For Jesediah, being nominated for a Wavy Award isn’t simply about winning a trophy.

It’s about being invited into the room.

The New York City-based artist is having a major year, earning two nominations at the 2026 Wavy Awards: New Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Blood is on your hands,” a collaboration with longtime friend and fellow artist Ryan Cassata.

Jesediah recently joined Pride 365 Radio’s Houston to talk about the nominations, their musical journey and why visibility for marginalized artists needs to extend far beyond Pride Month.

The 6th Annual Wavy Awards take place Saturday, September 5, in Bushwick, Brooklyn, bringing together independent artists and creators for an evening of awards, performances and community. Jesediah is also among the artists scheduled to perform during this year’s ceremony.

Two Wavy Nominations — And A Longtime Collaboration

Jesediah admits there are some nerves surrounding Saturday night — but they’re the good kind.

“Like, you know, the type of nerves I think when, like, you’re really excited about something,” they told Pride 365 Radio. “And like, you just want it to go perfectly.”

Jesediah’s two nominations include New Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Blood is on your hands,” recorded with Ryan Cassata.

The collaboration has a history that stretches back much further than the song itself.

Jesediah and Cassata first met when they were about 12 years old at a music camp in New York City.

The two were already developing their own musical identities at the time. Jesediah was working as a folk artist, while Cassata was creating what Jesediah describes as folk punk.

Years later, their paths would cross again — this time as established independent artists creating music together.

Jesediah says the connection has always felt somewhat like parallel lives.

“We had no mutual friends, we didn’t know anyone in common, nothing,” Jesediah explained. “And we just like, yeah, we hit it off and we just have stayed in touch all these years.”

That longtime friendship ultimately became “Blood is on your hands.”

From Folk To Trap-Pop And Hyper-Pop

Jesediah’s current sound might seem like a considerable distance from their early folk influences.

Today, the artist describes their music as trap-pop and hyper-pop, with unreleased material leaning even further into hyper-pop, alongside trap and dancehall influences.

But Jesediah doesn’t see the evolution as quite as strange as it might initially sound.

Their early folk influences included Mumford & Sons, whose songwriting Jesediah believes contains a surprisingly direct connection to hip-hop.

“There’s a lot of words, a lot of internal rhyme scheme,” Jesediah explained. “There’s a lot of things that are very characteristic of hip-hop in their music.”

That realization helped open a door.

Jesediah was already playing guitar and piano and writing folk music, but began recognizing that the lyrical and rhythmic elements they were drawn to could exist within other musical forms.

By the time they reached college, the evolution toward more melodic and contemporary sounds was underway.

The result is an artist who isn’t particularly interested in being boxed into one genre.

The Importance Of Being “In The Room”

Perhaps the most powerful part of Jesediah’s conversation with Pride 365 Radio came when discussing what the Wavy nomination actually means.

At 29, and turning 30 this year, Jesediah has already been working at their craft for some time.

So while winning would obviously be meaningful, simply receiving recognition is important in itself.

“I don’t believe that you have lost because you didn’t win the award,” Jesediah said. “Like, you were still in the room.”

That idea immediately led to one of the artist’s favorite musical references: Hamilton.

Jesediah recalled the famous idea of wanting to be “in the room where it happens.”

Because sometimes, simply being invited into that room can change everything.

“I’ve been in these rooms and walked away with things and also been in these rooms and not walked away with things,” they said. “And to me, the thing that still keeps like me consistently happy about it is the fact that like I was invited into the rooms.”

For Jesediah, that carries an even deeper meaning as a Black trans artist.

“Because like also as a Black trans artist, I’m like, you know, like we don’t often get invited into the rooms if I’m keeping it honest.”

Visibility Can’t Just Be For Pride Month

That conversation naturally turned toward one of the most frustrating realities of working as an LGBTQ+ artist: the tendency for the industry to dramatically increase its attention during Pride Month and then move on.

Jesediah says June is their busiest booking month.

And then?

“Everyone disappears.”

The problem isn’t that Pride Month creates opportunities. It’s that those opportunities too often fail to continue throughout the rest of the year.

“I don’t only need to support myself during Pride,” Jesediah said.

That’s one reason The Wavys’ September celebration is so important to Jesediah.

The organization was created to increase recognition and opportunities for historically underrepresented voices in the music industry, with a particular emphasis on emerging and independent artists. Its 2026 awards submission guidelines specifically highlight historically underrepresented voices and encourage independent and unsigned artists to participate.

For Jesediah, the message is simple:

We are here all the time.

“We matter all the time,” Jesediah said. “Our humanity matters. Our talent matters.”

They continued by emphasizing the importance of artists’ contributions to culture and the need for that work to matter outside of a designated month.

Creating A Different Kind Of Room

The Wavys have built their awards around the idea of creating opportunities for artists who may not always receive them through the traditional music industry.

The organization describes its mission as celebrating diversity, inclusion and artistic excellence while amplifying historically underrepresented voices. Its broader programming also includes artist support, community events and opportunities designed to help independent creators build sustainable careers.

That makes Jesediah’s comments about being “in the room” particularly meaningful.

Because recognition isn’t just about the award itself.

It’s about the connections made, the visibility created and the doors that can open afterward.

For an independent artist, those opportunities can be just as valuable as a trophy.

What’s Next For Jesediah?

Jesediah is continuing to release new music and explore the increasingly hyper-pop-influenced sound that has emerged from their musical evolution.

During the Pride 365 Radio interview, Houston also praised Jesediah’s passion and commitment to their craft, while encouraging listeners to keep an eye out for what’s coming next.

And with the Wavy Awards just days away, Jesediah is preparing to step into another room — this time in front of an audience of independent artists, creators, music fans and industry supporters.

Whether they walk away with one award, two awards or simply the experience of being there, Jesediah already understands the bigger victory.

They’ve been invited.

They are in the room.

And they’re helping make sure the door stays open.

Listen to the full Jesediah interview on Pride 365 Radio and follow @jezmakesmusic for more music and updates.

The 6th Annual Wavy Awards

Saturday, September 5, 2026
5:00 PM–11:00 PM
Bushwick, Brooklyn

The ceremony will feature more than a dozen live performances and will be livestreamed free to the public, with accessibility features including live transcription, ASL interpretation and closed captioning.