The Hamilton Music Awards has now expanded into a three day event incorporating two Awards shows, a Speaker Series and a live music Festival. It took place over the weekend (May 27-29), and it confirmed that the Hammer, as it’s affectionately known, is now home to a vibrant and closely-connected music community.

The two awards shows were the Gala Awards on Saturday afternoon and the 2016 Hamilton Music Awards, held last night at the Dofasco Centre for the Arts. Both events were hosted by Ian Thomas, a HMA Lifetime Achievement Award nominee, while such current Hamilton favourites as Monster Truck and Terra Lightfoot were multiple winners at both awards.

The Gala Awards included performances from the three Rising Star Search nominees, with Camille Inston taking first place. The big winners of the the afternoon were Monster Truck (five awards), radio station CFMU (four) and Lou Molinaro (two for him and two for his club, This Ain’t Hollywood). Terra Lightfoot won the Female Vocalist and Canadian Recording of the Year awards, while Luke Doucet (Whitehorse) won as Guitarist of the Year.

Lightfoot and Doucet had good excuses for not picking up their awards, as they were playing that day at the CBC Music Festival in Toronto. That is proof that Hamilton artists are in real demand nationally and ( in such cases as Monster Truck, fellow winners Junior Boys and Caribou) internationally.

Formerly known as The HMA industry awards, the Gala Awards were held at the Bay City Music Hall. Located in a boat club on the waterfront, the attractive venue attracted a casually attired throng of nominees, fans and local music biz types.

That same venue hosted an evening benefit/tribute concert entitled Life of Brian. Dedicated to the memory of late guitar great Brian Griffith (a real local hero), it raised funds for a Brian Lee Griffith Guitar Bursary, and attracted a large crowd.

Those performing on last night’s Hamilton Music Awards included Terra Lightfoot, Lori Yates, Dallas Harms, Jennifer Budd, the Hellbent Rockers, TV Freaks and The Vaudevillian.

The two 2016 HMA Lifetime Achievement Awards went to country singer/songwriter Dallas Harms (Music) and veteran concert promoter Jim Skarratt (Industry). On the Friday evening, both recipients took part in an In The Hot Seat Live interview, jointly conducted by Larry LeBlanc and Hamilton Spectator music scribe Graham Rockingham. Held in the legendary This Ain’t Hollywood club (itself an HMA winner), it reportedly drew a large and attentive crowd.

This Ain’t Hollywood also hosted a Saturday afternoon Speaker Series event. Entitled “The Journalists: Your Most Important Fans Ever!!”, it featured a panel of six music journalists discussing their craft and the best ways of attracting their attention. Trekking in from Toronto were the Toronto Star’s Ben Rayner and FYI’s Kerry Doole, joining Hamilton notables Rockingham, Ric Taylor (The View), Lou Molinaro (CFMU), and bloggers Kristin Archer (I Heart Hamilton) and Biljana Njegovan (Cut From Steel). Spied in the audience were veteran publicists Richard Flohil and Ellen Davidson.

Here is a full list of winners at both Awards.

Presented at the Gala Awards:

Music Teacher of the Year (Elementary School) by People's Choice: Dawn Martens – Buchanan Park Elementary School

Music Teacher of the Year (Secondary School) by People's Choice: Brian Jones – St Mary’s Secondary Catholic School

Music Teacher of the Year (Post-Secondary School) by People's Choice: Jamshed Turel – Mohawk College

Music Teacher of the Year (Independent) by People's Choice: Kate Quigley

Artist Manager of the Year (Local): ‘Parkside’ Mike Renaud

Artist Manager of the Year (International): Oliver Mitchell

Instrument Retailer of the Year: Picks and Sticks

Studio Engineer of the Year: Nick Blagona

Producer of the Year: Graham Walsh

Recording Studio of the Year: Catherine North Studio

Website/Online Publication of the Year: ihearthamilton.ca

Artist Website of the Year: ilovemonstertruck.com

Video of the Year: Monster Truck – Don't Tell Me How To Live

Best Album Artwork: Whitehorse - Leave No Bridge Unburned

Record Label of the Year: True North Records

Music Retailer of the Year: Cheapies Dr. Disc

Music Director (Radio) of the Year: Rachel Connell – CFMU

Publicist of the Year: Adam Bentley

Radio Show of the Year: Lou's Control – CFMU

Media Person of the Year- Ric Taylor

Radio Station of the Year: 93.3 CFMU

Print Publication of the Year: Urbanicity

Major Concert Venue of the Year: Gage Park

Live Club or Venue of the Year: This Ain’t Hollywood

Theatre of the Year: The Staircase Theatre

Talent Buyer of the Year: Lou Molinaro

Talent Agency of the Year (Local): Spherical Productions

Talent Agency of the Year (International): United Talent Agency

Tour Manager of the Year: John Morely

Live Sound Engineer of the Year: Doug Smith – This Ain’t Hollywood

Sound and Lighting Company of the Year: Soundbox Productions

Event Photographer of the Year: Misha Photos

Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year: Jesse O'Brien

Special Instrumentalist of the Year: Gianni ‘Luminati’ Nicassio - Walk Off The Earth

Guitarist of the Year: Luke Doucet - Whitehorse

Drummer of the Year: Steve Kiely - Monster Truck

Bassist of the Year: Jon Harvey - Monster Truck

Children's Album: Diana Panton – I Believe In Little Things

Instrumental Record of the Year:Brad Cheeseman Group – Brad Cheeseman Group

Electronic Recording of the Year: Junior Boys – Big Black Coat

Female Vocalist of the Year: Terra Lightfoot

Male Vocalist of the year: Jon Harvey - Monster Truck

Musical Event of the Year by Peoples Choice: Supercrawl

Canadian Recording of the Year by Peoples Choice: Terra Lightfoot – Every Time My Mind Runs Wild

 

Presented at The Hamilton Music Awards

Female Artist of the Year: Terra Lightfoot - Every Time My Mind Runs Wild

Male Artist of the Year: Lee Harvey Osmond - Beautiful Scars

Local Group of the Year by the People’s Choice: The Retroaction

New Artist/Group of the Year: Jennifer Budd - Lip Service

Jazz Recording of the Year: Haolin Monk - HMEP2

Roots Recording of the Year: Lee Harvey Osmond - Beautiful Scars

Alternative/Indie Rock Recording of the Year: The Dirty Nil - Higher Power

Folk/Traditional Recording of the Year: The Vaudevillian - Barton Street Blue

Music Industry Lifetime Achievement Award: Jim Skarratt

Rock Recording of the Year: Monster Truck - Sittin' Heavy

Loud/Metal Recording of the Year: Anniversary - Anniversary

Punk Recording of the Year: TV Freaks – Good Luck Charms

Adult Alternative Recording of the Year: Whitehorse - Leave No Bridge Unburned

Contemporary Folk Recording of the Year: Benjamin - The Bear and the Barn Owl

Blues Recording of the Year: Ian Andrews and the Smokin’ Scoundrels - Foreplay

Rap/Hip Hop Recording of the Year: Lee Reed – The Butcher, The Banker, The Bitumen Tanker

Pop Recording of the Year: Walk Off The Earth - Sing It All Away

Artist Lifetime Achievement Award – Dallas Harms

Songwriter of the Year: Terra Lightfoot - Every Time My Mind Runs Wild

Group of the Year: Monster Truck- Sittin' Heavy

Album of the Year: The Dirty Nil - Higher Power