THE 12TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

THE 12TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

For Immediate Release

Ben Kweller, Band Of Skulls, Killer Mike, Dethklok, Willie Nile, Passenger, Five Finger Death Punch, Team Me, Gungor, Bernie Worrell Orchestra, The Wiyos and
Little Freddie King Among The 12th IMA Winners

Banned Iranian duo Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat Take Top Honors in World Traditional Album

Fan Online Voting Will Determine The 12th IMA Vox Pop Winners

June 11, 2013 – Ben Kweller, Band Of Skulls, Killer Mike, Dethklok, Little Freddie King, Passenger, Five Finger Death Punch, Team Me, Gungor, Bernie Worrell Orchestra, The Wiyos, and Willie Nile are among the exceptional self-released and independent label talent named today by Music Resource Group (MRG) as the Judge-determined Winners of The 12th Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential international awards program for independent bands and fans.

The veteran artists and rising stars named as 12th IMA Winners in more than 80 Album, EP, Song, Music Producer, Music Video and Design categories were winnowed from thousands of submissions from around the globe, and were determined by a panel of influential artists and music industry executives.

For the first time, The IMAs honored producers associated with an album whose production quality was deemed extraordinary. The co-producers Kenny Siegal, Bryce Goggin and Brian Geltner received this inaugural award for the production of the Johnny Society album “Free Society.” The tracks were recorded at Siegal’s Old Soul Studios, located in Catskill, NY.

Stop-motion and animated videos from Kim Bingham for her song “UP!” and Le Peuple de l’Herbe for its song “Parler le fracas,” delighted judges with their ability to complement the songs’ messages and engage viewers over multiple viewings, resulting in a tie in the Music Video Short Form category.

Archival recordings from both Woody Guthrie and Louis Armstrong received honors for the Smithsonian-Folkways label in the Compilation and Album Reissue categories.

Also among the winning artists is the sister team of Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat of Iran, whose music is outlawed in their native country. Their album Twinklings Of Hope won in the World Traditional Album category. The record is made available on the Kirkelig Kulturverksted label based in Oslo, Norway.

Known for championing original, sometimes controversial work by artists who follow their own muse, The IMAs provides Winners with performance, promotion and distribution opportunities that will place them in front of music supervisors, talent buyers, record label executives, and most importantly, fans worldwide.

“Whether it’s from established artists like Killer Mike and Band Of Skulls, or breakout acts such as Air Traffic Controller, The Congregation, Gungor and Mama Rosin, independent artists excel at creating original music that takes risks and wins over new fans,” said Martin Folkman, Executive Director of The Independent Music Awards.

“With winning entries from the United States, Canada, France, U.K., Switzerland, Iran, Spain, Netherlands, Singapore, Venezuela, South Africa and Korea, The Independent Music Awards continues to provide unprecedented exposure for a diverse range of incredible self-released and independent label talent,” Folkman said.

The 12th IMA Judging panel featured exceptional recording artists including: Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan, Ziggy Marley, Suzanne Vega, Del McCoury, Meshell Ndegeocello, Pete Wentz, Shelby Lynne, G. Love, Brandi Carlile, McCoy Tyner, Judy Collins, John Medeski, Chris Wood, Andrea Marcovicci, Raul Midon, “Weird Al’ Yankovic, Bernie Worrell, Jeremy Taggart, Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, Arturo Sandoval, Joel Madden, Jonatha Brooke and Jim Lauderdale.

The IMA Judging panel was also comprised of record label executives, club and festival talent buyers, music journalists, film & tv music supervisors including: Terry McBride (Nettwerk Music Group), Kevin Lyman (Vans Warped Tour), Bill Bragin (Lincoln Center), Alan Light (Live From The Artists Den), Alec Bemis (Brassland Records), Dan Storper (Putumayo World Music), Jason Olaine (Jazz At Lincoln Center), Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone), Evan Schlansky (American Songwriter), Delphine Robertson (Playtone Productions), Bruce Iglauer (Alligator Records), Bob Ludwig (Gateway Mastering), Dalis Allen (Kerrville Folk Festival), Lydia Hutchinson (Performing Songwriter), Kimberly Aldridge (AMI Entertainment), Anne Saunders (Falcon Ridge Folk Festival), Chris Diaz (Knitting Factory Entertainment), Colleen Fischer (Austin City Limits), Heather D (The Bell House), Sara Beesley (Joe’s Pub), John Scoles (High & Lonesome Club), John Sanders (Iron Horse Entertainment), Kath Borer (Music House For Children), Nisha Asnani (Nuyorican Poets Café), Patrick MacIntyre (Ironwood Stage & Grill), Paul Oveisi (ZirZamin), Art Szabo (The Starlite Room), Todd Pinnell (Tattoo Rock Parlour), Steve Silman (The Railway Club), Brice Rosenbloom (Le Poisson Rouge), Eugene Haslam (Zaphod Beeblebrox), Mads Black Just-Olesen (Littlefield), Jon Keats (The Cavern Club), Craig Laskey (Horseshoe Tavern), Edan Wilber (Death By Audio), Erika Nichols (The Bluebird Café), Andy Bodor (Cake Shop), David Jemilo (Green Mill Jazz Club), Hunter Rodgers (Cain’s Ballroom), James White (The Broken Spoke), Jeannette Murrietta (Arts & Venues), Skip The Funktologist (“A Funk Above The Rest”).

Artist bios, as well as music and images for all winning and nominated Albums, EPs, Songs, Design and Music Videos available at www.TheIndependentMusicAwards.com/imanominee/12th<br/ >

Fan Online Voting Will Determine The 12th IMA Vox Pop Winners

In addition to the judge-determined winners announced today, music fans from around the world have until midnight Friday, July 19th to champion their favorite Nominees and determine The 12th IMA Vox Pop Winners by voting online at www.TheIndependentMusicAwards.com/imanominee/12th

The fan-selected Winners will benefit from additional marketing support from The Independent Music Awards. To date more than 23,000 music fans have cast their votes in support of their favorite 12th IMA artists.<br/ >

Artistry Has Its Awards

For more than a decade artists and labels from around the world have found new fans and prominence through The Independent Music Awards.

Produced by Music Resource Group, publisher of the popular industry contact database The Musician’s Atlas, The IMAs uses its unrivaled access to performance, promotion and distribution to connect Winners and Nominees to new audiences and revenue opportunities.

The program receives submissions from artists previously on major labels as well as self-released and indie label talent from more than 70 countries on six continents.

Submissions for The 13th Annual Independent Music Awards are currently being accepted at www.TheIndependentMusicAwards.com/submit.

Program details available at www.TheIndependentMusicAwards.com

The 12th Independent Music Awards Winners: