As the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards continue, we take a look at the artists keeping things fresh. Sure, there are a lot of bands we all know and love, but the real exciting thing about music is making new discoveries and watching the upstarts you had never even heard of at the beginning of the year emerge to rock your radio or playlist right next to those big time acts. With that in mind, it’s time to select 2012′s Best New Artist. It’s an eclectic group of rockers on our list this year. Five of our ten acts have already established themselves in the rock and metal worlds with other projects but decided it was time to test out a new vehicle. Our other five acts are true newcomers that made significant inroads toward a bright future. Take a look at our 10 Best New Artist nominees and read about what made 2012 a breakout year for them. Then vote for your favorite in the poll below: ? Candlelight Red The seeds of Candlelight Red ‘s promise were sewn in late 2011 with their album ‘The Wreckage,’ which spawned the singles ‘Closer’ and their cover of Roxette’s ‘She’s Got the Look.’ After hopping in the studio with Sevendust’s Morgan Rose producing, things only picked up steam with the release of their ‘Demons’ EP, led by the disc’s title track. ? Dead Sara Childhood friends and musical partners Emily Armstrong and Siouxsie Medley hit on something special after adding bassist Chris Null and drummer Sean Friday to their group Dead Sara . The band’s self-titled debut featured the breakout single ‘Weatherman,’ the anthemic ‘We Are What You Say’ and the stirring ballad ‘Sorry For It All.’ ? Deuce After breaking free from Hollywood Undead, the rap-rock artist Deuce thrived with the ‘Nine Lives’ album, which spawned the breakout single ‘America’ and such fan favorites as ‘I Came to Party’ and ‘Nobody Likes Me’ (which featured a guest appearance by Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke). ? ? Falling in Reverse Former Escape the Fate singer Ronnie Radke re-emerged on the rock scene with his new band  Falling in Reverse , who enjoyed solid returns for their debut disc, ‘The Drug in Me Is You.’ It spawned the singles ‘I’m Not a Vampire,’ ‘Raised by Wolves,’ ‘Good Girls, Bad Guys’ and the title track. Plus, the group’s live energy made them a popular concert draw over the past year. ? Huntress Jill Janus emerged as one of the brightest (or shall we say darkest) new voices in the world of metal, pulling from both thrash and doom metal influences. Her band Huntress started garnering attention in late 2011 with the track, ‘Eight of Swords.’ In 2012, the track ‘Spell Eater’ kept the momentum going from the album of the same name. ? Kyng Kyng  garnered critical acclaim in late 2011 with their debut album ‘Trampled Sun’ featuring singles like ‘Falling Down’ and ‘Trails in Veins.’ And in 2012, they were true road warriors for the entire year, most recently touring with the one and only Megadeth. ? ? Love and Death After several years of being billed as a solo artist, former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch gave credit where it was due by deciding to switch to the band moniker Love and Death to show the unity of the musicians. The group garnered some attention with their single ‘Chemicals’ and picked up some momentum late-year single ‘The Abandoning.’ Look for their debut album, ‘Between Here and Lost’ in 2013. ? Otherwise Las Vegas rockers Otherwise enjoyed a breakout year with their ‘True Love Never Dies’ album. ‘Soldiers’ had a long run at radio earlier in 2012 and the hard-edged ‘Full Circle’ and melodic ‘I Don’t Apologize (1000 Words)’ showed some of the range the up-and-comers have. ? ? Storm Corrosion One of the more interesting collaborations of 2012 was that of Opeth singer-guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt and prog rock’s golden boy, Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson. The duo formed the band Storm Corrosion and issued a self-titled album back in May that could be best described as avant-garde experimentalism. ? Tremonti What started as a passion project for Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti turned into a surprise hit record for the rocker. ‘All I Was’ spawned the major radio single ‘You Waste Your Time,’ while ‘So You’re Afraid’ was picking up spins late in 2012. ? ? Voting for the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards closes on Jan. 15 at 11:59 PM EST. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite band wins! Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/most-devoted-fans-2012-loudwire-music-awards” title=”Next Category: Most Devoted Fans” align=”center”] Get Notified When Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the daily Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of our full list of winners in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards, as well as the top stories in rock and metal. Email