2008 Winners
MAMA 2008 Winners
GENRE AWARDS
Blues Song of the Year
The Mud Angels
Blues Album of the Year
Westside Andy/Mel Ford Band
Blues Artist of the Year
The Mud Angels
Classical Song of the Year
Ben Johnston-Urey
Classical Album of the Year
Ben Johnston-Urey
Classical Artist of the Year
Randal Harrison
Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Country/Bluegrass Artist of the Year
Spare Time Bluegrass Band
Electronic Song of the Year
The Dorothy Heralds
Electronic Album of the Year
Null Device
Electronic Artist of the Year
Sensuous Enemy
Folk/Americana Song of the Year
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Folk/Americana Album of the Year
Dear August
Folk/Americana Artist of the Year
Sharp & Harkins Band
Jazz Song of the Year
Clear Blue Betty
Jazz Album of the Year
Harris Lemberg
Jazz Artist of the Year
Randal Harrison
Pop Song of the Year
Robert J
Pop Album of the Year
Mark Croft
Pop Artist of the Year
Mark Croft
Rock Song of the Year
The Lucas Cates Band
Rock Album of the Year
Robert J
Rock Artist of the Year
Clear Blue Betty
Unique Song of the Year
The Gomers
Unique Album of the Year
The Gomers
Unique Artist of the Year
Know Boundaries
Urban Song of the Year
dumate
Urban Album of the Year
Know Boundaries
Urban Artist of the Year
Felicia Alima
World Song of the Year
JAH Boogie's Natty Nation
World Album of the Year
JAH Boogie's Natty Nation
World Artist of the Year
JAH Boogie's Natty Nation
DJ of the Year
DJ Fusion
NON-GENRE AWARDS
Compilation Album of the Year
The Best of Urban Theatre, Vol. 1
Ensemble Vocalists of the Year
Madison County
Entertainer of the Year
JAH Boogie's Natty Nation
Female Vocalist of the Year
Laura England
Jessi Lynn
Instrumentalist of the Year
Tracy Jane Comer
Male Vocalist of the Year
Robert J
New Artist of the Year
Blue Beyond
Studio of the Year
DNA Studios
Wish You Were Here Award
Joe Bainbridge
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS
Cover Band of the Year
The Gomers
Live Music Venue of the Year
The High Noon Saloon
Local Music Radio Station of the Year
WORT
Local Music Record Store of the Year
B-Side Records & CDs
The Exclusive Company
Local Radio Personality of the Year
Lee Rayburn
YOUTH AWARDS
Youth Vocalist of the Year
Felicia Alima
Youth Ensemble of the Year
Alton Kelly
Youth Instrumentalist of the Year
Jesse Banks
Student of the Year
Joel Weng
Teacher of the Year
Jim Kyle
SPECIAL AWARDS
Meritorious Achievement Award
John Urban
Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award
Richard Davis
Launchpad Awards:
Village Idiot
Alton Kelly
Pillbox 49
Donate to the MAMAs!
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Paypal address: donate@themamas.org
CONTRIBUTION LEVELS
up to $250 Support Level
$250-$500 Distinguished Support Level
$500-$1,000 Friend of the MAMAs
$1,000-$5,000 Affiliate Level
Over $5,000 Benefactor Level
MISSION STATEMENT
MAMAs, Inc. is organized and operates exclusively for charitable or educational purposes, as defined in Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The mission of the MAMAs is to support the preservation and expansion of all forms of music education in the Madison area, and to encourage and promote the artistic advancement of our emerging musical youth.
VISION STATEMENT
In furtherance of our charitable purpose, MAMA, Inc. has created and presents the annual Madison Area Music Awards ceremony, with the purpose of (1) raising public awareness of the need to preserve and support the existence of music education in our public schools and other community institutions, (2) encourage and promote the advancement of musicians and others in the Madison area by recognizing their musical achievements as well as the achievements of outstanding music students and music educators, and (3) provide promotional support for the Madison music economy as a whole.
MAMA, Inc. seeks to establish three other annual events to further carry out its charitable mission and to keep the awareness of the need for music education in the public eye year-round.
MAMA, Inc. also seeks to carry out the following:
* Provide opportunities for professional, semi-professional and student musicians who are interested in pursuing careers in music to learn about the music industry
* Provide forums for young musicians and others in the Madison area to participate in live performances
* Become advocates for music education by working cooperatively through the Madison School Board and with others
* Establish a school instrument repair program
* Create, support and fund music education events presented in the schools in the form of assemblies
* Create an endowment fund to provide music education scholarships
WHAT'S NEW FOR '08
What is different for this year?
We have made a couple of rule changes intended to increase the number of nominees.
Any one song or album can only have one nomination, that being in the genre where it has the highest vote total. For instance, an artist may enter a song or album in different genres because it crosses sone stylistic lines. But any one song or album will only get one nomination.
Any one artist can only have one nomination in any one genre. For instance, an artist may enter several songs into the same category but can only have one nomination per genre. This rule does not mean an artist can not be nominated in separate genres but it must be for separate songs or albums. It also does not apply to artists that play solo and in a band, or in more than one band; each entity is considered separate.
How the MAMAs work:
To submit and vote, you must become a MAMA Member, which requires a $5 donation. Your $5 membership donation is segregated and goes directly to music education in the greater Madison area.
Round 1 (Submissions): Submit your songs, albums, and People's Choice write in ballot to be considered for nomination by the membership.
Round 2 (Nominations): Songs and Albums submitted in the Round 1 go through peer review by MAMAs members. MAMAs members compare songs and albums rating them good, better, and best in the peer review. The top songs and albums in each category at the end of Round 2 are nominated to move to Round 3.
Round 3 (Final Vote): Round 3 consists of the top nominations in each category from Round 2. MAMAs members cast their vote for one of the nominations in each category. The nomination with the most votes in its category wins.
2008 MAMA FAQ - Part 1
What are the MAMAs?
MAMA, Inc. is a non-profit organization. The MAMA, Inc. mission statement is at the top of this page. MAMA is an acronym for Madison Area Music Awards. Each spring we hold an award show that honors the efforts of local musicians. This award show, along with the many other initiatives of MAMA, Inc. throughout the year, raises money to foster the next generation of musicians by helping fund youth music programs and by putting instruments in the hands of kids who might not otherwise have them. Our focus is on the public school system but our charter is not limited to specifically that. Our objective is to keep the fundamentals of music available for our youth and to promote that cause.
How can I get involved by volunteering for the MAMAs?
The MAMAs are always looking for dedicated persons willing to help out. We are a small, volunteer organization with an incredible task that we’ve chosen to take up. The complexities are sometimes overwhelming and the 2008 campaign is only our fifth. Each year we make enormous progress toward refining and improving the entire process of entering, selecting and presenting the awards as well as producing the awards show. There are specific areas we need volunteers in. This year we have formed several genre groups for which we will be seeking volunteers. Also, for the show in May we will be seeking about a dozen people to serve as ushers and to fill other roles. To volunteer, send us an email or call our office at 608-250-2565.
How do I make a financial contribution to MAMA, Inc.?
If you would like to make a financial contribution to the MAMAs, apart from becoming a member or registering/nominating, click here. MAMA, Inc. is a charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are eligible for tax deduction. You’ll want to consult with your tax advisor as to specific deductibility for your individual situation.
What are the eligibility requirements for the Madison Area Music Awards?
The eligibility requirements for the MAMAs require you to meet one of two eligibility requirements. You must have some members of your group living in Dane County or be based in Dane County. A good benchmark for this is having 50% of your band members or 2 of 5, 3 of 7, etc. Alternatively, if you play a significant amount of performances, around 50% of your gigs, in Dane County you are eligible. Registration is on the honor system, primarily. If a nominee comes into question, MAMA, Inc. will then verify that the artist or group is eligible.
What is different for this year?
We have made a couple of rule changes intended to increase the number of nominees.
Any one song or album can only have one nomination, that being in the genre where it has the highest vote total. For instance, an artist may enter a song or album in different genres because it crosses sone stylistic lines. But any one song or album will only get one nomination.
Any one artist can only have one nomination in any one genre. For instance, an artist may enter several songs into the same category but can only have one nomination per genre. This rule does not mean an artist can not be nominated in separate genres but it must be for separate songs or albums. It also does not apply to artists that play solo and in a band, or in more than one band; each entity is considered separate.
2008 MAMA FAQ - Part 2
What are the time restrictions and other requirements that make an album or song eligible?
An album is defined as a group of songs (three or more) that is released for sale to the public by an artist or group that meets the eligibility requirements. This would include EPs (Extra-play singles, which refers to releases that usually have only a few songs) but not a CD-single, which we define as being only one or two songs on a single release. Songs from a CD-single would still be eligible in the Song of the Year category, and also the Artist of the Year awards.
For Album of the Year awards, the release of the album must fall within the eligible year. For the 2008 awards the eligible year is January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007.
Songs are individual compositions that are original works or cover songs. MAMA, Inc. accepts no responsibility in songs that are posted by the artists for consideration and does not represent the submissions in any legal manner or guarantee their copyright status. The same song could be submitted in multiple categories or an artist may choose to submit separate songs in separate categories. Songs should either be composed or released in the current award year and may not be re-submitted in future years.
What are the People’s Choice awards?
The People’s Choice awards are just what the name implies: some specific award categories are determined solely by open ballot voting by the public and require no submissions. Those categories are: Entertainer of the Year, Cover Band of the Year, Local Music Record Store of the Year, Live Music Venue of the Year, Local Music Radio Station of the Year and Local Radio Personality of the Year. The ballot for these awards is a write-in ballot.
What is the “Wish You Were Here” award?
The “Wish You Were Here” award is open to musicians and songwriters that do not meet the eligibility guidelines for the MAMAs but wish to donate to the charitable cause and compete for this award. This award is essentially another Song of the Year category with the winner being determined in the same fashion as the other Song of the Year categories.
In previous years the Artist awards were chosen by the selection committee. Is there still a selection committee this year?
No, there is no longer a selection committee. In previous years, our committee members had to sift through mountains of submitted materials. We believe that the artists and the fans are best-equipped to choose MAMA winners.
What is Broadjam’s role in the MAMAs?
Broadjam, Inc. is a worldwide company based out of Madison. To learn more about Broadjam, go to www.broadjam.com. Roy Elkins is the president and founder of Broadjam and came to the MAMAs in 2005 offering assistance. Roy has been instrumental in helping MAMA, Inc. form its new board of directors and is the current chair of the MAMA board. He has offered Broadjam’s services and expertise in the registration/nomination and voting processes for the MAMAs. One of the things Broadjam does is to administer the voting for the Association of Country Music. The mechanisms for running contests and selecting award winners have therefore already been developed by Broadjam and so they are a natural fit for the MAMAs. Broadjam’s services are a donation; no profit is being made by Broadjam and no monies are diverted to Broadjam or any of its employees. Broadjam’s security measures are concrete and the board is fully confident of the company’s abilities to meet our goals in upholding the fairness and integrity of the MAMAs. The Madison area community owes a huge debt of gratitude to Broadjam for their commitment to the MAMAs and to funding school music programs.
2008 MAMA FAQ - Part 3
How do I become a member of the MAMAs?
If you are already a member of Broadjam, you will become a MAMA member by nominating in any category.
Becoming a member of the MAMAs entitles music fans to vote and to nominate songs and albums. Becoming a member requires a $5 donation. This $5 goes into a separate fund that goes directly to our charitable recipients. This money is not diverted to pay the expenses of administrating MAMA, Inc. or to produce the award show. Becoming a member of the MAMAs is saying that you care about fostering the next generation of musicians. It also says that you support the efforts of the current professionals in our area by participating in listening to and selecting from the outstanding music being produced in our area. To become a MAMA member click on the “register now” button on the MAMAs home page.
How do I register and nominate my songs or albums?
To nominate yourself or your band you must register at the MAMA website and become a MAMA member. All submissions will be handled online. If you do not have a sufficient connection or are otherwise not able to upload your songs, album, artwork, bio, pictures or other information, you can bring your materials to our two upload stations and we will help you do it. The two stations are: The MAMA office at 3921 Anchor Dr. 250-2565 and Broadjam, Inc at 6401 Odana Rd. Madison, WI 53719; 271-3633. Each award submission requires a $10 payment. As always, you do have the option of making a greater donation if you choose to do so. To register/nominate click on the “register now” button on the MAMAs home page.
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How does the nomination round of the voting process work?
Round One utilizes a tried-and-true method developed by Broadjam. Once you are a MAMA member you can return to vote as many times as you like. The voting system recognizes your login and knows which songs, albums or artists you have voted for. Songs, albums and artists that have already been voted on will no longer come up in your queue. When you vote in a genre, you’ll be given three anonymous samples which you will rate good, better or best. You must rate one good, one better and one best. Each song or album submission will be voted on about the same number of times. This is part of the beauty of the Broadjam mechanism. The sooner submissions are received, the sooner they can begin to be sampled. As a voter in the Album and Artist of the Year categories you also have the ability to choose any participating artist and go to their MAMA page at Broadjam where you can read, listen and see more about them. A significant advantage of this method is that voters have the opportunity to see and hear about a tremendous variety of local music. At the end of the nomination round, the top four vote-getters will become nominees and move on to the final round.
How will the final winners be selected?
The final round is a slick, online process that voters will love. The Broadjam voting mechanism will walk you through the final selection process where you select from the list of nominees in each category. You will be able to sample song selections or visit that artist’s page to assist you in making your choice.
When is the awards show and how do I get tickets?
The Madison Area Music Awards event will be held on Saturday, May 10 at the Barrymore Theater. The specifics of the show are forthcoming and tickets will go on sale in March or April. The cost for the tickets is expected to remain the same: $20 for a general ticket and $50 for a VIP ticket which will include a VIP pre-show party. This year’s show is expected to sell out. You’ll want to keep your eye on this website and the media for announcements so that you can act quickly.
SUBMISSION TIPS
Here are a few pointers in helping you navigate the submission process. Please keep this handy as you are signing up as it will save you some time. Remember if you have any problems, you can get assistance by stopping in or calling Broadjam at 6401 Odana Rd (271-3633) or the MAMAs office at 3921 Anchor Dr. (250-2565).
1. Rip your music to MP3. Remember, for albums you should upload all the songs individually. Save the MP3s to a folder where you can easily get them.
2. Scan your album cover and save as a color jpg. The maximum width or height is 400 pixels.
3. Log on to www.themamas.org and click on “Register & Submit"
4. Follow the instructions to become a MAMA member, even if you are already a Broadjam member.
5. If you ever find yourself on the Broadjam homepage, go to Contests/MAMAs.
6. Once you are a member and have given your account an artist name, Click “My Profile.”
7. As a musician member of the MAMAs you are given a Broadjam membership, good for one year. This profile is where you manage all your content. Next to songs there is an edit button. This is where you will start loading songs. You will have to fill out only a few required fields for each song. The rest of the fields can be filled in if you wish and are valuable to Broadjam members. Remember that the genre classification is for the Broadjam account and not the genre you want to enter for the awards. You will choose the award category later. It may take a while to upload all the songs you wish to, depending on your connection.
8. Once your songs are all uploaded, go to the edit button next to photos and follow the instructions carefully to upload your album cover. Your photo must not exceed 400 pixels in height or width.
9. Now, click on the edit button next to albums. You can now enter the name of your album and then choose songs from the song list.
10. Now you need to get back to the MAMAs contest page: Contests/MAMAs.
11. Click on submit. Follow the instructions to submit your albums and songs. Remember that there are non-genre awards such as Male/Female Vocalist of the Year and Instrumentalist of the Year that you can also enter. The entire album counts as one submission. Each song category you enter a song into will count as one submission. Since you have already uploaded your songs, your songs and albums will be presented to you to simply check off and select for submission.
12. Once you have submitted something you will have an option under “Submit” to “View Prior Submissions.” Here you can see all the choices you have made and verify that your submissions have been made. This is critical because you can’t vote for yourself so you will not see your songs or albums as you vote.
13. Vote! It’s fun and we need your participation as a peer reviewer to help select the winners. You can come back as often as you wish and vote. Remember also to vote in the People’s Choice categories and the Wish You Were Here category.
14. Buy your ticket for the show early! Tickets information will be available soon.
15. Have a helluva good time on May 10th!