PRESS RELEASE

LINKS TO PHOTOS ARE INCLUDED AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT

- For Immediate Release -  February 1, 2008

Payline Productions / MyTexasMusic.com / Academy of Texas Music, Inc.
P.O. Box 148
Linden, Texas 75563
Contacts:  Lucky Boyd – Jinelle Boyd  - 1-866-49-TEXAS

Texas music legend Gary P. Nunn to host 2008 award show; nominees named

PALESTINE, TX – Legendary songwriter, performer, and member of the famed Lost Gonzo Band, Gary P. Nunn will host the 2008 Texas Music Awards on May 3rd at the Palestine Civic Center in Palestine.

Nunn honed his songwriting skills while playing in bands that backed Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphey, and Willie Nelson.  Years after penning the now-famous Austin City Limits theme song, “London Homesick Blues” which laments, “I want to go home with the armadillos…,” Gary P. Nunn now enjoys a stellar career as a much-sought-after performer.

Determined to be successful outside the confines of a major record label, Nunn has inspired thousands of Texas performers to release albums independently and has become a mentor to many on the Texas music scene.

The awards show, presented this year by Northeast Texas-based MyTexasMusic.com, the retail partner of the show’s production company, Payline Productions, presents awards to independent Texas performers in several categories.

The annual event also serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit Academy of Texas Music, Inc. which seeks sponsorships and donations to further its efforts toward music education programs, scholarships, recognition projects, and benevolence programs for musicians in need.

The show will feature performances by fifteen acts and awards in as many categories.  Gary P. Nunn will close the show with a performance of his own.

Jinelle Boyd, Executive Director of the Academy of Texas Music, Inc. and co-founder of the Texas Music Awards explains how important this process is to the nominees.

”Independent artists need something to bridge the gap between regional success and the national attention they deserve.  The Texas Music Awards serve to give these artists a stepping stone to bigger and better things.”

Nominees will arrive via limousine to a red carpet affair starting at noon on May 3rd.  The show will begin at 2:00 p.m. and the afterparty will begin around 6:00 p.m.  The location of the afterparty is yet to be announced, but those who hold tickets to the awards show will be admitted to the after party at no charge.

The voting process includes a public voting component, and interested fans are encouraged to visit the Texas Music Awards website to learn more about the process which begins February 4th and continues through February 22nd. 

“The collective public vote is important,” says Boyd, “but the bulk of the voting is done by the Academy Voting Board which is comprised of those who have received the awards over the past five years.  This year’s recipients will be added to the Voting Board.  This is how we insure that the awards are more about the music and less of a simple popularity contest.”

Sponsorships are still available for the 6th annual awards show and range from $250 to $25,000.  Each level of sponsorship comes with a pre-determined number of tickets, so this is a sure way to get good seats.  Public access to tickets is expected to be around February 25th, and a quick sell out is expected.

For more information on voting, the awards, or sponsorships, visit www.texasmusicawards.org


Nominees named for 2008 awards

A list of the 2008 nominees appears below:

Male Vocalist of the Year

Troy Allan (Evadale, TX)

Andy Bertelsen (San Marcos, TX)

Randy Brown (Fort Worth, TX)

Tim Fralik (College Station, TX)

Gordy Quist (Austin, TX)

 

Female Vocalist of the Year

Jen “Lil’ Bit” Adams (San Antonio, TX)

Carissa Amberly (Longview, TX)

Kacey Musgraves (Mineola, TX)

Denise Squier (Caldwell, TX)

Patti Sullivan (Conroe, TX)

 

Vocal Duo or Group of the Year

Bad Monkeys (Garland, TX)

Blakley-Martinez (Marble Falls, TX)

Hanshaws (Brookshire, TX)

ShAnnie (Fredericksburg, TX)

Shake Russell Band (Houston, TX)

 

Singer/Songwriter of the Year

Richard Dobson (Diessenhofen, Switzerland)

George Ensle (Austin, TX)

Danny Everitt (The Woodlands, TX)

Robert Frith (Sugar Land, TX)

Mandy Mercier (Austin, TX)

 

Musician of the Year

Elliot Fikes (Kingsland, TX)

Brian Kalinec (Houston, TX)

Big John Mills (San Marcos, TX)

George Quiroga (Marble Falls, TX)

Bad Bob Rohan (Houston, TX)

 

Producer of the Year

John M. Greenberg (Marble Falls, TX)
for WATER OVER STONES (ShAnnie)

Randy Brown / Tommy Alverson / Chad Rueffer (Ft. Worth, TX)
for HARD FACE TO FACE (Randy Brown)

Stephen Belans (San Marcos, TX)
for AFTER EVERYTHING (Texas Renegade)

Kelly McGuire (League City, TX)

for BOAT IN BELIZE (Kelly McGuire)

Lloyd Maines (Austin, TX)
for ROLL (Kevin Deal)

 

Rising Star

Katie Rae Davis (Carthage, TX)

Leo Rondeau (Austin, TX)

Slow Rollin’ Lows (Beaumont, TX)

Takin’ Back Texas (San Antonio, TX)

Texas High Life (Cypress, TX)

 

Song of the Year

“Just South of Corpus” (Troy Allan) (Evadale, TX)
Troy Allan, songwriter

“Next Time” (Kacey Musgraves) (Mineola, TX)
Kacey Musgraves, songwriter

“Quarters and Dimes” (Gordy Quist) (Austin, TX)

Gordy Quist, songwriter

“White Cross” (Jeff Talmadge) (Roswell, GA)
Jeff Talmadge and Claudia Russell, songwriters

”Cried Enough” (Mark Zeus) (Houston, TX)
Mark Zeus, songwriter

 

Record of the Year

Carissa Amberly – “Some Heroes Don’t Come Back” (Longview, TX)

Wade Bowen – “One Step Closer” (Austin, TX)

Bart Crow – “Driftin’ In The Wind” (Austin, TX)

Jimmy Kaiser – “Pass Me That Bottle” (Beaumont, TX)

Pauline Reese – “Lone Star Flag” (Austin, TX)

 

Album of the Year

HARD FACE TO FACE - Randy Brown (Fort Worth, TX)

ROLL - Kevin Deal (Weston, TX)

SILOS AND SMOKESTACKS - Mark Jungers and the Whistling Mules (Martindale, TX)

BOAT IN BELIZE - Kelly McGuire (League City, TX)

JUST BECAUSE - Kim Townsend (Austin, TX)

 

Entertainer of the Year

Wade Bowen (Austin, TX)

Randy Brown (Fort Worth, TX)

Jimmy Kaiser (Beaumont, TX)

Kelly McGuire (League City, TX)

Shake Russell (Houston, TX)

 

Live Band of the Year

Ryan T. Briggs and the Redneck Hippies (San Marcos, TX)

Randy Brown Band (Fort Worth, TX)

Dust Devils (Marble Falls, TX)

David Lee Kaiser and the Joint Chiefs (Beaumont, TX)

Texas Renegade (San Marcos, TX)

 

Disc Jockey of the Year

Gordon “Big G” Ames – KRVL (Kerrville, TX)

J.B. Cloud – KBCY (Abilene, TX)

Enola Gay – KSST (Sulphur Springs, TX)

Daniel “El Presidente” Miller – Radio Free Texas (Beaumont, TX)

Rick Star – KFAN (Fredericksburg, TX)

 

Broadcast Radio Station of the Year

KBCY – 99.7 FM (Abilene, TX)

KFAN – 107.9 FM (Fredericksburg, TX)

KFWR – 95.9 FM (Fort Worth, TX)

KRVL – 94.5 FM (Kerrville, TX)

KSST – 1230 AM (Sulphur Springs, TX)

 

Internet Radio Station of the Year

Radio Free Texas (www.radiofreetexas.org) (Beaumont, TX)

Texas Music World (www.texasmusicworld.com) (Taft, TX)

Texas Music Theater Radio (www.tmtr.net) (Waxahachie, TX)

 

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If you would like to interview any of the nominees, send your request to: tmatexas@aol.com
Photos courtesy of the Gary P. Nunn website.  Photo 1   Photo 2   Gary P. Nunn Bio