NAMM 2016: 31st Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards

TEC Award Show @The Anaheim Hilton

Michael Hepworth

By Michael Cohan

Anaheim,CA(Perfect Music Today)1/28/16/–Continuing with the central theme of “The Power of Music,” the power would not be complete if not for the always evolving TEC-nology scene. The best of TEC-nical expertise in professional audio and sound production is what the NAMM TEC awards are all about. Joe Lamond, CEO and President of NAMM, also laments that this event brings together the pro audio community with music technology completing the full spectrum of tribes found in musical relationships. These awards represent the opportunity to recognize the inventors, creators, musicians, and brands who are fueling the next wave of innovation behind how the world experiences music and sound.

On Saturday night the 31^st Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards show took place with comedian Sinbad repeating as emcee. The ever “flamboyant of mouth” kept the festivities going with his brand of humor touching on all current topics. Winners were selected in more than 31 categories from more than 180 nominees by the voters from the major pro audio publications including Mix, Pro Sound & Audio Reviews, Sound & Video Contractor, and Electronic Musicians magazines and the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy, Game Audio Network Guild, Motion Picture Sound Editors, Audio Engineering Society and select members of NAMM.

This year’s Hall of Fame inductees were the co-founders of the infamous Record Plant Chris Stone and the late Gary Kellgren. In 1968 they opened up their first of three studios producing Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland. Rock legend Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter who incorporated invention with Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers performed “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number.”

Don Was became the recipient of the Les Paul TEC award, the highest honor of the evening, as one of the most influential musicians and executives of his time. Don was a founding member of the band Was (Not Was) and completed the evening with an exquisite rendition of their 80’s megahit “Walk the Dinosaur.” The Les Paul award is given to an artist or organization that set the highest standards of excellence in the creative approach of combining audio and music technology.

The TEC awards continue to celebrate the musical powerhouses that push the boundaries of sound and the creators behind the pro audio community. For more information visit https://www.tecawards.org/.