Photos by Ted Soqui

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More than 2,000 happy fans, musicians, music-biz types, sundry hangers-on and untold others attended the L.A. Weekly’s fifth annual Music Awards at the Henry Fonda Theater on Thursday, June 26. This year saw another wildly woolly and good-natured affair as freestyling hosts Busdriver, Aceyalone and Abstract Rude gamely guided us on a mad dash through the announcements of the nominees and winners, between a lot of simply great sets by guest performers the 88, Minibar, Kool Keith, Otep and Elliott Smith, all of whom seemed to rise to the occasion with some of their best performances ever. Highlights were many, among them the humorous and insightful comments by the legendary session drummer Hal Blaine, on hand to receive his LAWMA Pop/Rock Lifetime Achievement Award, as were the elusive Ron and Russel Mael, a.k.a. Sparks, droll and delighted at their belated recognition in the duo’s hometown. This year’s event felt very special, like everyone was really into it, and a jolly good time was had by all. Congratulations to our winners and nominees. And thanks, L.A. scenesters and music lovers, for not being too cool to show up.

Kool Keith

BEST NEW ARTIST
Moving Units

BEST ROCK BAND
The Warlocks

BEST HARD ROCK/METAL BAND
Queens of the Stone Age

BEST POP/ROCK BAND
The 88

BEST PUNK/HARDCORE BAND
400 Blows

BEST RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST
Jurassic 5

BEST JAZZ ARTIST
Charlie Haden

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST
I See Hawks in L.A.

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES/R&B ARTIST
Cody Chesnutt

BEST SALSA/LATIN ARTIST
Cumbeley

BEST INSTRUMENTAL BAND
Insect Surfers

BEST NEW-GENRE/UNCATEGORIZABLE ARTIST
Gwendolyn

JAZZ EMINENCE AWARD [tie]
Teddy Edwards,
Anita O’Day

BEST WORLD MUSIC/RECOMBINANT ARTIST
Adam Rudolph’s
Go: Organic Orchestra

BEST ELECTRONIC DANCE ARTIST
Dntel

BEST DJ — MIXMEISTER
Cut Chemist

BEST DJ — SELECTOR
DJ Haul

BEST RADIO SHOW
Rev. Dan’s
Music for Nimrods (KXLU)

BEST ROCK/POP SONGWRITER/COMPOSER [tie]
Eleni Mandell,
Elliott Smith

OUTSTANDING CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE/ARTIST
California E.A.R. Unit