For one night, the Madison music community came together in a symphony of thanks, cooperation and support. The first Madison Area Music Awards honored the city's best and most creative Sunday night at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St.
The awards ceremony was the product of the hard work of Rick Tvedt, editor of Rick's Caf??, a monthly publication about musicians in south-central Wisconsin. Tvedt said he saw the Wisconsin Area Music Industry awards and wanted to assert Madison's place in the Wisconsin music scene. He said the WAMI awards mainly went to Milwaukee artists.
\It's not to steal their lightning but just to let them know we're here,"" Tvedt said.
Stephen Ellestad of Madcity Artists echoed Tvedt's sentiment. He said Madison must make its own place in the broader market.
""[Madison] is not Austin. It's not Minneapolis. It's not Detroit,"" he said.
The evening certainly belonged to Madisonians of all sorts, with 41 awards given out to musicians in categories ranging from bluegrass to rock to hip-hop. With the diversity of genres, Tvedt said he wanted to unite the Madison music scene.
""If you don't have somebody trying to keep it together, it all becomes factionalized,"" he said.
John Urban, the emcee of the ceremony, kicked off the show with a nod to The Gomers, who provided the show's music. He then turned to the audience to get them hyped for the awards.
""Are you ready to Wang Chung tonight!?!"" he exclaimed.
The first honors went to Lex Rex for best new artist, Amelia Royko for best female vocalist and Shawn Brown for best male vocalist. Brown would take the stage later in the night as part of Driver 13, which won best metal album for .
Other double winners for the night included The Nob Hills Boys for best bluegrass artist and album, , Stephanie Rearick for best classical artist and album, , and Reason for Leaving for best funk artist and album, .
Throughout the ceremony, several bands and groups took the stage to showcase the variety of the city's music. Madison County finished the first half of the show with a booming country performance and was answered by Jazz West after the intermission. Later in the night, The Crest brought some hip-hop while The German Art Students provided ear-splitting rock 'n' roll.
In a night that featured crashing guitars and roaring drums, the show-stealing moment came from Amelia Royko, who took the stage midway through the first half of the ceremony. Armed with only her guitar and her best female-vocalist-winning voice, Royko stunned the crowd with the tenderness of her demeanor and the grace of her words. For a few minutes, she showed that great music requires neither showmanship nor excessive volume.
But when the showmanship was needed, Clyde Stubblefield provided it. Stubblefield came away as a double-winner, with best R & B album, , and also the Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award.
Stubblefield said the music has improved in the time he has been in Madison, with the venues improving as well. He said the MAMAs were a great contribution to the city's music scene
""We need this. We need this here. This is ours,"" he said.
