19th Annual RAMI award winners announced

From staff reports

The best in local music were honored at the 19th Annual Rockford Area Music Industry (RAMI) Awards Ceremony Thursday, April 29, at Tebala Shrine Temple in Rockford.

Following are the 2010 RAMI award recipients, by category:

Album of the Year—Miles Nielsen

Blues—Steve Ditzell & Blue Lightning Band

Cabaret/Broadway—Mike Williamson Trio

Choral Group—Rock Valley Community Chorale

Christian—Epiphany

Classical Ensemble—Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra

Classical Instrumentalist—Katie Schulz

Community Service—Guzzardo’s Music Emerging Artists Competition

Composer of the Year—Miles Nielsen

Country/Bluegrass—Southern Heritage

DJ—DJ Jordan Chance

Folk/Solo Pop—Sarah Ambramowitz

Funk/R&B—The Usual Suspects

Gospel—Awe Struck

Jazz, Contemporary—Dan Voll

Jazz, Traditional—Cocktail Party

Latino—Revolucion De Amor

Lighting Technician—Erik Myles

Live Sound Engineer—Tori Peterson

Musical Outreach Organization—Phantom Regiment

New Act—Dirty Fishnet Stockings

Outstanding Achievement—Tracy Silverman

Rap/Hip Hop—Young Jilla

Recording Studio—Barker Studios

Rock, Acoustic—Cover Story

Rock, Classic—The Crunchy Frogs

Rock, Hard/Metal—Shuvlhed

Rock, Modern—The Stevee Nix

Rock, Oldies—Vintage Vinyl

Rock, Pop/Retro—The Sensations

Rock, Punk/Indie/Alternative—Mulligan Stu

Song of the Year—Silver

Stage Manager—Luis Lara

Studio Sound Engineer—Dwayne Barker

World Music—Pipes and Drums of Clan MacAlpine

Hall of Fame

Steve Shannon (drummer, DJ, radio personality), Ernie & the Po’ Boys (longtime blues act) and Harlan Jefferson & Rick Burns (blues, jazz and funk artists) were inducted into the RAMI Hall of Fame.

Lifetime Achievement

Joe Paluzzi, Vincent Chiarelli and the late Doug Furze (Kathy Ryan accepting) received Lifetime Achievement Awards.

In Memoriam

Kevin Peterson, a longtime hornist who played with Clutch Cargo, Moonlight Jazz Orchestra, Opan Jii and Bonedaddyz before his untimely death last year, was the recipient of the first-ever In Memoriam Award (Sandy Peterson accepted on behalf of her husband).

Performers

Performers included Too Deep, River City Sound Chorus, Jeff Keefer, Silver, Dean Moriarty Jazz Band, Joie DeVivre, AudioDrive and 2009 Youth Charity Jam winner Hope Despite. The ceremony was hosted by Jodi Beach and emcee Jim McDowell.

More about RAMI

For more about RAMI, visit http://ramiawards.com/.