Around Town

Alexandria’s MAYSUNS win Wammie Award for best rock band

By James Cullum
The MAYSUNS (Left to right - Gabriel Harr, Max Powell, Beck Moniz and Nathan Argust) relaxing at a mural of musical legends outside St. Elmo's Coffee Pub in Del Ray, July 9, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria rock band MAYSUNS took home a regional Wammie Award for best rock band Saturday night.

It’s the third Washington Area Music Award for the band, which won best rock album and best song in 2023. The award ceremony was held at Capital Turnaround in D.C.

MAYSUNS features Gabriel Harr on lead vocals and guitar, Max Powell on guitar and backing vocals, Beck Moniz on bass and lyrics, Nathan Argust on drums, Shaan Shuster on keyboards and Kostia Howard on saxophone — the only member who is not a graduate of T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School).

“It is really cool,” Powell told ALXnow. “We’ve been around for nine years and we work really hard at what we do and to get recognition for it. It means a ton. Whenever we have an idea for a song or a show, we put our all into it whenever we can.”

Powell said that the band will release its next album later this year.

MAYSUNS was formed in 2018, and its members — now 25 years old — started playing music together as preteens at Rock of Ages Music in Del Ray. The other nominees for best band were Breezy Supreme, Femi and the Foundation, Velvet Divide, and Jack Astronaut.

MAYSUNS will next play at DC9 on Wednesday, May 27, and at Union Stage in D.C. at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 26.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.