Paulino has always known where he came from. Raised in Hudson, Massachusetts, before his family settled in nearby Clinton in 2005, Paulino grew up proud of his Portuguese heritage and grounded in the tight-knit New England towns that shaped him. What has changed is where he is going. Last year, Paulino made the leap to the Nashville area to pursue a solo career as a singer-songwriter and recording artist, trading the familiar for the uncertain in pursuit of something he had been building toward for years.
The move is already paying off. Paulino, who now performs under his surname alone, is an official nominee for Song of the Year – Rock Artist at the 12th Annual Josie Music Awards for his current single, “Don’t Give Up On Me.” Winners will be announced September 20, 2026, at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, placing Paulino on one of the industry’s biggest independent stages in his very first year submitting.
“It is truly an honor to be nominated for a Josie Award, and I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized in the first year I’ve entered my music,” Paulino said. “I’m excited to be considered alongside so many other talented artists, and I appreciate the support. Words cannot express what I am feeling. The recognition of being heard and understood in such a personal song confirmed I’m achieving my dreams and right where I’m supposed to be.”
For an artist who just uprooted his life for a shot at a solo career, that kind of validation lands differently. “Don’t Give Up On Me” is a fittingly personal song for the moment, and the nomination arrives as proof that the leap from Massachusetts to Music City was the right one to take.
Paulino has not left his New England roots behind in the process. He remains the frontman of The Great Escape: A Tribute to Journey, and on Friday, August 14, he headlines a free performance at the Senhor da Pedra Feast at New Bedford’s Madeira Field. “I’m looking forward to returning to the Senhor da Pedra Feast and couldn’t be more excited to headline Friday night,” Paulino said. “I am very proud of my Portuguese heritage and hope all my people show up in support of me.” The band returns to The Vault Music Hall and Pub in downtown New Bedford on Saturday, December 5.
Between the hometown stages that raised him and the Nashville nomination now putting him on the map, Jason Paulino is proving that a solo dream and a sense of where you come from are not mutually exclusive. “Don’t Give Up On Me” is available now on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.