Music

9th Annual Orange County Music Awards

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, Steelwells and Sugar Ray among the evening’s notable honorees

by Olga Belogolova   |   Mar 8, 2010

9th Annual Orange County Music Awards

Photo: Olga Belogolova

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Only one awards show in the country or maybe even world can have a category called “Best Surf” and get away with it. Welcome to Orange County, everyone.

The Orange County music scene is a small world, but it has big roots and big ambitions. From No Doubt and Rage Against the Machine to Sugar Ray and the Offspring, Orange County has brought big dreams to life for many musicians and it’s scene and environment continues to breed and inspire music and lyrics from every genre under the sun.

The 9th Annual Orange County Music Awards, held on March 6, brought together industry people, music lovers, established artists and local bands into one big room, otherwise known as the Grove of Anaheim.

The unusually rainy Orange County evening was filled with trophies, mingling, joking and some very unique live performances. The biggest winner of the night was Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, taking home three awards, for Best Country/Americana, Best Rock and Best Live Band as well as taking the stage for one of the evening’s many performances.

The next highest OCMA garnering group was the Steelwells, who nabbed both Best Song for “El Capitan” and Best New Artist. Best Indie Artist went to The New Limb, who unexpectedly and excitedly accepted their award.

Thrice, on the other hand, took home the honor and trophy for Best Album for Beggars, the group’s sixth album. Thrice’s Ed and Riley Breckenridge took the stage to accept their award.

Other awards were handed out throughout the night of live performances by Melanoid, Soul Hustlers, Billy Kernkamp (winner for Best Acoustic), Lit, BLOK (winner for Best Hip-Hop) and The Dirty Heads (winner for Best World). The Translucent Ham Sandwich Band took home the prize for best jazz, but I think I am not alone in saying that they probably deserve to be honored for “Best Name” at some point as well.

A touching video and speech honored Jim Washburn, Orange County’s very own music historian and critic, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The writer, who has worked for OC Weekly, OC Register and just about every local publication was credited with boosting sales just by covering a band.

Towards the end of the night, Sugar Ray accepted the Orange County Impact Award for their contributions to the industry and the Orange County music scene as well the work they have put into their non-profit charity Music For A Cure, which brings music and it’s healing effects to critically ill children through instruments, in addition to supporting music therapy at local children’s hospitals.

All the winners:

  • Best album – Beggars, Thrice
  • Best song – “El Capitan,” the Steelwells
  • Best new artist – The Steelwells
  • Best rock – Dusty Rhodes and the River Band
  • Best country/Americana – Dusty Rhodes and the River Band
  • Best live band – Dusty Rhodes and the River Band
  • Best acoustic – Billy Kernkamp
  • Best folk – Yellow Red Sparks
  • Best punk – The Adolescents
  • Best indie – The New Limb
  • Best alternative – Stereofix
  • Best metal – Atreyu
  • Best hip-hop – Blok
  • Best pop – Stacy Clark
  • Best electronic – Electric Valentine
  • Best blues – Roman Alexander and the Robbery
  • Best surf – The Growlers
  • Best jazz – Translucent Ham Sandwich Band
  • Best world – The Dirty Heads
  • Best Latin – Boogaloo Assassins
  • People’s Choice Award – Duress
  • Lifetime Achievement Award – Jim Washburn