18/02/2010

The nominees for the 8th Annual Texas Music Awards have been formally announced by the Academy of Texas Music, with past award-winner Kevin Higgins garnering two nominations: Singer/Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year (“Find Your Shine” written by Kevin Higgins).“It’s an honor to be nominated again for the TMA’s," songwriter Kevin Higgins said. This will not be Higgins' first trip to the event. In 2006 and 2007, Higgins and musical partner/wife Barbara Malteze collected a total of five Texas Music Awards, (including Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Vocal Duo of the Year, and two consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards.) Kevin Higgins' newest solo release, Find Your Shine, on indie label Little Train Records, is already making waves. Produced by Stephen Doster, the CD is moving up on both the Americana and FAR charts. The Texas Music Awards will be held on Saturday, May 15th at the Marshall Convention Center in Marshall, Texas. Nominees are scheduled to arrive via limousine to a red carpet affair starting at noon. The show will feature a concert by the host, legendary singer B.J. Thomas immediately following the presentations.
At least a dozen nominated artists will take the stage to perform for this prestigious event and awards will be handed out in fifteen categories to deserving Texas musicians and professionals. The awards show, presented this year by Northeast Texas-based MyTexasMusic.com, the retail partner of the Texas Music Awards and the show’s production company, Payline Productions, will feature talent from several styles of music.
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.
Jinelle Boyd, Executive Director of the Academy of Texas Music, Inc. and Producer of the Texas Music Awards explains how important this process is to the nominees. “These outstanding artists need something to bring them recognition for their regional success and help them gain the national attention they deserve. Even though some of our nominees are already big stars in the music world, the Texas Music Awards serve to give many of the newer artists a stepping stone to bigger and better things.”
One recipient in each category will hold the award title for the next year based on a complex voting system. The voting process includes a public involvement component, and interested fans are encouraged to visit www.TexasMusicAwards.org to learn more about the voting process which is now open and continues through midnight on Friday, March 5th. Fans can listen to clips of music by all the nominees and can hear the five Song and five Record nominee tracks in their entirety prior to voting.
“The public vote is important,” says Boyd, “because it proves that the artists have a connection with their fans, but the bulk of the voting is done by the Academy Board of Honorees. This group of past award recipients cast 70% of the ballots which decide who gets the award in eleven of the fifteen categories. This year’s recipients will be added to the Board of Honorees. This is how we insure that the awards are more about the music and less of a simple popularity contest.”
Tickets go on sale to the public in mid March, and a quick sell out is expected. For more information visit: www.TexasMusicAwards.org   A list of the 2010 nominees appears below:   Song
”Find Your Shine” - Kevin Higgins, songwriter (Austin, TX) Kevin Higgins
“In The Garden” - Thomas Michael Riley, songwriter (Fredericksburg, TX) Thomas Michael Riley
”Our Brothers” - Pug Johnson, songwriter (Fannett, TX) Slow Rollin’ Lows
“Valentine” - Cody Riley, songwriter (Canton, TX) Cody Riley Band
“You Belong (In Pearls Tonight)” - David Lutes, songwriter (Austin, TX) David Lutes   Singer/Songwriter
Kevin Higgins (Austin, TX)
Steve Brooks (Austin, TX)
Robert Frith (Port Arthur, TX)
Leo Rondeau (Austin, TX)
Danny Santos (Austin, TX)   Producer
Robert Frith (Port Arthur, TX) for ROBERT FRITH (Robert Frith)
Billy Jo High (Columbus, TX) for REALITY (Bo Carter)
John Inmon (Austin, TX) for WHAT THIS HEART HOLDS (Shake Russell)
Ryan Murphey (Nashville, TN) for BUCKAROO BLUE GRASS (Michael Martin Murphey)
Randy Thomas (Houston, TX) for CAJUN CATS CREOLE DOGS (Larry Sepulvado)   Vocal Duo or Group
Art and Lisa (Bandera, TX) LEARNING TO BREATHE AGAIN
Blue Condition (Dallas, TX) CHEAP WINE
Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice (Houston, TX) BETTER SIDE OF ME
Shake Russell Trio (Austin, TX) WHAT THIS HEART HOLDS
Vanessa Peters & Ice Cream On Mondays (Dallas, TX) SWEETHEART, KEEP YOUR CHIN UP   Musician
David Garrett (Dallas, TX) guitar on CHEAP WINE (Blue Condition)
Robb Hibbard (Oklahoma City, OK) guitar on BAD PROSPECTS (Miss Blues)
Big John Mills (San Marcos, TX) guitar on HERE FOR THE MUSIC (Dewey Wayne)
Tubie Pushée (Navasota, TX) guitar on BLUE WITH ENVY (Tubie Pushée)
Eric Williams (Oklahoma City, OK) guitar on WESTERN NIGHTS (Steve Brack & Stage County)   Record
“All Alone” – Blue Broussard Band (Fannett, TX) ALL ALONE
“Crazy” – Texas Renegade (San Marcos, TX) BAD DREAMS AND OTHER THINGS
”Honky Tonk Two Step Queen” – James Lann (Houston, TX) FORD
”Trouble” – Wade Bowen (Austin, TX) IF WE EVER MAKE IT HOME
”Utopia” – john Arthur martinez (Marble Falls, TX) PURGATORY ROAD   Female Vocalist
Katherine Dawn (Boerne, TX) 25 IN TX (Katherine Dawn)
Brenda Kay (Abilene, TX) DIRT’S STILL RED (Brenda Kay)
Vanessa Peters (Dallas, TX) SWEETHEART, KEEP YOUR CHIN UP (Vanessa Peters & Ice Cream On Mondays)
Christen Sawyer (Sugar Land, TX) THE SAMPLER (Christen Sawyer)
Jessica Shepherd (Austin, TX) YOU’RE COUNTRY NOW (Jessica Shepherd)   Male Vocalist
Dale X. Allen (Austin, TX) PAINT THE PONIES (Genuine Cowhide)
Mark Beets (Houston, TX) MORE BEETS PLEASE (Mark Beets)
Bo Carter (Lake Jackson, TX) REALITY (Bo Carter)
David Fenley (Fredericksburg, TX) LIMITED EDITION (Poor J. Brown)
Davin James (Kingwood, TX) OLD SOUL (Davin James)   Album
BAD DREAMS AND OTHER THINGS – Texas Renegade (San Marcos, TX)
LIBERTY OR DEATH – Josh Langston (College Station, TX)
TIPS & COMPLIMENTS – Matt Harlan (Houston, TX)
TOMMY – Thomas Michael Riley (Fredericksburg, TX)
WHISTLE THIS – Mark Jungers & the Whistling Mules (Martindale, TX)   Entertainer
Randy Brown (Fort Worth, TX)
Michael Martin Murphey (Dallas, TX)
Pauline Reese (Austin, TX)
Thomas Michael Riley (Fredericksburg, TX)
Shake Russell (Austin, TX)   Rising Star
Mark Allan Atwood (Burnet, TX) HOW COUNTRY
Nick Brumley (Marshall, TX) NICK BRUMLEY
Chip Murrey & Texas Underground (Kaufman, TX) PAYDIRT
Kevin Myers (Dripping Springs, TX) HORSESHOE
Dewey Wayne (Houston, TX) HERE FOR THE MUSIC   Live Band
Ben Morris and The Great American Boxcar Chorus (Bryan/College Station, TX)
Jerry Diaz & Hanna’s Reef (Beaumont, TX)
Jerry Audley Band (Abbott, TX)
Mike Parrish & The Parrish-Hundley Band (Houston, TX)
The Captain Legendary Band (Houston, TX)
 
Disc Jockey
J.B. Cloud – KBCY – Abilene, TX
Rick Heysquierdo – KPFT – Houston, TX
Carla Leigh – KSAM – Huntsville, TX
Tommy Mouser – KDOL – Livingston, TX
Dave Wheaton – KBHT – Grapeland, Texas
 
Broadcast Radio Station
KBCY – 99.7 FM – Abiline, TX
KDOL – 96.1 FM – Livingston, TX
KFAN – 107.9 – Fredericksburg, TX
KHYI – 95.3 FM – Dallas, TX
KPFT – 90.1 FM – Houston, TX  Internet Radio Station
Radio Free Texas www.radiofreetexas.org (Nederland, TX)
TossM Music Radio www.tossmmusic.com (Arlington, TX)   For more information, or to schedule interviews/appearances with Kevin Higgins contact:
Little Train Records, 512.525.1493
or visit www.KevinJamesHiggins.com