LAWMA 2004

FOR THIS YEAR’Sedition of our annual Music Awards, to be held at the Music Box Henry Fonda Theater on June 24, the artists were selected in a poll of 30 local music writers asked to single out the best L.A.-based musicians. Our nominees were chosen on the basis of quality, regardless of commercial success or relative obscurity, with an eye toward emerging artists we feel deserve praise and encouragement for their efforts. Thus, in several categories we have higher-profile, internationally prominent artists competing against worthy artists working at a more grassroots level. Once again, the categories are rather rough descriptions of the nominees’ skills; many or most of these artists could easily be slotted into several different divisions. Each nominee was chosen for high achievement in music this year or for the great music they’ve given Los Angeles over the years. As usual, the superb abundance of musicians in L.A. made it a hard job to narrow the field down. And, as always, every nominee is a winner.

BEST NEW ARTIST
Abloom
The Blood Arm
The Checkers
Dios
Hard Place

BEST ROCK BAND
Amen
The Hangmen
Ima Robot
The Mars Volta
The Twilight Singers

BEST HARD ROCK/ METAL BAND
Biblical Proof of UFOs
Black Label Society
The Icarus Line
A Perfect Circle
Pigmy Love Circus

BEST POP/ROCK BAND
All Night Radio
Autolux
Ross Golan & Molehead
The Like
Midnight Movies

BEST PUNK/HARDCORE BAND
Go Betty Go
The Red Onions
S.T.U.N.
Urinals
The Weirdos

BEST RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST
Chali2Na
Dilated Peoples
Octavius
Pigeon John
Sol Uprising

BEST JAZZ ARTIST
Build an Ark
Henry Grimes
John Heard
Charles Owens
Dwight Trible

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST
Carla Bozulich
Cody Bryant
Moot Davis
Groovy Rednecks
Molly Howson BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES/R&B ARTIST
Mickey Champion
Mary Dukes
House of Vibe All-Stars
Jake La Botz
Southside Slim

BEST LATIN ARTIST
AKWID
Lucio Arce
Katia Moraes
Quinto Sol
Very Be Careful

BEST INSTRUMENTAL BAND
Cocktails With Joey
Future Pigeon
I’m Not a Gun
Maktwain
Timonium

BEST NEW-GENRE/ UNCATEGORIZABLE ARTISTAmps for Christ
Jeremy Drake
Tom Recchion
Steve Roden
Jeanette Wrate

JAZZ EMINENCE AWARD
Dr. Art Davis
Artie Shaw
Horace Silver
Gerald Wilson
Nancy Wilson

POP/ROCK LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDSwill be presented to
Devo
Joan Jett
Plas Johnson
Mike Watt

BEST WORLD MUSIC/ RECOMBINANT ARTIST
Blay Ambolley
Badauê
Lili Haydn
Lian Ensemble
Mezklah

BEST LIVE ELECTRONIC ACT
Bastard Noise
Daedelus
Kitten Sparkles
Maimou
Postal Service

BEST DJ — MIXMEISTER
J-Rocc
Kutmah
Madlib
Numark
That Darn Kat

BEST DJ — SELECTOR
Frosty
DJ Nobody
Garth Trinidad
Mike Vague
Richard “Humpty” Vission

BEST DANCE MUSIC ARTIST
The Adored
Crystal Method
Dance Disaster Movement
Seksu Roba
60 Channels

BEST RADIO SHOW
Get the Fuck Up — www.killradio.org
Headspace — KXLU
Jonesy’s Jukebox — Indie 103
Barry Smolin’s The Music Never Stops — KPFK
Rodney on the ROQ — KROQ

BEST ROCK/POP SONGWRITER/COMPOSER
Anny Celsi
Joe Henry
Kristin Hersh
Patrick Park
Grant Lee Phillips

OUTSTANDING CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE/ ARTIST
Calder String Quartet
California String Quartet
Pianist Vicki Ray
The Section Quartet
USC Thornton New Music Ensemble