Orange Blossom Award: The Connector of Music

Matthew Morris — musician, connector, and one of the quiet forces helping build a stronger local music scene. Photo credit: Matthew Morris

by Avery Anderson

There’s a version of the arts ecosystem that runs on competition, scarcity, and quiet side-eye. And then there’s the version that actually works.

This Orange Blossom Award goes to Matthew Morris—because he chose the second one.

You might know Matthew as the leader of The Diver Down, a band that knows how to fill a room and hold it. You might also know him as an actor, an artist, or someone balancing a full-time job while still finding time to create. What you might not immediately see is the connective tissue he’s been quietly building all year long.

When The Arts Passport was just getting its footing—trying to make the case that music deserved the same depth of coverage and advocacy as any other art form—Matthew was one of the very first calls we made. Not because he needed the spotlight, but because he understood the assignment.

The initial story was about artists making a living here. What followed was something far more impactful.

Matthew didn’t just say yes. He asked, who else should you talk to? Then he opened doors. He made introductions. He connected bands to a platform that was still, at the time, earning trust. Those introductions turned into profiles. The profiles turned into relationships. And those relationships turned into momentum—bands reaching out, stories multiplying, and a growing sense that local music had an advocate that was actually listening.

This kind of work doesn’t come with applause. It doesn’t show up on a resume. But it’s foundational. It’s how scenes grow instead of fracture. It’s how communities move from me to we.

In a year when The Arts Passport was still proving itself, Matthew helped position it as a genuine home for local music—not by centering himself, but by lifting others.

So this Orange Blossom Award isn’t for a single performance or project. It’s for the selfless act of building a circle wide enough for everyone to stand in.

For sharing the mic.
For showing up consistently.
For understanding that advocacy isn’t loud—it’s generous.

That’s the Orange Blossom spirit. 🌸

What Are the Orange Blossom Awards?

A month-long series from The Arts Passport celebrating the people and organizations whose quiet, steady work strengthens Tampa Bay’s arts ecosystem. No applications. No campaigning. Just community-driven recognition, released daily in December.