluft

Photos by Jay Taylor

2025 Bass Magazine Awards Credits

Executive Producer

Ben Hyman 

Executive Producer

Jon D’Auria

Executive Producer

Chris Jisi 

Technical Director 

Donny Emerick

Production / Stage Manager

Jack Trifiro

Front of House Engineer

Randy Weinholtz

Live Recording Engineer

Hanan Rubinstein

Lighting Director 

Manny Newman 

Monitor Engineer

Adam Rebacz

Talent Director 

Marc Najjar 

Staff Presenter

Elton Bradman 

Presenters 

Nathan East

Marcus Miller

Victor Wooten

Steve Bailey

Verdine White

Tal Wilkenfeld 

Les Claypool 

Joan Jisi 

Runner/Stagehand

Yaakov Hyman

Filming by Forza Media Co. 

Jon Mancuso 

Tommy Riggio 

Curtain Techs

Bobby Saavedra 

Brian Martin 

Street Team

Yakir Hyman

Bobby Saavedra 

Kevin Kleinsasser 

Sponsors

Mono Creators

Sweetwater

Ashdown Amplification

DR Strings 

Aluminati Guitar Co. 

Dingwall

Aguilar

Darkglass Electronics 

Spector Basses 

Skinny Dipped

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Jon D'Auria   By: Jon D'Auria