Singer-songwriter Levi Kreiss and Sonia each say they’re proud to be nominated for a combined total of five Outmusic Awards, which are slated to go out on June 11.
MUSIC Sing out loud
Outmusic prepares for awards honoring variety of queer indie artists
Friday, June 02, 2006
Preparations for the 2006 Outmusic Awards ceremony on June 11 are well underway. Organizers announced the nominees just as the spring frost was melting, prepared special honors for industry gurus and finalized New York City’s Knitting Factory as this year’s awards venue.
Outmusic, founded by Dan Martin and his partner, Michael Biello, celebrates and honors gay and lesbian artists through the annual awards as well as regularly scheduled open mics and a massive online directory of musicians.
Back in 1990, longtime out songwriters Martin and Biello invited a handful of like-minded people to their East Village apartment to talk about music, and the results inspired the couple to start Outmusic.
“What we heard was so personal and moving, we kept doing it,” Martin says.
Gay singer, songwriter and producer Ari Gold and lesbian spoken-word artist Alix Olsen are slated to co-host this year’s ceremony, marking the first time two previous winners are slated in that role.
A panel of SOME 100 gay music-industry professionals selects most of the winners from self-nominations. Awards go out in categories for men and women in Outstanding Recording, Outstanding Recording Debut, Outstanding Group, Outstanding Music Video and many more.
Two of categories, OutSong of the Year and OutMusician of the Year, which considers an artist’s level of activism, are selected by members, which include musicians, industry professionals and fans.
Singer-songwriter Sonia, who’s “DS05” CD earned a nomination for her band Disappear Fear in the Outstanding New Band Recording category, also garnered an Out Musician of the Year nomination for her activism and past recognition from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Gay & Lesbian Music Awards.
“I hope [the Outmusic Awards] keeps mushrooming and snowballing and that the gay community embraces and acknowledges all the participants,” Sonia says. “I know a lot of major labels are kind of putting an ear toward a gay genre for each of their labels, and I think that’s great. It’s good to feel good about yourself and be recognized for who you are.”
Gay singer, songwriter and pianist Levi Kreiss garnered three nominations including Outstanding Songwriter and Outstanding New Recording: Male for his CD “One of the Ones.”
“When you see the community validate your efforts, as vulnerable as one tries to be in laying it out for everyone to critique, it’s a nice feeling to have that come back to you,” Kreiss says. “Hearing that people are listing and responding, it’s fuel to keep going.”
Kriess’ song “Man Outta Me,” about his experience with an abusive boyfriend, earned him a Song of the Year nomination.
Leading the way with four Outmusic nominations are the three-person band GirlyMan, transgender performer Namoli Brennent and “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” alum Kevin Cahoon.
Also included in this year’s nominee list are Georgia’s own Lucas Mire and Athens Boys Choir, as well as Indiegrrl organizer Vicki Blankenship. Houston’s Miss Money and the Dallas-based SonicSphere also made the list, alongside Orlando’s Nunez.
This year, Outmusic also honors three successful music industry professionals for their contributions on both sides of the microphone. Composer and activist Tom Wilson Weinberg is honored with the Outmusic Heritage Award, DJ Junior Vasquez receives the Outmusic Special Recognition Award and queer radio personality Kathy Rieser recognized with the Outmusic Oustanding Award recipient.
“They’re all fantastically worthy,” Martin says. “There’s definitely not a shortage of people to honor.”