The 11th annual 2012 OC Music Awards was a momentous celebration of local artists spanning a two month long Showcase Series leading up to the Awards night on Saturday March 3rd, at the City national Grove of Anaheim. OC Music Awards is the only all local annual music event dedicated to furthering opportunities and success for our local musicians. Each year the Awards Season brings together over 100 local artists and the Orange county music scene for showcases, honors and commemoration of talent.

The 2012 Showcase Series was an amazing journey with 35 local bands participating in free weekly live showcases at various venues throughout Orange County. The Showcase Series wrapped up February 24th with the Finals determining the winners of Best Live Acoustic and Best Live Band categories. The winners received the title to their category, a prize pack from Awards partners, and the opportunity to perform at the 2012 OC Music Awards.

Awards night was an unforgettable event hosted by Psycho Mike of the World Famous KROQ with performances by eight local artists including: Nicole Vaughn and Her Lovely Band (Best Country/Americana winner), Jamie Allensworth (Best Live Acoustic winner), Chris Williams (Best Jazz nominee), Railroad to Alaska (Best Metal and Best Live Band winner), Jeramiah Red (Best Blues winner), and Kiev (Best Indie winner) who performed a special set in 3D presented by VIZIO. Thrice was awarded the Orange County Impact Award for their contribution to the local music scene and Rodney on the ROQ (KROQ DJ, Rodney Bingenheier) received the Lifetime Achievement Award for being among the first to recognize new artists and play “edgy” Orange County bands such as Agent Orange and No Doubt.

Save the date for next year’s OC Music Awards on March 2, 2013 at City National Grove of Anaheim!

2012 Lifetime Achievement Video with Rodney Bingenheimer

March 3 Awards event honored radio icon and DJ pioneer Rodney Bingenheimer with the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award. This tribute video premiered at the event and takes a look at the incredible life and career of the man who changed the face of Orange County music by being the first to play bands like The Adolescents, Agent Orange and No Doubt on air. The Aquabats, White Flag, Jed the Fish, Richard Blade and No Doubt themselves contribute their memories and praises on all he has contributed to the music community.

2012 Orange County Impact Video with Thrice

Alternative modern rock pioneers, Thrice, received the 2012 Orange County Impact Award for their unforgettable contribution to the Orange County music scene. The Impact video premiered at the March 3 event and showcases live concert footage, images and interviews with the band members and friends on what Thrice means to them.

The 2012 OC Music Awards Showcase Series wrapped up with the Showcase Finals on February 22 and 24. Wednesday night the Best Live Acoustic Finals visited The Coach House and Friday presented the Best Live Band Finals at Segerstrom Center for the Arts – Samueli Theater. The competition was close in each category, but it was Allensworth that remained on stage to accept the title of Best Live Acoustic and Railroad to Alaska that gained the Best Live Band title.

Allensworth received a four-day recording session at Red Bull Studios**, an Ernie Ball Full Endorsement, a complimentary BMI consultation and Indie Spotlight, the Best Live Acoustic category title and performance slot at the Awards on March 3 at City National Grove of Anaheim. Railroad to Alaska received all the same prizing as Best Live Acoustic plus a performance slot on the 4 Southern California 2011 Vans Warped Tour Dates. Each of the 10 Showcase Finalists received an Ernie Ball Tour Pack filled with strings and accessories.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

The online voting for People’s Choice Award on February 15 and the nominees are…. Avenged Sevenfold, Fusion Beat, Midnight Hour, Un D Vided and Whiplash. The winners of the People’s Choice Award will be determined at the March 3 event by public text messaging to vote.

MARCH 3 AWARDS NIGHT IS SOLD OUT

The 11th Annual OC Music Awards event on March 3 at City National Grove of Anaheim is now officially SOLD OUT. The event will be an unforgettable evening hosted by KROQ’s own Psycho Mike with honors in 26 categories and 8 live performances by local artists. The Orange County Impact Award will be presented to Thrice and we will honor KROQ’s own radio personality, Rodney Bingenheimer, “Rodney on the ROQ,” with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

We hope to see you at the show on March 3!

The Showcase Series Finals are here! After seven weeks of live Showcase events we are pleased to announce the finalists and Farmer John Fan Vote winners in both Showcase Series categories.

Best Live Acoustic Finalists include Tully James Wilkinson, Parker Macy Blues, Allensworth, Moonsville Collective and Fan Vote winner Kacie Yoshida. The Best Live Acoustic Finals will take place on Wednesday, February 22 at The Coach House.

Best Live Band Finalists include Midnight Hour, Slime Kings, Robert Jon & the Wreck, Railroad to Alaska and Farmer John Fan Vote winner We Are the Arsenal. The Best Live Band Finals will be on Friday, February 24 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Samueli Theater.

Each of the 10 Showcase Finalists will receive an Ernie Ball Tour Pack filled with strings and accessories. The winner of the Best Live Acoustic category will receive a four-day recording session at Red Bull Studios**, an Ernie Ball Full Endorsement, a complimentary BMI consultation and Indie Spotlight on BMI.com, the category title, and a performance slot at the 11th annual OC Music Awards on March 3 at City National Grove of Anaheim. The winner of the Best Live Band will receive all the same prizing as the Best Live Acoustic category, plus a performance slot on the 4 Southern California 2012 Vans Warped Tour dates.

Congratulations to the 2012 Showcase Series Finalists and we hope to see you at the Finals events!

SHOWCASE SERIES NIGHT #7 VIDEO RECAP

Night 7 of the OC Music Awards Showcase Series at The Constellation Room
saw a lot of love on Valentine’s Day. Check out our video recap of the
last Showcase Series before the Finals with interviews with artists Ethan
Hulse and Robert Jon, venue Co-Owner, Jon Reiser, and KROQ street team
star Julio.

Host: Michelle “Piper” Rosabal
Videographer: Kyler Locke
Song: Robert Jon & the Wreck

OC MUSIC AWARDS MARCH 3 AT CITY NATIONAL GROVE OF ANAHEIM

Very few tickets remain available for the main Awards night event on Saturday, March 3 at the City National Grove of Anaheim. Red carpet arrival begins at 7pm. The show will start promptly at 8pm. Awards will be presented in 26 categories including the Lifetime Achievement Award to Rodney on the KROQ and Orange County Impact Award to local legend, Thrice. The event will feature appearances, presentations and performances by iconic and about to break artists, personalities, and celebrities from the Orange County music community and beyond. Tickets are available ONLINE. We hope to see you at the show.

Each year OC Music Awards presents two outstanding achievement honors for Orange Country Impact and Lifetime Achievement. The Orange County Impact Award honors a renowned local band or artist for their impact on the Orange County music scene. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those individuals who have had a significant presence in the local scene, working to further local music whether they are a musician or music industry professional.

2012 OC Impact Award Recipient
THRICE

Thrice has been a staple in the alternative-modern-rock world for nearly ten years and is known for effortlessly and continuously releasing groundbreaking records. From First Impressions to Major/Minor Thrice has remained true to their artistic expression, as early pioneers of a new hardcore genre to one of the most progressive bands with an ever-evolving sound. OC Music Awards is proud to honor local heroes, Thrice, with the 2012 Orange County Impact Award.

2012 Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Rodney on the ROQ

Rodney Bingenheimer is a force in the radio industry and pioneer in first identifying and having the courage to believe in new artists that later go on to major success, many of which have come from Orange County. Recognizing the unforgettable contribution to the musicians and the music community of Orange County and beyond, OC Music Awards is pleased to honor KROQ’S Rodney on the ROQ for his notable impact on local music, with the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

2012 SHOWCASE SERIES PRIZE PACKS ANNOUNCED

The 2012 Showcase Series kicked off on January 3 at Detroit Bar with over 500 fans out supporting local music. The Series continues every Tuesday night at a different venue in Orange County through February 14, leading up to the Showcase Series Finals. Five artists in the Best Live Acoustic Finals will perform on February 22 at The Coach House and five artists in the Best Live Acoustic Finals will perform on February 24 at Samueli Theater.

Each of the 10 Finalists will receive an Ernie Ball Tour Pack filled with strings and accessories. The winner of Best Live Acoustic category will receive a four-day recording session at Red Bull Studios**, an Ernie Ball Full Endorsement, a year supply of popchips, the category title and performance slot at the Awards on March 3 at City National Grove of Anaheim. The winner of Best Live Band will receive all the same prizing as Best Live Acoustic plus a performance slot on the 4 Southern California 2012 Vans Warped Tour Dates.

The finalists in each category will be announced on February 15 after the last Showcase Series event at the Constellation Room on February 14.

Click here to view the details for the Best Live Acoustic showcase on February 7 »

**Opportunity to record for four (4) days at Red Bull Studios shall be awarded to the Best Live Band and Best Live Acoustic in accordance with the terms of Red Bull North America, Inc.’s standard Artist/Studio 
Guest Contract.

BEST FOLK NOMINEE MICAH BROWN GOES “BACKSTAGE” WITH DPS

DPS DigitalSound Productions (DPS) is kicking off 2012 with an exclusive pass to OC Music Awards affiliated artists “Backstage.” Once a month DPS HQ in Irvine opens doors to a select audience to experience an intimate live performance being filmed for broadcast. 2011 OC Music Awards Best Live Acoustic winner Micah Brown launched the Backstage series in January. 2012 Best Rock nominee, Echo Echo, will take the stage on February 9 with special guest Alex Mercier. Check out the video footage that takes you “Backstage.”

Backstage Live with Micah Brown / Teaser Clip from Anthony Dever on Vimeo.

Video courtesy of DPS

The Awards Academy has voted, the ballots have been sorted and the 2012 OC Music Awards nominees in 21 Academy selected categories have been determined. The 2012 list of nominations welcomes back some OC Music Awards former winners and nominees as well as some fresh faces.

This announcement includes 21 of the 26 total 2012 Awards category nominees. Still to come are the Awards for OC Impact and Lifetime Achievement to be announced the February 1, the Best Live Band and Best Live Acoustic Showcase Series finalists, which will be announced after the last Showcase on February 15, and The People’s Choice Award nominees, to be announced on Monday, February 27.

And the 2012 OC Music Awards Nominees are…

Click HERE to view the nominees in 21 categories online »

SHOWCASE SERIES KICKS-OFF TONIGHT AT DETROIT BAR!

Join us tonight, Tuesday, January 3, the 2012 Showcase Series kick-off at Detroit Bar with Jeramiah Red, Paulie Pesh, The Gromble, Strange Birds, and James Fletcher performing in the Best Live Band category. Doors open at 730p, the first band performs at 8p, and the event is open to fans 21 years of age and over. 106.7FM KROQ’s “Locals Only” host, Kat Corbett, will host the Showcase Series kick-off event. The Wahoo’s Fish Taco truck will be on-site serving the first 50 tacos FREE to the Showcase Series fans.

Click here for the complete Showcase Schedule »

ENTER TO WIN IN THE FARMER JOHN FAN VOTE

Awards Presenting Partner, Farmer John brings us the 2012 Farmer John Fan Vote, where the public has the power to send one Showcase Series artist in each category on to the Showcase Series Finals. Fans can vote online and on-site at Showcases at the Farmer John promo booth and enter to win a Sterling by Music Man custom guitar courtesy of Farmer John, Ernie Ball, 106.7FM KROQ and OC Music Awards. One guitar will be given away weekly at each of the nine total Showcase Series events. Fans must be present to enter and win.

Vote HERE for your favorite Showcase Artist in the Farmer John Fan Vote »

The 2012 Farmer John Fan Vote, gives the public the power to send one Showcase Series artist in each category on to the Showcase Series Finals. Fans can vote online and on-site at Showcases at the Farmer John promo booth and enter to win a Sterling by Music Man custom guitar. One guitar will be given away weekly at each of the nine total Showcase Series events. Fans must be present to enter and win. The Farmer John Fan Vote launches online at http://ocmusicawards.com/farmer-john-fan-vote/

On Tuesday, January 3, the 2012 OC Music Awards Showcase Series kicks off at Costa Mesa’s Detroit Bar launching 7 weeks of free showcases at different venues across the county. 35 local artists will compete for the titles of Best Live Band or Best Live Acoustic and a performance slot at the 2012 OC Music Awards on March 3 at the City National Grove of Anaheim, and a massive prize pack from OC Music Awards partners, to be announced in January.

The Showcase Series culminates at the Best Live Acoustic Finals February 24 and the Best Live Band Finals on February 25, where the five finalists from both categories perform and the winners will be announced on stage at the end of each night.

The Showcase Series is free to submit, free to participate and all shows are free to attend. OC Music Awards received hundreds of submissions from artists all across the county hoping to partake in the two-month long live series.

Click here to check out the final 35 participating artists and the complete showcase schedule.

THE SUN GROUP PRESENTS THE FINALE OF C.A.M.M. AT MESA

OC Music Awards visited Mesa for the finale of The Sun Group’s popular Tuesday night, C.A.M.M. The venue was packed with artists, musicians and local creative types. Awards Host Piper caught up with Brendan Thomas of The Sun Group, Kedd Cook nominated for Best DJ in 2011, and local Orange County band Polaris at Noon who performed the finale of this special event.

Host: Michelle “Piper” Rosabal
Videographer: Kyler Locke
Music: Polaris at Noon

Click here to watch the video »

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN – KROQ ALMOST ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS IS HERE
By Lainna Fader

When we released our almost-sure predictions for the 22nd Annual KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas lineup last week, we said that Night 1 would probably feature Jane’s Addiction, Bush, Rise Against, Blink 182, Social Distortion, Pennywise and A Day To Remember.

Click to read full article »

TOP FIVE HITS FROM FACTORY RECORDS IN COSTA MESA

Here are the top five selling records from Factory Records, 440 E 17th Street in Costa Mesa, (949) 722-8101. This week’s top position goes to The Spits’ fifth self-titled album.

Click here to read more »

Farmer John is the story of a homegrown brand, born in our backyards, served in our stadiums and passed down from grill to grill. Founded in the heart of Southern California, Farmer John has been providing fresh, high-quality products ever since the doors of its humble home were opened to the public in 1931. The key ingredient is no secret: local flavor is global flavor. No one understands the local flavors of Southern California better than Farmer John.

OC Music Awards stopped by Detroit Bar’s 10 Year anniversary event on October 15. Special performances by Peanut Butter Wolf, Vex Ruffin, and Charles Feelgood, catering by Memphis Cafe, and a hosted bar helped celebrate a decade of amazing music at the local Costa Mesa venue. We checked in with Detroit Bar Founder, Dan Bradley and a few local musicians and supporters for their stories and memories from the past ten years.

Host: Michelle “Piper” Rosabal
Videographer: Kyler Locke
Song: “Cold Waves” – The Gromble