Most of the time, The Crooked Road is 330 miles long and never leaves Virginia. But on March 31, its length will increase about 500 miles and connect Southwest Virginia to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York for the 16th annual Independent Music Awards.
The IMA awards will be presented at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, March 31 beginning at 4 p.m.
The IMAs, as they are known, celebrate the year’s best independent artists and their fans with performances and awards in 96 Album, EP, Song, Video, Producer, Photography and Design categories. The Crooked Road has not one, but two CD recording projects that have been nominated for awards. A Century of Heritage Guitar Music, a double CD release of both current and historical guitar music from The Crooked Road, is nominated for Best Compilation album. The Crooked Road’s Mountains of Music Homecoming 2016 Live Concert Recordings is nominated for Best Live Recording and Best Compilation Album. Nominees are selected from thousands of international submittals.
“Obviously, we were delighted to learn that both our entries had been nominated for awards,†said Larry Yates, President of The Crooked Road. “These recordings represent a huge collective effort by Crooked Road artists, venues, reviewers, recording engineers, and writers who have performed the music, presented the concerts, reviewed hundreds of hours of music, produced the audio CDs, and created liner notes that convey the significance and authenticity of this region’s musical heritage.â€
The Crooked Road faces stiff competition in each category. The five nominees for Best Compilation Album also includes the Smithsonian Folkways’ Classic English and Scottish Ballads and a compilation tribute to the Pulse Night Club shooting victims in Orlando, Florida. The Best Live Album category has 4 nominees, including a live album by Little Freddie King, a celebrated 77-year old delta blues guitarist and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
The Crooked Road CDs are available at various retail outlets in Southwest Virginia and online through cdbaby.com.
The Crooked Road is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the rich musical traditions of Southwest Virginia. www.thecrookedroad.org and www.mtnsofmusic.com
