Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/8037
LIVEMAGS.NET MARCH>>10 15 THE MARCH TODO LIST WRITER>>CANDICE YACONO T he OC Music Awards is now celebrating its 9 th year of honoring top local talent. This year's all- ages awards ceremony is slated for March 6, at Grove of Anaheim. The nominees include new breakout acts and some familiar chart topping artists It also brings a new award category into the mix this year with Best Folk. Along with genre categories from Best Rock to Best Latin, event organizers will bestow the Orange County Impact and Lifetime Achievement Awards on March 6, the winners having already been named. The 2010 Orange County Impact Award will go to triple-platinum stars Sugar Ray, who have rocked Orange County and the world for 21 years. Formed by five Corona del Mar High School students in the late 1980s as the Shrinky Dinx, the band saw its first major hit about 10 years later with the release of "Fly," co-written and produced by McG, a longtime friend of the band who has since gone on to direct films like "Terminator: Salvation" and hits from the "Charlie's Angels" franchise. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed on Jim Washburn, a longtime Orange County music critic and historian. The 2009 event featured honors, appearances and performances by The Vandals, Mickey Avalon, Atreyu, and Japanese Motors. Awards Academy members submit their ballots for the majority of the award categories. Duking it out for Best Album glory this year are Melanoid, Thrice, Saosin, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, and Michael Ubaldini. Best Song nominees include the Steelwells, Aushua, the Colourist, Atreyu and Eye Alaska. Vying for Best New Artist are Blok, The Colourist, I Hate You Just Kidding, She Screams Remedy and the Steelwells. Other categories include Best Alternative, Best Blues, Best Club DJ, Best Country/Americana, Best Electronic, Best Folk, Best Hip Hop, Best Indie, Best Jazz, Best Latin, Best Metal, Best Pop, Best Punk, Best Rock, Best Surf and Best World. This year's event season started off January 5 with the kick-off of the OC Music Awards Showcase Series, featuring 35 bands in a "playoff" to win two of the award ceremony's 24 categories: Best Live Band and Best Live Acoustic. The series included seven free, weekly showcases throughout Orange County. The sessions culminated in the Best Live Acoustic Finals at the historic Yost Theater of the Santa Ana on February 26, and the Best Live Band Finals at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Samueli Theater in Costa Mesa the following day. When the winners in each category are named, they go on to perform live at the main awards ceremony. In addition, Fender will award the winners of each category with a $2,500 voucher for Fender products. This is the first such reward bestowed on Showcase Series winners. The OC Music Awards organizers received hundreds of free submissions from artists throughout Orange County who vied for a spot in the showcases. Founded in Fullerton in 1946, Fender has grown to become the world's top musical instrument manufacturer. The OC Music Awards also highlight the new Fender University, a music education program for guitar enthusiasts worldwide that features behind-the-scenes peeks at Fender's manufacturing process; a series of music workshops; hands-on educational experiences; performance opportunities; and special guest appearances. Fender also will host an interactive lounge during the main awards show, with gear to play and product demos. "Fender is an American music icon and an integral part of our music heritage. We are thrilled to see Fender actively involved in supporting their hometown music scene," said Awards Producer Luke Allen. The OC Music Awards also teamed up with the Laguna Art Museum's 2010 OsCene exhibit, honoring current local art and culture, by curating the music portion of the show. It runs from Feb. 21 to May 16, 2010. For more information, visit lagunaartmuseum.org. The official charity organization of OC Music Awards is Music for a Cure, formed in 2002 by members of the Orange County-based band Sugar Ray. The nonprofit's mission is to bring music and its healing effects to critically ill children through musical instruments, as well as support for music therapists and music therapy programs at local children's hospitals. A portion of the value of each ticket purchased for the awards ceremony benefits the organization. For more information or tickets, visit ocmusicawards.com. OC Music Awards MARCH 6