Jamie Lidell Blog and Journals

Winners of the
8th Annual Independent Music Awards Announced

Jeff Healey, Martin Sexton, Dan Zanes, Jamie Lidell,
Tony Trischka and Lucy Wainwright Roche among those honored by the
Awards Program for the ‘Indie Revolution’

Montclair, NJ – January 13, 2009 -- A diverse group of independent musicians and creative designers have been named winners of the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards (IMA).

Winners in more than 50 album, song and design categories were selected from thousands of submissions from around the globe and range from established and emerging talent including Martin Sexton, whose career-spanning retrospective Solo won in the Live Performance Album category; multi-genre virtuoso, Dan Zanes took top honors in the Children’s Album category with Nueva York; Tony Trischka, whose banjo wizardry has inspired a generation of players and won best Americana Album for Territory; and the late Blues great, Jeff Healey, won posthumously for his 2008 release, Mess of Blues.

Rising indie stars are also well represented in the 8th IMAs. The UK’s soulful crooner Jamie Lidell earned top honors for his breakthrough Pop/Rock album, Jim; the polyglot Dengue Fever's cultural mash up, Venus on Earth won best World Fusion album; Denmark’s A Kid Hereafter took the Punk song category with "Defenders of the Faith;" Folk/Singer-Songwriter album went to Rebecca Martin's latest release, The Growing Season, and Lucy Wainwright Roche’s track "Snare Drum" earned top honors in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter song category.

A complete list of winners is included below; more information about the winners and their music is posted at: http://www.independentmusicawards.com/pages/jukebox2009.asp

A judging panel comprised of influential artists and industry, including Peter Gabriel, Roger Daltrey, George Jones, Suzanne Vega, Buddy Guy, Keith Urban, James “Blood” Ulmer, Butch Walker, Paquito D’Rivera, Lee Ritenour, Zakk Wylde, Anthony DeCurtis and Bob Ludwig, among others, determined this years’ winners.

“Anyone who follows the music industry knows that the most exciting and diverse new music is being created by independent artists,” said IMA Director, Martin Folkman. “IMA winners and finalists truly represent the range of today’s vibrant indie scene and include artists who previously recorded for major labels, artists currently on indie labels and self-released talent in a wide spectrum of genres from Contemporary Classical to Heavy Metal and everything in between.”

The IMAs support artists and releases traditionally underserved by mass media and big box retailers, with yearlong marketing, distribution and performance initiatives that place them in front of more than 15 million music fans and industry gatekeepers.

The IMAs are produced by Music Resource Group, publisher of the popular industry print and online contact databases, The Musician’s Atlas and AtlasOnline, & co-sponsors that include online retailers eMusic and PureVolume.com; radio promotion firm The Planetary Group; radio tracking service, MediaGuide; HD radio station eRockster.com; Myxer Ringtones; online digital broadcast network maniaTV & The Stream TV; PunkNews.org; CMJ Music Marathon; online music community Sound Click; Venus Zine; LIFEbeat; SESAC and Rock the Vote.

A multi-page spread in the 2009 edition of the annual best-selling Musician’s Atlas featuring IMA winners and finalists (available on newsstands nationwide on January 15) will launch the 2009 marketing campaign. The “Now Hear This” Winners CD compilation will be promoted to more than 800 US & Canadian radio stations in the first quarter and be distributed to 5,000 music fans and industry movers and shakers at SXSW, CMJ, Folk Alliance and other influential music events throughout the year.

Past IMA Winners and Finalists credit the program for boosting their profile with talent buyers, distributors, publishers, radio programmers, record label A&R, film & TV music supervisors and fans.

Previous winners include: Apples In Stereo, Koko Taylor, Lacuna Coil, Richard Julian, Joan As Policewoman, Miguel Migs, Sugarcult, Speech, Hoots & Hellmouth, Bitter:Sweet, Jennifer Nettles, God Forbid, Mary Gauthier, Eleni Mandell, Girl In A Coma, The Mooney Suzuki, Phil Roy, Miko Marks and Kristy Kruger.

Fan Favorites To Be Determined At the Vox Populi Jukebox

As in previous years, thousands of music fans around the world will select their favorites and cast their votes at the IMA Vox Populi Jukebox for all music, design and video categories through February 2009. Once determined, these IMA “peoples choice” winners will also benefit from yearlong print, online, broadcast, live performance and event promotions alongside formal IMA Winners.

9th Annual Independent Music Awards

Submissions for the 9th Indie Music Awards will be accepted until August 2009. New categories have been added to an already broad spectrum of album and song categories include Love Song, Story Song, Concept Album, Eclectic Album and Long Form Music Video.

For a complete list of program details and Judges for the 8th Annual IMAs go to: www.IndependentMusicAwards.com.

The Winners of the 8th annual Independent Music Awards program are:

ALBUM CATEGORIES

ALT. COUNTRY - The Wilders, “Someone's Got To Pay;” AMERICANA - Tony Trischka, “Territory;” BLUES - Jeff Healey, “Mess Of Blues;” CHILDREN’S – Dan Zanes, “Nueva York:” COLLEGE LABEL RELEASE - The Redwalls, “The Redwalls;” CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN – The Ride, “The Story Of People;” CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL - Niklas Sivelov, “Improvisational 1;” COUNTRY - Rob Russell, “Turnin' Heads;” DANCE/ELECTRONICA - Torpedo Boyz, “Cum On Feel The Boyz;” FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER - Rebecca Martin, “The Growing Season;” GOSPEL - The Paschall Brothers, “On the Right Road Now;” HARD ROCK/METAL - Faces Of March, “Confessions;” JAZZ - Lafayette Gilchrist, “Soul Progressin';” LATIN - Pulpo, “Hot Bread;” LIVE PERFORMANCE - Martin Sexton, “Solo;” NEW AGE - Paul Baker, “The Quiet Path;” POP/ROCK - Jamie Lidell, “Jim;” PUNK - The Cute Lepers, “Modern Music;” R&B – Brentley, “Hand Written;” RAP/HIP-HOP - Common Market, “Tobacco Road;” WORLD FUSION - Dengue Fever, “Venus On Earth;” WORLD TRADITIONAL - Ala-Tan-Ch-Chi-Ge & Zha-Ge-DaSu-Rong, “The Mongolian Folk Long-Song”

SONG CATEGORIES

ALT. COUNTRY - Unknown Hinson, "Torture Town;" AMERICANA - Kelleigh McKenzie, "Gin;" BLUES - Meagan Tubb, "Let Me Believe;" CHILDREN'S - Kaleidoscope, "Kangaroo!;" CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN - Jade Ambroze, "More;" COUNTRY - Ridley Bent, "Nine Inch Nails;" COVER SONG - Muza(Sol Aravena), "Besame Mucho;" DANCE/ELECTRONICA - Velvet Code, "Say You Love Me;" FILM/TV/GAMING - Zeitlet X-emble, "Theme From Pasprefut;" FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER - Lucy Wainwright Roche, "Snare Drum;" GOSPEL - Eddie Cunningham, "Jesus Is More Than A Name;" HARD ROCK/METAL - The Trews, "Hold Me In Your Arms;" HOLY HIP-HOP - Joeldavessel, "I See;" JAZZ - John Ricci, "Mode Time;" LATIN - Latin Giants of Jazz, "Cuero Na'Ma;" NEW AGE -Paul Baker, "Heart's Gate;" POP/ROCK - April Smith, “Colors;" PUNK - A Kid Hereafter, "Defenders Of The Faith;" R&B - Intervision, "Live Out Loud;" RAP/HIP-HOP - Sweatshop Union, "Oh My;" SOCIAL ACTION - Mana Poly All-Stars, "Gunshots;" WORLD FUSION - Selasee, "Agba Yei;" WORLD TRADITIONAL - Mamadou and Vanessa, "Ay Masilan"

DESIGN CATEGORIES

Album Packaging – Designer: Arsineh Khachikian & Rostom Kouyoumdijian, Artist: Bet Williams & John Hodian, “Epiphany Project;” Album Photography – Photographer: Geir Dokken, Artist: Unni Lovlid, “Rite;” Artist/Band Publicity Photo - Photographer: Jody Domingue, Aritst: 33 Degree, Band Website – Designer: Ether Design Studio, Artist: Eli Black, Website: www.eliblack.net; Band/Venue Poster – Designer: Jeff Wood, Drowning Creek Studio, “Rothbury Music Festival Poster;” Concert/Performance Photo – Photographer: Jon Leidel, Artist: The New Familiars; Indie Label Website – Designer: Dirty Bandits, Label: Balckheart Records, Website: www.blackheart.com; Music Business Website – Madison And Fifth, Company: Noisy Planet, Website: www.noisyplanet.net; Music Video – Director: Hank Friedman, Artist: Leerone, Video: “Care For Some Whiskey;” Swag – Designer: Blue Ajay, Band Merchandise: Booze Monkey Poker Chips

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For more information contact Joelle Caputa (joelle@independentmusicawards.com)
at Music Resource Group, 973-509-9898
http://www.IndependentMusicAwards.com
http://www.MySpace.com/TheIndependentMusicAwards