It has evolved over the years and continues to grow to be an awards program that represents original music throughout the state of New Jersey. Originally known as The Golden T-Bird Awards, the ASBURY MUSIC AWARDS premiered in Asbury Park in 1993. An annual music scene staple, the 1st Asbury Music Awards was held at the former T-Birds Cafe on Main Street in Asbury Park, NJ. Scott Stamper (The Saint
) in Asbury Park, founded and originally created the Asbury Music Awards as a response to the area's hardworking musicians, singers and songwriters, and the longstanding, ever-evolving live original music scene in and around Asbury Park, NJ, and beyond. Inspired by a desire to give something back to the acts, musicians and music community who make up the Jersey Shore's incredibly diverse music culture, Stamper began presenting the awards to the many talented musicians, singers and songwriters who had presented live original music and paid their dues in the various music rooms in the area. Asbury Park music venues present day are many and include The Saint, The Stone Pony, The Wonder Bar, Asbury Lanes, and many more, and outside of Asbury Park, The Brighton Bar in Long Branch, The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, and The Court Tavern in New Brunswick, to name only a few. The 1993-1994 Asbury Music Awards took place at T-Birds Cafe. The show was originally held at the legendary music venue in Asbury Park, The Saint, however, due to rapid growth, the show was moved to a larger venue. At this time, the show was renamed the Asbury Music Awards (in 1995). For two years, The Saint hosted the celebration for local acts, artists, singers and songwriters, but the show quickly outgrew the venue. To accommodate the burgeoning crowds, the Asbury Music Awards moved to The Fastlane in 1997, The Stone Pony in 1998, and The Tradewinds in Sea Bright in 1999. This Tradewinds was a banner show, drawing over 800 attendees. The Stone Pony hosted the Asbury Music Awards in 2000 and 2001, The Tradewinds in 2002, and since 2003, The Stone Pony has been the host of the Asbury Music Awards. In addition to the recognition the Asbury Music Awards provides to local musicians, singers and songwriters, the shows have also proven a great opportunity for music fans, promoters, artists, media, local venues and the music community on a whole to experience the incredibly diverse talent in a wide variety of musical genres in one very special and intimate evening of music and celebration. Over the years, the Asbury Music Awards stage has been graced by New Jersey luminaries Nicole Atkins, Rick Barry, Status Green, Kid With Man Head, Outcry, Samhill, Evelyn Forever, Barry and The Penetrators, What About Frank, April Smith, The Soul Project, Woodfish, A Love Like Pi, Stringbean & The Stalkers, Brown, Last Days of Empire, Green Tag Sale, Chris Batten and The Woods, Amanda Duncan, Joe Harvard Band, George Wirth, Turtle Soup, Last Perfect Thing, Outside The Box, Karmic Juggernaut, Low Flying Jets, Lance Larson, Twine, Keith Kenny, Phil Benson, Matt O'Ree Band, Parlor Mob, Eryn Shewell, Allie Moss, Ready Make Breakup, Maybe Pete, Bob Burger, Christine Martucci, Tony Tedesco, Days Awake, Sekond Skyn, Chemtrail, River City Extension, Alex Brumel and Janel Elizabeth, Cara Salimando, Jo Wymer & The Itty Bitty Band, Quincy Mumford, Domino Effect, The Black Clouds and Laura Warshauer, to name just a few. So much goes on behind the scenes in planning and preparation for the Asbury Music Awards. The nominees and performers are selected by a panel of industry veterans which include promoters, sound technicians, radio personalities, music writers, music fans, and club owners. Artists that have graduated to a major label or those who have won or been nominated for a particular category for five consecutive years at the Asbury Music Awards are eligible for “Record of The Year” and “Best Thing To Happen in Asbury Park”, and may appear onstage presenting or performing during the ceremonies, however, they have graduated from being nominated from most if not all other categories, making room for up and coming artists, musicians, singers and songwriters. After the carefully chosen Asbury Music Awards panel convenes and chooses all performers and nominees, the names of the nominees for each category are compiled in ballot format and distributed to a select group of music industry insiders, devoted music fans and local music scenesters. The voting process is not open to the general public, but much effort is put into selecting voters. This method has proven most equitable, as it precludes "ballot stuffing" than can skew results in certain categories. Area clubs, music-related businesses, record stores, radio stations, newspapers and time tested music enthusiasts are ALL represented in the final voting. Ballots are painstakingly counted, votes are tallied, and the winners are revealed for the first time at the Asbury Music Awards ceremony. A variety of local music alumni, past award recipients, sponsors, and industry professionals are invited by the panel to present awards each year. The Asbury Music Awards have been going strong for 21 years, celebrating local acts, musicians, singers-songwriters and the creative community in support of live original music and the arts in New Jersey. Each year, the Asbury Music Awards shines a light on the Jersey Shore's brightest stars, recognizing as many genres, sounds and artistic expressions that we can possibly represent, in one celebratory night. We celebrate music, art, culture, news, events, painters, poets, writers, filmmakers, ideas, behind the scenes heroes, our culture, photographers, the abstract, the concrete, technology and life. Our creative community is one-of-a-kind, no one is left out, or excluded.
