FOR THIS YEAR’S edition 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 ARTIST
Amps 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 AWARDS
will 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

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