New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ IMA) - Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan, Pete Wentz, Mark Hoppus, JD Samson & Ricky Skaggs Join
The Independent
Music Awards Judging Panel
Honors For Acoustic Song and Long Form Video
Added to The 9th IMAs
The celebrated husband and wife songwriting team of Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan; Fall Out Boy bassist and Decaydance Records founder, Pete Wentz; Grammy-winning country artist, Ricky Skaggs; Blink-182 founding member, Mark Hoppus; Le Tigre's JD Samson & MTV Music Supervisor, Carrie Hughes will join the previously announced stellar list of influential artists and industry vets that will help determine the winners of The 9th annual IMAs, currently accepting submissions.
A complete list of 9th annual IMA judges is available at IndependentMusicAwards.com/judges
In addition to awards in more than 50 music, video and design categories, several new awards have been added to The 9th IMAs.
New music categories include an award for Acoustic Song and the Music Video category is augmented by Long Form Music Video to support achievements for presentations that feature more than one song.
Artistry Has Its Awards
The Independent Music Awards is a unique international program that helps top-ranked artists and releases reach new markets via promotion, distribution and performance opportunities that place them in front of millions of Fans, Programmers, Talent Buyers, Film, TV & Gaming Music Supervisors, Press and other industry gatekeepers.
The IMAs support the meritocracy of talent and & represent the diversity of the global Indie scene. The program evaluates submission purely by merit and honors artists with previous major label releases as well as artists that have only self-released or appeared on indie labels.
Past winners and nominees include: Koko Taylor, Martin Sexton,Jamie Lidell, The Apples in stereo, Lacuna Coil, God Forbid,Sweet Honey In The Rock, Jeff Healey, Dengue Fever, Joan As Police Woman, Twilight Hotel, Speech, Mary Gauthier,Jennifer Nettles, Girl In A Coma, Marco Benevento, Tannis Slimmon and Dan Zanes.
Uniting Fans and Bands
Regarded as the awards program for independent bands and fans,The Independent Music Awards features several program elements that shorten the distance between bands and new audiences.
In addition to judge-determined evaluations, each year, thousands of fans from around the globe discover new artists and cast their votes at the IMA Vox Pop Jukebox. The winners of the 'people's voice' poll receive additional IMA marketing support.
Additionally the IMA Winners' CD compilation, Now Hear This is promoted to millions of music consumers at sites such as eMusic and PureVolume.
The deadline for submissions is August 21, 2009; winners and nominees will be promoted throughout 2010.
Details and entry forms are available at: www.IndependentMusicAwards.com
