NEW YORK, NY (mtvU) - mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, today announced the artists college students selected as winners of the 2006 "mtvU Woodie Awards" - the only awards honoring the music voted best by the college audience. Taped at fabled Roseland Ballroom in New York City, the third annual "Woodies" featured students in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as they introduced and honored their favorite emerging acts and music. The show will premiere on mtvU November 2nd at 8pm ET and be simulcast on-air and online. Timed to the simulcast, the entire show will also premiere on demand at mtvU.com - giving viewers the power to experience every moment in whatever order they wish, "remix" it, save it to their setlist and e-mail it to their friends. In addition, for the first time, a special half-hour version of the "Woodies" will also air on MTV and MTV2, with the MTV premiere set for November 4th at 10pm ET, and an encore performance on MTV2 scheduled for November 5th at 11pm ET.
"College students are prophesying the future of new music today, and at the 2006 'Woodies,' they honored the music they lived their lives to this year," said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. "Winning the ultimate stamp of approval from the college audience has driven acts like the Killers, Fall Out Boy, Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie to new heights - we can't wait to see what's next for this year's winners."
Big winners at the 2006 "mtvU Woodie Awards" included college favorites Plain White T's, The Subways, O.A.R, 30 Seconds to Mars, Angels & Airwaves, Taking Back Sunday and System of a Down. A host of emerging and influential artists, including Lupe Fiasco, Ghostface, Slug of Atmosphere and Murs stood side-by-side with college students, who actually presented "Woodie" awards to each of the night's winners.
The Roseland crowd was treated to a series of amazing live performances from acts making big noise on college campuses nationwide. Imogen Heap kicked the night off with a haunting, ethereal rendition of her break out hit, "Hide and Seek." Next up was the incomparable Beck - flanked by a full assemblage of marionettes, which replicated he and his band's every move - who brought the house down with high energy performances of "Nausea" and "E-Pro." Following Beck were noted live performers and mtvU "Freshmen Five" alums Gym Class Heroes. They opened their energetic set with hit single "The Queen and I," and then collaborated with William of "Woodie"-nominated The Academy Is for a special performance of "Cupid's Chokehold," which holds the record for the biggest video premiere ever on mtvU.com. Bringing the show home and sending the college crowd off in style was TV on the Radio, with unforgettable renditions of "Province" and their current anthemic hit, "Wolf Like Me."
Other emerging artists who appeared at this year's "Woodies" included Lady Sovereign, Cage and Nightmare of You, as well as "Woodie"-winners Plain White T's, The Subways, 30 Seconds to Mars and Angels & Airwaves. Winners for the third annual "mtvU Woodie Awards" are:
Woodie of the Year - (Artist of the Year) The artist who made the biggest splash on mtvU and the college music scene this past year.
Winner:
Angels & Airwaves (Suretone / Geffen Records)
The Breaking Woodie - (Best Emerging Artist) mtvU is where new developing artists are test driven for the first time by the toughest critics around: college students. This year's coveted Breaking Woodie goes to ...
Winner:
Plain White T's (Hollywood Records)
Left Field Woodie - (Most Original Artist) They're genre-busters. They came out of left field and surprised us so much, we'd still have no idea what section of the record store to look for them in. They resist all classification.
Winner:
Gnarls Barkley (Downtown / Atlantic Records)
Best Video Woodie - Live Action - (Best Live Action Video) The music video that's so incredible, we'd watch it even without the music.
Winner:
30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill (Virgin Records America)
Best Video Woodie - Animated - (Best Animated Video) The music video that makes all of your favorite Sunday cartoons look foolish.
Winner:
Gorillaz - El Manana (Virgin Records)
The Good Woodie - (Greatest Social Impact) The award for the artists whose commitment to a social cause has effected the greatest change this year.
Winner:
System of a Down - Armenian Genocide (Columbia Records)
Road Woodie - (Best Tour) For those artists who take to the road and never let up, always giving that memorable live performance.
Winner:
Taking Back Sunday (Warner Bros. Records)
International Woodie - (Favorite International Artist Award) mtvU embraces musicians from all over the world and honors this year's crop of international up-and-comers, including the winning band, from the UK.
Winner:
The Subways (Warner Bros. Records)
Alumni Woodie - (a.k.a. The You're Still OK in our Book Award) For the artists who've graduated into the wide world of mega-stardom, but who haven't forgotten where they came from. And we're proud to say, "We knew them when ... "
Winner:
AFI (Interscope Records)
Streaming Woodie - (Most Streamed) For four weeks, top acts on the college scene went toe-to-toe on mtvU.com, with college students streaming their favorites into the finals. In a testament to the creativity and talent of the mtvU audience, the winning video was actually filmed, directed and produced by students from Columbia University as part of the mtvU series, "Breaking the Video." The last artist standing, and winner of the Streaming Woodie is ...
Winner:
O.A.R. "Lay Down" (Everfine / Atlantic Records)
The "mtvU Woodie Awards" originate from the indie tradition of giving a wooden record to those artists who generate a passionate response to their music. The awards honor those breaking musicians who captivate the college audience, and are decided by student voting on mtvU.com and mtvU Mobile. More than 3.2 million votes were cast this year - triple the total from a year ago. Nearly fifty emerging and influential artists were nominated for the 2006 "Woodies."
Performers, presenters and nominees attending the "Woodies" received the official "mtvU Woodie Awards" gift bag, including cool gear and gifts generously donated by the following: Dean Markley, Eclectic Clothing, Freedom of Choice Jeans, Gypsy 05, Hue, IK Media, Joby, Kangol, Luxestar Apparel, Macbeth, Ordinary Clothing, RockYourLife, Tattooed Steel, Timbuk2, Tsubo and V-Moda.
Ross Martin and Eric Conte are Executive Producers for the 2006 "mtvU Woodie Awards." Tracy Hellerud is the Producer. Liz Patrick is the Director. Gina Esposito is the Director of Music and Talent. Joe Buoye is the Line Producer. Brian DeCubellis is the Supervising Producer for mtvU and Mandana Massiha is the Supervising Producer for mtvU.com.
The third-annual "mtvU Woodie Awards" is sponsored by Citicards, Ford College Student Purchase Program, Taco Bell, Sony PSP, Garnier Fructis and T-Mobile.
