On April 14, Proctors will host the inaugural Thomas Edison Regional Music Awards, or “Eddies,” an awards ceremony meant to amplify, empower and celebrate professionals within the Capital Region’s music scene. Sixty judges—local club owners, sound technicians, educators, journalists and performers—will judge approximately 80 nominees in 30 categories, including Solo Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Concert Series of the Year and Best Venue. The public also has the opportunity to vote for a People’s Choice Awards in the Local Artist, Venue and Concert of the Year categories, and two Capital Region Music Hall of Fame Winners will be announced in the Artist Lifetime Achievement and Arts Educator or Contributions to the Area Music Scene categories.
The Eddies were partially inspired by the Syracuse Area Music Awards, or “Sammies,” which have been celebrating the music scene in Syracuse, NY, since 1992, per Proctors Collaborative Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations Jim Murphy, who spent most of his life living in the Syracuse area. “The Sammies have fostered countless collaborations and spotlighted hundreds of artists,” he says. “Members of our music community deserve [the same] experience.” So, with the help of colleague Salvatore Prizio, Program Coordinator at Proctors Collective, Murphy conceived of the Eddies.
The name “Eddies” derives from the awards series titular Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph—a primitive version of the record player—and who laid the groundwork for what would become General Electric in Schenectady. Edison’s name was shortened for the purposes of the awards, Murphy says, because Proctors wanted something more “recognizable and pithy” than “The Capital Region Music Awards” or “The Albany Music Awards.” (“Eddie” was actually a working title for the Grammys before The Recording Academy [formerly the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences] decided to play on the word “gramophone.”)
“The spirit of the Eddies is to recognize all of those who work so hard, day-in and day-out, to entertain the Capital Region and beyond,” Prizio says. “Just about everyone pushes themselves so hard in this business, and the Eddies present a moment for all of us to pause, celebrate and reflect on what we do, whether it’s an intern running cable or the biggest stars to come out of the area. We want to recognize that effort and celebrate each other.”
Tickets for the Eddies are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. They can be purchased at the Box Office at Proctors—432 State Street, Schenectady; by phone at 518.346.6204; or online at proctors.org. For a complete list of nominees, see below.
Solo Artist of the Year
The Age
Girl Blue
Sawyer Fredericks
Pink Noise
Sean Rowe
Buggy Jive
Solo or Duo Performer of the Year (Covers Category)
Alicia Bautista
Chris Dollard
Erin Harkes
Rich Ortiz
PJ Duo
Mia Scirocco
Alt/Indie Artist of the Year
Bear Grass
Blue Ranger
Girl Blue
Sean Rowe
The Sea The Sea
Wild Adriatic
Hip Hop/Rap Artist of the Year
Airline Jay
Entreband
Johnny 2 Phones
KATANI
Ohzhe
Promise the Unbreakable
Party Cover Band of the Year
The AudioStars
Funk Evolution
Garland Nelson and Soul Session
New York Players
The Refrigerators
Skeeter Creek
Jazz Artist of the Year
Michael Benedict Jazz Vibes
Teresa Broadwell Band
Cliff Brucker
Chuck Lamb
George Muscatello
Brian Patneaude Quartet
DJ of the Year
DJ Element
DJ Ketchup
DJ Siroc
DJ Tall Ass Matt
DJTGIF
DJ Trumastr
Country/Bluegrass Artist of the Year
Big Sky Country
Eastbound Jesus
Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys
The Gibson Brothers
Ramblin Jug Stompers
Skeeter Creek
Americana Artist of the Year
Annie and the Hedonists
The McKrells
Andrew Mirabile
The North & South Dakotas
Olivia Quillio
Red Haired Strangers
Rock/Pop Artist of the Year
The Abyssmals
The Parlor
Pony in the Pancake
The Sea The Sea
Victory Soul Orchestra
Wild Adriatic
Punk/Metal/Hard Rock Artist of the Year
Candy Ambulance
The Clay People
Drug Church
Hush
Prince Daddy & The Hyena
Sinkcharmer
Jam Band of the Year
Ampevene
The Deadbeats
Formula 5
Let’s Be Leonard
moePods
Ramblers Home
Blues Artist of the Year
Annie and the Hedonists
Mark Tolstrup
Wild Adriatic
Andrew Wheeler
Thomasina Winslow
Alana Wyld/Wyld Blu
RnB/Soul Artist of the Year
The Age
Garland Nelson
NXNES
Pink Noise
Souly Had
Victory Soul Orchestra
Electronica Artist of the Year
Apostrophe S
Sara Ayers
Bell’s Roar
Lip Talk
Phantogram
Silica Angel
International/World Music Artist of the Year
Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde
Golfstrom
Jorge Gomez—Tiempo Libre
Heard
Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra
Maria Zemantauski
Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year
Albany Pro Musica
Albany Symphony Orchestra
Musicians of Ma’alwyck
Opera Saratoga
Saint Rose Camerata
Schenectady Symphony Orchestra
Folk/Traditional Artist of the Year
Dan Berggren
Curragh
Drank the Gold
Michael Jerling
The McKrells
Zan & The Winterfolk
Music Video of the Year
Buggy Jive—This Is Not a Pipe (for Rene Magritte)
The Clay People—Colossus
Sawyer Fredericks—Hide your Ghost
The Gibson Brothers—Everybody Hurts
Girl Blue—Dreams
Geoff Gordon—Interlude
Ohzhe—Been Busy
Wordthethirdeye—Shake Well
Album of the Year
Bear Grass—LEFT
Bell’s Roar—We Carry Us
Blue Ranger—Saving a Beauty
Elrod + MotherJudge—Cold Warrior
The Gibson Brothers—Mockingbird
Ohzhe—Godly
Mark Tolstrup—Northstar
Wild Adriatic—Feel
Record of the Year
The Age—”Falling in Love is a Dangerous Thing”
Buggy Jive—”This Is Not a Pipe (for Rene Magritte)”
The Gibson Brothers—”Lay Your Body Down”
Girl Blue—”Lolita”
Geoff Gordon—”Bad Love”
KATANI—”Unity”
The McKrells—”My Big Old Broken Heart”
Sean Rowe—”I’ll Follow Your Trail”
Outward Bound Artist of the Year
Another Michael
Don Dworkin
Hand Habits
Lip Talk
David Malachowski
Phantogram
Promoter or Presenter of the Year
Bee Sides Cassettes
Greg Bell (Guthrie Bell Productions)
Chateau Shows
Ted Etoll (Step Up Presents)
Mona Golub (Music Haven Concert Series)
Super Dark Collective
Radio DJ of the Year
Brian and Chrissy WGNA
Jimmy Barrett WAIX
Andy Gregory WEXT
Bill McCann WCDB
Jeff Morad WEQX
Chris Wienk WEXT
Concert Series of the Year
Alive at Five
Brown’s Summer Sessions
Capital Records Live!
Music Haven Concert Series
Rockin’ on the River
Super Dark Collective
Live Production Crew of the Year
824 Productions
Denis Entertainment Group
Empire Audio
High Peaks Sound
Live Sound Inc
Specialized Audio-Video Inc.
Arts Publication of the Year
The Chronicle
nippertown.com
nysmusic.com
Preview (Times Union)
The Spot 518
Ticket (Daily Gazette)
Music Journalist of the Year
Katie Cusack
Joseph Dalton
Michael Hochanadel
J Hunter
Jim Shahen
Don Wilcock
Best Venue Small (up to 350 people)
Caffé Lena
The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
The Linda
The Low Beat
Nanola
The Strand Theatre
Best Venue Medium (350-999 people)
Cohoes Music Hall
The Egg
GE Theatre at Proctors
Jupiter Hall
Putnam Place
Van Slyck’s—Rivers Casino & Resort
::Read saratoga living‘s feature on the area’s top venues::
Best Venue Large (1,000 people and up)
The Palace Performing Arts Center
Proctors
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Times Union Center
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Upstate Concert Hall
Best Live Festival Large Format
Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival
Albany Tulip Festival
Jazz at the Lake: Lake George Jazz Weekend
Larkfest
Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music & Dance
Pearlpalooza
Best Live Festival Small Format
Babe Fest
Bee Side Fest
Eastbound Throwdown
GottaGetGon Folk Festival
The Summit
Super Dark Collective Halloween Prom
Photographer of the year
Ed Conway
Stanley Johnson
Rudy Lu
Andre Pilarczyk
Shannon Straney
Kiki Vassilakis
