FEBRUARY 28, 2019
ROCKWiRED SPECIAL FEATURE: 2019 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

ust when you thought that we saw the last of the award seasons with the recent broadcast of the 91rst annual ACADEMY AWARDS, along comes a new awards season for fans of a medium much smaller than that of the silver screen. Since it's inception last year, the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS has sought to celebrate the very best in both the sound and vision that is coming out of the world of independent music. Last year over a hundred music videos were nominated in over 30 categories and this year, the submissions for the second annual LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS are looking to exceed those numbers. Organized by JOWANNA LEWIS - the CEO of the online radio station RADIOKSCR.COM - this annual awards celebration is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the hottest events in the music industry and LEWIS couldn't be more excited by what is in store this year. "There are a lot of things that have me excited!" said LEWIS in a recent phone conversation with ROCKWIRED. "One of the first submissions that I got was from the R&B singer INDIA.ARIE. When I saw that I was like "What?" That was pretty crazy. I also got a submission from a K-POP band from South Korea. It's a little but much to be honest. A part of me is thinking that this is going to be so much bigger than last year. We've also got a new venue this year and we're doing a whole lot of things in trying to secure sponsors.  It is definitely going to be a bigger event. We've also added some new categories this year like BEST METAL MUSIC VIDEO and BEST COVER SONG. So I'm really excited. I think that it's all kind of crazy to be honest."

THE ARTiCLE WiLL CONTiNUE 
FOLLOWiNG THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW

The 2019 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS is still accepting submissions. While the deadline for early submissions ends today, bands, artists and filmmakers are still able to submit until March 20, 2019 through FILMFREEWAY.COM. The nominees will be announced on March 31, 2019 followed by the publication of an official guide for the awards season which will be published by ROCKWIRED MEDIA, the parent company of ROCKWIRED.COM. The winners will be announced at a ceremony which will be held at the COVINA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS on May 11, 2019 at 7:30 pm, which according to LEWIS is a step up from last year. "[It] is a gorgeous theater!" said LEWIS of the award show's new venue. "It's a 200-seat theater with presidential boxes and the stage is huge. It's going to be great. There were a lot of things that you do inthe first year and then when it's all over you want to improve on them. I pretty much took all of the feedback that I got from people last year and incorporated it into this year. The judging will be different, the venue will be different. The venue we had last year was cool but people felt that the awards show deserved to be in a theater, so that it is what we're going ot do this year.  The only thing is that it's not in Downtown LA or anywhere like that. This is in the suburbs, but I think the quality of the venue makes up for it all the way."

Aside from a change in venue, the high volume of submissions has signaled to LEWIS that the 2019 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS is going to be something special.

"I think I've gotten over a hundred videos so far." says LEWIS "To be honest, I don't look. I don't look. I dont want to influence myself becasue if something happens and there is a tie in the voting, I am the ultimate tie-breaker on this. I want to stay as impartial as possible, but every now and and again, I will see something and it will catch my eye and it's like "Okay! That's pretty cool!" When I saw the INDIA.ARIE video, I had to ask myself if I was reading this thing right. And then when I saw the K-POP video, I was blown away by the production. At first, I wondered if it was a K-POP video becasue all I saw was that the video came from South Korea. The video is a full K-POP production. It's crazy!"

LEWIS has also noticed the politics of the day informing a fair number of the music videos that have been submitted so far.

"From what I am seeing, and I'm not looking really hard, I am noticing a lot of political videos. The #metoo movement is definitely playing a role in these music videos. There is a lot of female empowerment. It's definitely  taken from what is going on in the world and people are paying attention. It's very appropos for what is happening in the world today."

The LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS is currently accepting submissions.  Save $5 on your submission fee with code "RadioKSCR2019". For more information about the festival visit www.filmfreeway.com/lamusicvideoawards

RELATED LiNKS:
www.filmfreeway.com/lamusicvideoawards

rian Lush is a music industry professional and entrepreneur. In 2005 he launched the online music site Rockwired.com to help promote new music artists in conjunction with the weekly radio show Rockwired Live which aired on KTSTFM.COM from 2005 - 2009. In 2010 He launched the daily podcast series Rockwired Radio Profiles which features exclusive interviews and music. He has also developed and produced the online radio shows Jazzed and Blue - Profiles in Blues and Jazz, Aboriginal Sounds - A Celebration of American Indian and First Nations Music, The Rockwired Rock N Roll Mixtape Show and The Rockwired Artist of the Month Showcase. In 2012, Brian Lush and his company Rockwired Media LLC launched the monthly digital online publication Rockwired Magazine. The magazine attracts over 75,000 readers a month and shows no signs of stopping. Rockwired Magazine also bares the distinction of being the first American Indian-owned rock magazine. Brian Lush is an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe. Brian Lush's background in music journalism, radio and podcast hosting, podcast production, web design, publicity, advertising sales, social media and online marketing, strategic editorial planning and branding have all made Rockwired a name that is trusted and respected throughout the independent music industry.

CONTACT BRiAN LUSH AT: djlush@rockwired.com