Proctors Collaborative will produce their inaugural Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards, or The Eddies, on April 14. Named after Thomas Edison, whose invention of the phonograph was influential to the development of the recording industry, the event is the brainchild of the Proctors Collaborative organization’s Program Coordinator Salvatore Prizio and Marketing and Corporate Development Director Jim Murphy. (Disclosure: Murphy is also the publisher of The Collaborative magazine.)
The pair is also responsible for the Capital Records Live! music showcase which made its debut at Proctors in the spring of 2018. With two shows already staged, the showcase is slated to expand into a series this year and reach a second venue by 2020.
Over 20 awards will be distributed at the April event at MainStage at Proctors, recognizing the efforts made in the wide range of genres being explored by artists around the region. According to Murphy and Prizio, more than 80 individuals will be recognized with award nominations.
Prizio says The Eddies will serve to converge the different offshoots of the Capital Region music scene that are usually operating in parallel through their own genre or region for one shared experience.
“It is a celebration moment for all aspects of the art that so many work on year-round with little to no recognition. I feel like events like this will help provide a cornerstone for the thriving music scene in the area and be a coming-together for recognition and celebration.”
Over 60 artists and professionals from the diverse local music scene will be involved in the judging process for such nominations, which include technical accomplishments in sound and lighting, creative accomplishments in performances, albums and songs, and the individual recognition of soloists, band members and music educators. The Eddies will also be inducting local music “legends” into a new, permanent, regional music hall of fame.
The awards show and Hall of Fame display will be the latest in an ongoing trend of artist recognition throughout upstate New York such as the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYs) and the local area’s own lesser-known Capital District Original Music Awards.
“Most mid-size and major metro markets from Syracuse to Seattle have long-standing efforts to recognize and celebrate the local music scene,” Murphy says. “There have been attempts in the Capital Region but never with the requisite resources or scale. Our School of the Performing Arts has developed an awards program that is transforming high school musical theatre locally and the next logical step is for Proctors Collaborative to recognize professionals in the music community.”
The Eddies event will be open to the public. Tickets will be available for purchase at proctors.org in January.
