Detroit Music Awards Preview
Detroit Music Awards
Fillmore Detroit
2115 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 961-5450
www.detroitmusicawards.com
Date: April 27, 2012 at 6 p.m.
Price: 18+ General Admission: $20, VIP Tables for 10 people: $1,000, Tables for 4 people: $100 to $200
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The Motor City Music Foundation began as a way to recognize Detroit area musicians and to create a network for those musicians that cut across genres and styles. Since 1992, the Detroit Music Awards Foundation (DMAF) has supported Detroit's musical community with its annual Detroit Music Awards, which presents over 70 awards across ten musical categories/genres. This year's awards are once again being held at the Fillmore Detroit on Friday, April 27 at 6 pm.
The 21st Annual Detroit Music Awards will honor the Pleasure Seekers, Suzi Quatro, The Detroit Dog Rescue and Saint Andrew's Hall. As a special treat, audience members will get to see Suzi Quatro and the Pleasure Seekers/Cradle perform at the Detroit Music Awards for the first time in many years. The Quatro sisters grew up on the east side and in Grosse Pointe, and began as the Pleasure Seekers in 1964. Also performing at the DMA's this year are Planet D Nonet, Black Milk, Ben Sharkey, Amy Gore & Her Valentines with Gorvette and Paulina Jayne.
The awards' emcee will be Tom Daldin, who is the host of the Emmy Award-winning show, "Under the Radar Michigan." The public TV show airs weekly and showcases local attractions and points of interest in various Michigan communities. The event will also include a performance by famous speed painter, Dave Santia, who has become a local celebrity by panting large scale 4X5 foot works of art to music, usually as little time as it takes to play two songs. There will even been a raffle with a chance to win a guitar autographed by Kid Rock himself, courtesy of the musician's clothing line, Made In Detroit.
Award winners are determined by local musicians and music industry professionals in southeastern Michigan. All voting is done via the internet in three phases. Phase one features submissions for nominees with voters narrowing down the nominees in phase two, which leads to a phase three final ballot. Two of the biggest categories are Rock/Pop Artist Group and Outstanding Live Performance. Here are this year's lucky nominees:
Rock/Pop Artist Group
Outstanding Live Performance
Artists Ty Stone and the Truth (being honored for best Rock/Pop Artist Group), DJ Linda Lexy (being honored for Outstanding Electronic Dance/DJ) and The Brothers Groove (being honored for Outstanding Urban/Funk Artist/Group) will be this year's Special Honorees after having won in the same category for three years in a row. The Final Ballot for the 2012 Detroit Music Awards can be found here.
Pre and After party events
Centaur Bar
2233 Park Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 963-4040
www.centaurbar.com
The Park Bar
2040 Park Ave.
Detroit, MI
(313) 962-2933
www.parkbardetroit.com
If you're looking for a way to kill time in a lively atmosphere before the show, there will be a pre-show awards party at the Centaur Bar, an upscale club located downtown behind the Fox Theatre, from 4 to 6 p.m. For night owls, there will be an after-party at The Park Bar. Admission for the after-party is free with a DMA ticket stub and $5 for those without a ticket. As an added bonus, Paradime will be spinning at the after-party with doors opening at 10 p.m.
Related: Best Musicians in Detroit
Tracy Heck is a freelance writer living in Dearborn, Michigan. She covers Music & Entertainment. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
