Staind, Godsmack, Aerosmith, Gary Cherone score Boston Music Awards
ByApr 11, 2002 10:00 PM
BOSTON--Boston’s thriving music scene has spawned some of the biggest names in rock, as evidenced by this year’s Boston Music Awards ceremony.
BOSTON--Boston’s thriving music scene has spawned some of the biggest names in rock, as evidenced by this year’s Boston Music Awards ceremony.
Local rock heroes Aerosmith, Staind, Godsmack and Tribe of Judah (Gary Cherone’s new band) walked away from Thursday night’s (4/11) ceremony with two trophies each, while other nationally-known favorites such as Carly Simon, American Hi-Fi and former Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley landed single awards.
The ceremony, which took place at the city’s Orpheum Theater, also included performances by winners Godsmack, Tribe of Judah and Hanley, among others.
Staind, whose members were not on hand, claimed the evening’s top prize for Act of the Year, while the group’s chart-topping radio staple “It’s Been A While” took the Single of the Year award.
With Staind out of town, Godsmack was the event’s unrivaled crowd-favorite. The group snagged the award for Outstanding Rock Band, and frontman Sully Erna, who demonstrated the strength and power of his voice while singing the group’s new hit “I Stand Alone,” was recognized with the award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
“I told [Staind frontman] Aaron Lewis to make it to the awards this year, but he didn’t do it, so f--- him,” Erna joked when accepting his award in the latter category, for which Lewis was also among those nominated.
Absentee winners Aerosmith, who were in New York City working out the final details for their appearance on MTV’s April 17 “mtvICON” tribute--snagged Album of the Year for last year’s “Just Push Play,” and Video of the Year for that album’s first single, “Jaded.”
Up-and-coming act Tribe of Judah--fronted by former Extreme and Van Halen frontman Gary Cherone--picked up the award for Outstanding New Rock Band (Indie Label), while Cherone himself was crowned Outstanding Male Vocalist (Indie Label).
Cherone and company performed “Left for Dead,” a song featured on the group’s forthcoming album, which is tentatively set for a May release. The singer’s characteristically theatrical and flamboyant stage persona was accented by a long-sleeved black shirt that had been cut to leave his entire torso exposed.
The outfit caused Godsmack’s Erna, who picked up his award just after Tribe of Judah’s performance, to joke in his thick Boston accent: “Didn’t Gary Cherone’s nipples look wicked good tonight?”
Cherone told SoundSpike during an interview following the awards that he thought Erna’s crack was funny. “Yeah, the shirt--can you call it a shirt?--the ‘sleeve’ was maybe a bit risqué,” he said.
Erna’s acceptance speech became more serious when he told the cheering legions of Godsmack fans in attendance: ‘’This band has had some serious success. We’ve never bailed on you. We never will, and we’re going to stay here forever.”
American Hi-Fi nailed down the Song of the Year award for the hit “Flavor of the Weak,” while Kay Hanley got the nod for Outstanding Female Vocalist (Indie). Both winners performed during the ceremony.
The evening’s surprise highlight was area legend Carly Simon’s win in the Female Vocalist of the Year category, which she was on hand to accept. “This is an amazing surprise and an honor,” the singer said after a lengthy round of applause had subsided. She then joked, “I’m glad that you voted for somebody to represent the youth movement.”
Other notables who appeared at the show included Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett, who presented the award for Best Song. “I’ve written some of this city’s worst songs,” he quipped, “but I wrote a good one, at one point,” he added, presumably referring to the group’s 1997 breakthrough hit “The Impression That I Get.”
Renowned early-’80s punk act Mission of Burma was honored with this year’s Hall of Fame Award.
The ceremony was hosted by former New Kids on the Block member, and now solo artist, Joey McIntyre, who performed the night’s opening number. McIntyre joked that the last time he had performed at the BMA’s was with “four shmucks from Dorchester,” the Boston-area community that his former New Kids bandmates hail from.
Boston Music Awards nominees were selected by a committee of 500 music industry professionals, including record label reps, club owners, radio deejays, booking agents, music journalists, and others, according to a press release. Winners were determined by an “equally-weighted combination of music industry committee voting and public voting.”
2002 Boston Music Awards Winners
Act of the Year: Staind
Rising Star: Reveille
Album of the Year: “Just Push Play” - Aerosmith
Outstanding Rock Band: Godsmack
Single of the Year: “It’s Been Awhile” - Staind
Male Vocalist of the Year: Sully Erna of Godsmack
Female Vocalist of the Year: Carly Simon
Song of the Year: “Flavor of the Weak” - American Hi-Fi
Video of the Year: “Jaded” - Aerosmith
Outstanding Album (Indie Label): “Where Have My Countrymen Gone: - The Sheila Divine
Outstanding Debut Album (Indie Label): “On Your Way” - Flynn
Outstanding Single (Indie Label): “Blizzards, Buzzards, & Bastards” - Scissorfight
Outstanding Song (Indie Label): “Kiss That Counted” - Catie Curtis
Outstanding Male Vocalist (Indie Label): Gary Cherone of Tribe of Judah
Outstanding Female Vocalist (Indie): Kay Hanley
Outstanding Rock Band (Indie Label): Bleu
Outstanding New Rock Band (Indie Label): Tribe of Judah
Outstanding Hard Rock Band: Cracktorch
Outstanding Punk Band: Dropkick Murphys
Outstanding Roots Rock Band: Dennis Brennan
Outstanding Funk Band: Superhoney
Outstanding Club Band: Dropkick Murphys
Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Act: Virtuoso
Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Album: “The Soul Purpose” - 7L & Esoteric
Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Single: Cro-Magnon - Mr. Lif
Outstanding New Rap/Hip-Hop Act: D-Tension
Outstanding Jazz Act: Dead Cat Bounce
Outstanding Jazz Album: “Eventuality: The Music of Roswell Rudd” - Charlie Kohlhase Quintet
Outstanding Singer/Songwriter Album: “Sweet Mistakes” - Ellis Paul
Outstanding Male Singer/Songwriter: Howie Day
Outstanding Female Singer/Songwriter: Melissa Ferrick
Outstanding New Singer/Songwriter: Rachael Davis
Outstanding Blues Act: Weepin’ Willie
Outstanding Blues Album: “Wake Up Call” - Michelle Willson
Outstanding New Blues Act: The Chris Fitz Band
Outstanding Country Act: Dave Foley Band
Outstanding World Music Act:: John Brown’s Body
Outstanding Producer: Scott Riebling
Hall of Fame: Mission of Burma