By Al Bowman

Since our inception in 1991, we have seen many changes take place in the music and entertainment industries in general.  When we started on this journey back then, there was no internet and most people did not have hand held cellular telephones.  It really was a different world. Even though none of those technologies existed back then, a few things have not changed at all since our earliest days of production. 

One is artists and bands who have a sense of entitlement to success for their talent. Another is still that most artists and bands have a complete lack of understanding of the economic realities of the music and entertainment business. And of course the biggest one of all, copiers of our work trying pass themselves off as originals.


Is talent a prerequisite for success? The answer is a resounding NO!

Talent is not now, nor has it ever been a prerequisite for success. The world is filled with unrewarded genius just like it has always been. As an artist or band you are expected to be good. Whether your music is good or not is not a basis for a relationship with us or any other music business related entity. If you think that it is, go into a restaurant and order a dinner. When the bill comes, try handing your CD to the waiter or waitress and see if they will accept it for payment on your bill. When they don't, try telling them how good your music is. That will not change their minds about wanting you to pay for your dinner just like everyone has to. The Los Angeles Music Awards and our two sister productions the Hollywood F.A.M.E. Awards and the Phoenix Music Awards operate under the premise of of an exchange taking place in order to justify helping a particular artist or band. That is why we ask for a very nominal submission fee of $40.00 per entry. For us, it shows that when a band makes a commitment of even that amount, they are serious about their ambitions. Still, every year, hundreds of artists and bands send in their music without a contest fee, hoping that we will embrace their music and assist them because their music is "so good." Not gonna happen. There are no entitlements in this business. To paraphrase the legendary Gene Simmons, " What's in it for us? " Hmmm. As an unsigned and unknown but talented artist or band, where is your value in the commercial marketplace? Who is selling your music at retail? What kind of publicity campaign do you have going? Have you ever received any accolades or recognition for your music? That is where we come in. Essentially, all we are is a marketing tool for you and your music. More than anything,we are a publicity and promotion based business, the operative word being "business." Too many artists and bands tend to see us as a charity, in existence to serve their own personal wants and needs. Sorry kids, but we work real hard every day. We are the ones who are "entitled" to receive compensation for our efforts. Helping you achieve your goals for free, while working for you and your personal goals, does not help us with making our events better for the mass media to pay attention to what we are doing.


ECONOMIC REALITIES. As a lesser known music entity, your value in the commercial marketplace is fairly limited.  Without the ability to be heard on the radio, or seen on television on a regular basis, your chances are slim for financial success.

As a publicity and promotion based business, the LA Music Awards and our sister productions are faced with a difficult marketing effort for our events. We place you or your band on multiple web sites as nominees in one or more categories as a part of our yearly marketing strategy. We do this for all of our participants without request for compensation from the artists involved for the work that it takes to keep this information current and updated. This is how we best serve the independent music community we have so carefully constructed over the past TWO DECADES. We are the first to recognize the fact that as a nominee in our event, we will face a huge challenge at getting people to purchase event tickets to see you or your band as a participant in our series of on-going events. That is why if you are fortunate enough to win a nomination with us, DON'T DEMAND THINGS FROM US TO SERVE YOUR OWN INTERESTS. We are like any other business. If you want certain services from us over and above what we are already giving to you with our yearly contest, you will need to compensate our organization for those services. These services include red carpet priviliges, Presenter and  Recipient Dinner Tables, podium time with a celebrity recipient, celebrity photo opportunities and publicity representation, print ad's in our event day program, etc. These are marketing tools designed for the single most important element to helping you achieve your own success: making you POPULAR! This can only be done through mass media exposure via the methods mentioned above.


OTHER AWARDS SHOW PROGRAMS.  We have certainly seen our share of imitators and copycats over the past ten years. After we successfully produced the 10th annual event at the Beverly Hilton on November 21st, 2000, we managed to spawn close to sixty competitors since that date in the independent awards show industry. Just remember, WE WERE THE FIRST, so we are the best. Proof of that is that we have lasted two decades in Hollywood. So how does an artist or band measure the validity of an awards program that could possibly help them achieve success? Simple answer really. Check their standing in the BUSINESS COMMUNITY of Hollywood and Los Angeles in general. This can be done simply by getting a free copy of the 2008/2009  Hollywood Business Resource Book available at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce offices at 7018 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood. You could also see that same directory on line at www.hollywoodchamber.net In our case, we only do business with the entities listed in that directory. And why shouldn't we? A company and business such as this one and anyone producing events in Hollywood or LA for that matter should be listed in this directory. It is a veritable Who's Who of the entertainment business. Being a part of the elite business community of Hollywood gives us insight into all aspects of current and future events taking place in the Hollywood area. Issues like, new business developments, city planning issues, community redevelopment projects, crime, new laws under consideration, and the like. We attend mixers and luncheons along with other many special events that are a part of being members who serve the communities i.e. independent music and film, that we represent with our work and careers. Not one, that's right, NOT ONE of the 50 plus awards show competitors of ours belong to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Yet, there they are, calling themselves the "Hollywood" this or that awards or production company, or record company, etc. Since 2002, our organization has experienced two hostile takeover attempts by businessmen from outside the Hollywood inner circle we belong to. Each of their attempts to take our business from us, despite the fact that they had much more financial means than we did, was soundly defeated in two Los Angeles court cases. Why? Because the relationships with powerful entities and individuals we have built over two decades far outweighed the financial resources our opponents had. That is really what it all comes down to: RELATIONSHIPS. It would be mathematically impossible for anyone to have as many as we do after doing this event successfully in two different centuries. Our advice to any artists or bands looking to enter one of these competitions in the future is to carefully follow what we have told you about in this blog. Thank you for supporting what we do.


Sincerely,
Al Bowman
Founder / Executive Producer
Los Angeles Music Awards
Hollywood F.A.M.E. Awards
Phoenix Music Awards