Once more it’s time to announce the nominees for the L.A. Weekly Music Awards, 2001 edition. The artists were selected via a poll of 30 Weekly music critics, our only guideline being that the musicians had to be L.A.-based. Thus we have nominees who range from the relatively obscure to the mega-star, signed and unsigned, indie or major, in a nice variety of colors, shapes and sizes. The categories themselves are rather general descriptions of the nominees’ talents; many or most of these artists could conceivably be slotted in several different divisions.
Each nominee was chosen for outstanding achievement in music this year or for tireless
services rendered over the years in Los Angeles. There’s such a huge abundance of great musicians in L.A. — once again, it was a difficult task to narrow the field down. Ultimately, of course, everyone’s a winner.
This year we’re also introducing a People’s Choice award for Most Valuable Player. This category embraces any and all L.A.-based individual artists or bands, in any style or genre. The vote on that one is up to you, readers. Submit your MVP vote at www.lamusic2001.com.
—John Payne
BEST NEW ARTIST
AWOL One
Slowrider
Sheila Nicholls
Nik Frost
The Tyde
BEST ROCK BAND
The BellRays
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Gwen Mars
The Warlocks
Mother Superior
BEST HARD ROCK/METAL BAND
Fear Factory
Nebula
Fireball Ministry
Tool
Marilyn Manson
BEST POP/ROCK BAND
The Negro Problem
The Jigsaw Seen
Candypants
The Sugarplastic
The Januaries
BEST PUNK/HARDCORE BAND
Betty Blowtorch
Texas Terri & the Stiff Ones
400 Blows
Union 13
The Vice Principals
BEST RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST
Aceyalone
AWOL One
Madlib
Medusa & Feline Science
Tha Liks
BEST JAZZ ARTIST
Brad Mehldau
Billy Childs
Dwight Trible
Teddy Edwards
Wadada Leo Smith
BEST COUNTRY ARTIST
Dave Alvin
Kathy Robertson
Chris Gaffney
Brantley Kearns
Lance Cosgrove
BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES/ R&B ARTIST
Macy Gray
Jill Scott
Kim Hill
Café R&B
Shawn Amos
BEST SALSA/LATIN ARTIST
East L.A. Sabor Factory
Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca
Poncho Sanchez
La India Meliyara
Rudy Regalado & Chevere
BEST INSTRUMENTAL BAND
Languis
W.A.C.O.
Banyan
Dakah
Breakestra
BEST NEW-GENRE/
UNCATEGORIZABLE ARTIST
G.E. Stinson
Xu Xu Fang
Kraig Grady
The Centimeters
Rod Poole
JAZZ EMINENCE AWARD
Benny Carter
Teddy Edwards
Horace Silver
James Newton
Bobby Bradford
POP/ROCK LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Captain Beefheart
BEST WORLD MUSIC/
RECOMBINANT ARTIST
Remi Kabaka
Huayucaltia
Very Be Careful
Axiom of Choice
Adam Rudolph
BEST DJ (MIXMEISTER)
Cut Chemist
Numark
DJ Jun
DJ Dusk
Marques Wyatt
BEST DJ (SELECTOR)
DJ Nobody
Tony Powell
DJ Daz
Daddy Kev
Garth Trinidad
BEST RADIO SHOW
Chocolate City — KCRW
Alma del Barrio — KXLU
Metropolis — KCRW
Rodney on the ROQ — KROQ
Blues Hotel — KXLU
BEST ROCK/POP SONGWRITER/COMPOSER
Beck
John Frusciante
Mia Doi Todd
Perry Ferrell
Moris Tepper
BEST DANCE MUSIC ARTIST
DJ Keoki
David Alvarado
Supreme Beings of Leisure
Electric Skychurch
Christopher Lawrence
OUTSTANDING CLASSICAL
ENSEMBLE/ARTIST
L.A. Philharmonic
Long Beach Opera
Xtet
L.A. Chamber Orchestra
Angeles Quartet
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