AWARDS & BENEFITS NEWS: Jammy Awards Nominees Named

(CelebrityAccess News Service) – The 4th Annual Jammy Awards will be held March 16 at Roseland Ballroom in New York with String Cheese Incident and Gov't Mule both leading with four nominations each. Produced by Relix Magazine, Jambands.com and promoter Peter Shapiro, the awards honor the ever-growing improv-based jam scene. The Jammys is the premiere grassroots music event in the country and will recognize the best in live music performance in 2003. Most of the evening will be dedicated to live performances by members of the improvisational community. Voting is open to the public at Jammy Awards, Jambands.com and Relix.com. Performers to be announced.

"The improvisational music scene continues to expand, evolve and diversify and the Jammy's is a night to celebrate that diversity on one stage for one night," said Executive Producer Peter Shapiro.2004 Jammy Awards will be presented to winners in nine categories: Live release of the Year; Studio Album of the Year; Song of the Year; Archival Live Album of the Year; Live performance of the Year; Tour of the Year; DVD of the Year; Album Cover of the Year; New Groove Award. A Lifetime Achievement Award will also be announced.

"The Jammys continually exceeds everyone's expectations and this year will be no different. Get ready for another unforgettable night of music," said Steve Bernstein, president and publisher of Relix Magazine.

Jambands.com editor Dean Budnick, the event's co-founder, who offered a backstage history of the show in his book Jambands released earlier this month, adds, "Knowing what we have in the works I certainly anticipate more of the weirdness and wonder that has come to define the Jammys."

Last year's performers included: Grateful Dead's Bob Weir; Phish's Trey Anastasio; John Mayer; The Allman Brothers Band; John Scofield, Gov't Mule; Robert Randolph; The Blind Boys of Alabama; Derek Trucks; B-52's singers Fred Schnieder and Kate Pierson; Particle; Blue Oyster Cult founding members; moe; Dave Matthews Band's Stefan Lessard; Leo Kottke; Phish Bassist Mike Gordon; Rusted Root, DJ Logic and guitarist Melvin Sparks; host John Poppera; House band The Tom Tom Club and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Previous Lifetime Time Achievement Awards were given to B.B. King, The Meters and the Grateful Dead. This year, String Cheese Incident and Gov't Mule lead Jammys nominations with four nominations a piece. Three of Gov't Mule's nominations came from one night of music: its Deepest End performance in New Orleans on May 3, 2003 which included more than twenty guest musicians. Bands receiving 3 nominations include Allman Brothers Band, Galactic, moe., Phish and Widespread Panic. The Grateful Dead is nominated for two awards (Archival Live album, DVD) while its current incarnation, The Dead, also received one (Tour of the Year).

The nominees for the 2004 Jammy Awards are:

Live album of the year:

"Plasma," Trey Anastasio (Elektra)

"TranceFusionRadio–Broadcast–02," the Disco Biscuits (self-released)

"Live Vol. 1," Garaj Mahal (Harmonized)

"Deepest End," Gov't Mule (ATO)

"Alivelectric," the Slip (216 Records)

"Live From Bonnaroo 2003," various (Sanctuary)

Studio album of the year:

"Hittin' the Note," Allman Brothers Band (Peach/Sanctuary)

"Wormwood," moe. (Artist Direct)

"Untying The Not," String Cheese Incident (Sci-Fidelity)

"Soul Serenade," Derek Trucks Band (Columbia)

"Ball," Widespread Panic (Silverline)

"Old Hands," Yonder Mountain String Band/Benny Galloway (Frog Pad)

Song of the year:

"Old Before My Time," Allman Brothers Band

"Uptown Odyssey," Galactic

"Bullet," moe.

"Papa Johnny Road," Widespread Panic

"Above the Thunder," Keller Williams

"Different Light," Steve Winwood

Archival live album of the year:

"Live at Atlanta International Pop Festival," Allman Brothers Band (Epic/Legacy)

"Closing of Winterland: December 31, 1978," Grateful Dead (Grateful Dead Records)

"How the West Was Won," Led Zeppelin (Atlantic)

"Down Upon the Suwannee River," Little Feat (Hot Tomato)

"Warts and All 3 (11/13/98)," moe. (Fat Boy)

"Live Phish 18 (5/7/94)," Phish (Elektra)

Live performance of the year:
Trey Anastasio with Carlos Santana, May 31, 2003 (Warfield Theater, San Francisco)

The Flaming Lips, June 14, 2003 (Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, Tenn.)

Gov't Mule with Les Claypool, Bela Fleck, Sonny Landreth George Porter Jr., Dave Schools, Victor Wooten and more, May 3, 2003 (Saenger Theatre, New Orleans)

Phish, Feb. 28, 2003 (Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.)

Soulive with John Scofield, Fred Wesley, Nicholas Payton, Karl Denson and more, April 30, 2003 (Tipitina's, New Orleans)

String Cheese Incident, Aug. 2, 2003 (Horning's Hideout, North Plains, Ore.)

Tour of the year:

The Dead: Summer Getaway (summer)

Galactic: Freezestyle (winter)

Gov't Mule: Rebirth of the Mule (fall)

Leftover Salmon/Del McCoury: Under the Influence Tour (fall)

Phish (summer)

Widespread Panic (fall)

DVD of the year:

270 Miles From Graceland," various (Sanctuary)

"The Deepest End," Gov't Mule (ATO)

"Live at Winterland," Grateful Dead (Grateful Dead Records)

"Central Park Concert," Dave Matthews Band (RCA)

"Live at the Fillmore Auditorium," String Cheese Incident (Sci-Fidelity)

"Live from the Lake Coast," Umphrey's McGee (Home Grown Music)

Album cover of the year:

"Ruckus," Galactic (Sanctuary)

"Germination," Lotus

"Aliveacoustic," the Slip (216 Records)

"Untying the Not," String Cheese Incident (Sci-Fidelity)

"Illustrated Band," Vida Blue (Sanctuary)

"Home," Keller Williams (Sci-Fidelity)

New Groove award:

Bluestring

Hot Buttered Rum String Band

Moonshine Still

Nero

Psychedelic Breakfast

Raisinhill

–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen

MusiCares Names Sting Person Of The Year

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sting acknowledged feeling a little out of sorts as he was honored as person of the year by the Recording Academy's MusiCares foundation.

"I'm actually feeling an emotion I'm not very well known for — humility," the Grammy-winning artist joked Friday at a star-studded charity dinner.

He was honored for his charitable works, including his efforts to protect human rights and the rain forests. Among those at the musical tribute were Wynonna Judd, Mary J. Blige, Hugh Hefner, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Bob Geldof and Elvis Costello.

Previous honorees include U2 frontman Bono and Quincy Jones. MusiCares provides assistance for people struggling within the music community. Sting said he was "deeply honored to be the point-person to raise funds for this event."

"We are here to support people who haven't had the breaks," he said. "They can't simply live day to day."

The MusiCares gala was one of several celebrity events leading up to Sunday's Grammy awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Chapman Leads Dove Award Nominations

NASHVILLE, TN (AP) — Gospel singer Steven Curtis Chapman led the Dove Award nominations with seven on Tuesday, even though he wasn't named in the best artist category he has won six times.

A slew of other Christian musicians received five or more nods for the 35th Annual Dove Awards, gospel music's version of the Grammys, scheduled for April 28 in Nashville.

Chapman's major nominations included Male Vocalist of the Year for his album "All About Love" and song of the year for the title track off that album. Joining Chapman as nominees for best male vocalist are Jeremy Camp, Bart Millard, David Phelps and Mark Schultz.

The nominees for Artist of the Year are MercyMe, Stacie Orrico, Switchfoot, Randy Travis and Michael W. Smith.

Smith has won 12 Dove Awards in the past two years, including Artist of the Year in 2002 and 2003. He received one other nomination Tuesday, for Special Event Album. MercyMe was the only other act to repeat an Artist of the Year nomination from last year.

Switchfoot received six nominations for their "Beautiful Letdown" release. The recording has been No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart for the first five weeks of 2004. Band member Jonathan Foreman received five nominations and brother Tim Foreman earned four nominations individually for their songwriting.

Third Day also received six nominations for the "Offerings II: All I Have to Give" release.

MercyMe, Switchfoot and Third Day are up for group of the year as well as Jars of Clay and Newsboys.

CeCe Winans and Orrico will battle for Female Vocalist of the Year, and both received five nominations.

Winans' "Throne Room" was the first for her new Pure Springs Gospel/INO/Epic label. Orrico, 17, became an MTV favorite this past year with her second album for the song "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life."

Other nominees for best female vocalist were Nichole Nordeman, Rebecca St. James and Joy Williams.

Awards will be handed out by the Gospel Music Association in 44 categories for recordings released between Nov. 1, 2002 and Oct. 31. The 4,500-member GMA is a trade organization formed in 1964 to promote Christian music.

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On the Net:

Dove Awards: http://www.doveawards.com

Elvis Costello To Perform At Oscars

NEW YORK (AP) — Elvis Costello isn't too hip to perform at the Oscars.

Costello is nominated for his song "Scarlet Tide," from the film "Cold Mountain." He will play while Alison Krauss and the Sacred Harp Singers perform.

"I'm delighted to be there and delighted to be a part of it," he told AP Radio recently. "Some part of you hopes a song endures and has a life beyond the way it sits in the film, I know I'll sing it for the rest of my days."

He wasn't always so agreeable to television performances. In 1977, Costello was a last-minute replacement for the Sex Pistols on "Saturday Night Live." After starting "Less Than Zero," he stopped his band and began playing "Radio Radio" (which was unreleased). Producer Lorne Michaels was so angry he banned Costello from the show until 1989.

Costello's dizzying 25-year career has included rock and country, soul and pop, punk and classical and jazz. He's responsible for songs like "Alison" and "Red Shoes."

Another song from "Cold Mountain" is also up for an Oscar. "You Will Be May Ain True Love" was written by Sting and is also performed by Krauss.

The Oscars will be held in Los Angeles on Feb. 29.

"On the day, you would be happy to see any of these writers win," said Costello, 49. "They've all got their own merit, there's no song that's an embarrassment."

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On The Net:

http://www.elviscostello.com

Dance Music Hall Of Fame Nominees Named

(CelebrityAccess News Service) – The Dance Music Hall of Fame has released its list of nominees for the 2004 awards.

Each year the nominating committee and board of advisors will select nominees in the categories of Performer, Record, Producer, Remixer and DJ. Ballots are then sent to an international voting committee of over 1,000 dance music experts. Artists and others that helped shape the dance music industry become eligible for induction 25 years after their first contribution or record release. Nominations are not based solely on the subject's revenue or popularity. Criteria also include the influence and significance of the nominee's contributions to the development and perpetuation of dance music.

The Dance Music Hall of Fame will recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution and development of dance music and will celebrate the history and significance of dance music.
Its board members are Daniel Glass (president, Artemis Records), Eddie O'Loughlin (president, Next Plateau Entertainment) and Thomas Silverman (chairman, Tommy Boy Entertainment).

Dance Music Hall of Fame 2004 nominees:

Performers (10 nominees–three to be inducted in 2004):

Barry White

Bee Gees

Chic

Donna Summer

Gloria Gaynor

James Brown

KC &The Sunshine Band

Kraftwerk

MFSB

The Trammps

Producers (three nominees–one to be inducted in 2004):

Gamble &Huff

Giorgio Moroder &Pete Bellotte

Nile Rodgers &Bernard Edwards

Remixers (three Nominees–one to be inducted in 2004):

Jim Burgess

Tom Moulton

Walter Gibbons

Records (15 Nominees–five to be inducted in 2004):

Cheryl Lynn – Got To Be Real

Diana Ross – Love Hangover

Donna Summer – I Feel Love

Double Exposure – Ten Percent

Eddie Kendricks – Girl You Need A Change of Mind

Evelyn "Champagne" King – Shame

George McCrae – Rock Your Baby

Gloria Gaynor – Never Can Say Goodbye Medley (Never Can Say Goodbye, Reach out I'll Be There, Honey Bee)

Harold Melvin &The Bluenotes – Bad Luck

Love Unlimited Orchestra – Love's Theme

Manu Dibango – Soul Makossa

MFSB – Love is the Message

Silver Convention – Fly Robin Fly

Sylvester – You Make Me Feel Mighty Real

Thelma Houston – Don't Leave Me This Way

DJ's (10 Nominees–three to be inducted in 2004):
Bobby "DJ" Guttadaro

David Mancuso

David Todd

Francis Grasso

John "TC" Luongo

Larry Levan

Nicky Siano

Pete "DJ" Jones

Tee Scott

Walter Gibbons

–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen

Scott Williams To Receive PAFMS Award

(CelebrityAccess News Service) – Scott Williams, general manager of the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, will receive the 2004 Ray W. Ward Award, presented by the Regents of the Public Assembly Facility Management School (PAFMS) at Oglebay Resort & Conference Center in Wheeling, WV.

The award recognizes an individual associated with the school whose dedicated service and contributions over a period of at least six years have resulted in significant and long-lasting improvements to the overall success and quality of the school. The award was created and presented initially to Ward in August 1996.

“I am very honored and pleased to receive this excellent award,” said Williams. “Ray Ward has not only been a great friend, but a mentor for me for many years.”

Williams has been an instructor at PAFMS for 14 years and has served multiple terms as a member of the Board of Regents." –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner

Scott Williams can be reached by email at: swilliams@deltacenter.com

Charity Auction Set To Benefit Station Nightclub Survivors And Victims' Families

(CelebrityAccess News Service) – John Langenstein, director of security for several bands including Phish and The String Cheese Incident, has teamed up once again with David Shulman and The Mimi Fishman Foundation to raise money for
The Station Family Fund.

Todd King, a survivor himself of the fire, is the VP of the Station Family Fund. “While the victims of the fire are sure to be the focus on February 20 (the anniversary), it’s vital we don’t forget the families they have left behind," said King "The Station Family Fund was formed to help those families, as well as the survivors."

The second in a series of Langenstein/Shulman on-line auctions is scheduled to commence on February 20, exactly one year after the tragic fire. Their first auction, which ended January 25 raised $7,500 from items donated out of Langenstein’s personal memorabilia collection, as well as items donated by Phish and The String Cheese Incident. As before, The Mimi Fishman Foundation will host the on-line auction while Langenstein will use his contacts developed over 20 years in the industry to secure very special auction items.

"Our first auction was just a small step towards the help that is needed," said Langenstein. "Our efforts are now in overdrive as the needs of the families affected far outweigh the help the Station Family Fund has been able to provide. I am more determined now than ever to help out the survivors and the families of the victims."

The Station Family Fund will distribute every dollar raised by the auction in an effort to address the needs of the survivors and the families of victims. “We will reveal the specific items on February 20, the day the auction begins," said Shulman. "While the final details are still being ironed out, I can say this will certainly be an exciting auction, with very rare and unique items. There is sure to be something of interest for fans of all music types. John has done a wonderful job pulling his resources together.”

Expect items donated by a long and diverse list of musicians, including Neil Young, BB King, Enya, Phish, Lisa Marie Presley, Mark Knopfler, Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills & Nash and many others. Beginning Feb 20, the auction can be viewed at www.mimifishman.org

The Station Family Fund is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) recognized, tax exempt, nonprofit organization, founded to offer assistance and relief to people directly affected by the fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, RI. 100 people perished, close to 200 severely injured, and more than 60 children lost one or both parents in the horrific fire on February 20, 2003. – by Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen

APAP Annual Award Winners Named

NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess News Service) – The Association of Performing Arts Presenters (Arts Presenters) presented their annual awards to vocal artists Sweet Honey in the Rock (Washington, DC), performance artist Tim Miller (Santa Monica, CA) and performing arts professionals Baraka Sele (Newark, NJ) and John Killacky (San Francisco, CA).

"The four recipients show us that the future of the performing arts community is wide open, ready for change and growth, willing to explore new avenues for creativity and expression," said Sandra Gibson, president & CEO of Arts Presenters. "These are the planners, the decision makers and the motivators for the work that engages our communities, our schools and our cultural landscapes."

Association of Performing Arts Presenters Award of Merit for Achievement in the Performing Arts: Sweet Honey in the Rock

The Award of Merit honors individuals whose genius, energy and excellence have defined or redefined an art form for today's audiences. "We must continue to provide opportunities in the face of tremendous diminishing support for the arts in our society, we must still get up everyday understanding that to be fully human, your heart has to be touched and expanded by artistic creative expression," said founder Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagan.

Sidney R. Yates Advocacy Award for Outstanding Advocacy on Behalf of the Performing Arts: Tim Miller

The Sidney R. Yates Advocacy Award honors an individual or an organization for a particular advocacy effort or for a sustained advocacy campaign at the national, state or local level that has a significant impact on the performing arts. "I feel like all the various hats I wear – as performer, activist, presenter, educator – all go toward fulfilling my creative mission – to raise awareness, embolden audiences, and encourage more justice in our ever-beleaguered society," said Miller.

William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence for Sustained Achievement in Programming: Baraka Sele, New Jersey Performing Arts Center

The William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence honors an individual or organization for the quality, innovation and vision of program design, audience building and community efforts. "What are we doing to impact the lives and the communities of the artists we bring to our stages; the artists we are hoping to impact our communities? That to me is the challenge for presenters and producers of the 21st century – as globalism sweeps the world and as globalism becomes the new cultural, social, political and spiritual context," said Sele.

Fan Taylor Distinguished Service Award for Exemplary Service to the Field of Professional Presenting: John Killacky, San Francisco Foundation

This award honors an individual whose outstanding service, creative thinking and leadership have had a significant impact on the profession of presenting and/or on the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. "Our industry has changed, as we have changed. Twenty-five years from now, may I see all the new industry leaders of today being supported and loved by this community as I have been supported," said Killacky. –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen

Jackson Wins Top Directors Guild Award

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Directors Guild of America saved its best for last when it came to honoring "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, giving its top award Saturday night to Peter Jackson for the story's final chapter, "The Return of the King."

In the 56 years since the guild began presenting its top honor, the winner has gone on to receive the Academy Award for best director all but six times.

Jackson became the first filmmaker ever nominated for the prize three years in a row, and this is the first time he won. He spent seven years putting the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy books on film.

"We live in an age where people write books about nightmarish experiences on film sets — and I didn't have one of those — I had the most amazing time," Jackson said.

Also honored was director Mike Nichols, who took the award for TV movie direction for HBO's two-part "Angels in America."

Nichols is a previous lifetime achievement award winner for his work on such films as "The Graduate," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "Catch-22" and "Working Girl."

Christopher Misiano, directed the TV drama series award winner for an episode of NBC's "The West Wing," while Timothy M. Van Patten was recognized in the TV comedy series category for an installment of HBO's "Sex and the City."

The guild previously nominated Jackson in 2002 for the first "Rings" installment, "The Fellowship of the Ring," but gave the prize to Ron Howard for "A Beautiful Mind." His bid last year for "The Two Towers" lost out to Rob Marshall for "Chicago."

The consensus in Hollywood is that many voters — for both the directors guild and the upcoming Academy Awards — took a wait-and-see approach to honoring the wizard, warrior and warlock story, about a diminutive Hobbit on a quest to destroy a malevolent ring.

Now that the mythology-and-magic tale is told, Jackson and "The Return of the King" are regarded as front-runners for many of the movie industry's top prizes this awards season. He already collected best director at the Golden Globes and the movie won best drama there.

"The Return of the King" also has a leading 11 Academy Award nominations, including best picture and director. Those honors will be presented Feb. 29.

Also nominated for the Directors Guild Award were Sofia Coppola for "Lost in Translation," her tale of unlikely friendship in Tokyo; Clint Eastwood for "Mystic River," a brooding drama of murder and revenge; Gary Ross for "Seabiscuit," the story of the Depression-era racehorse; and Peter Weir for the Napoleonic naval adventure "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

Coppola, daughter of past guild winner Francis Ford Coppola, and Ross earned their first guild nominations. Eastwood is a past DGA winner for "Unforgiven," and Weir was nominated three times previously, for "Witness," "Dead Poets Society" and "The Truman Show."

Directors Guild of America Web site