Saturday’s second awards show at Franke Center will feature video screenings and performances by Phabies, Lokella, Kait Rose and Josiah C. Baker. The preview, plus watch videos from all 33 final nominees.
Lokella: The Grand Rapids band is not only nominated for a music video but will perform at Saturday’s awards show. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
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With more than 90 entries from across the state, the second annual Michigan Music Video Awards will celebrate the marriage of filmmaking and music by Great Lakes State artists on Saturday (April 8) at Marshall’s Franke Center for the Arts.
“There are several incredible awards events and festivals that honor the music and musicians in our state. We wanted to expand that to also celebrate the video interpretations of that and the filmmakers’ work,” said Cathy Bovitz, the Franke Center’s event manager.
In addition to screening music video entries, the event will feature performances by several nominees: two rock bands from Grand Rapids, Lokella and Phabies, Detroit-area pop/R&B singer Josiah C. Baker and Kalamazoo singer-songwriter Kait Rose. The evening will be hosted by Rebecca Scarcello, a Detroit-area booking agent and host of The D-Brief podcast.
Jacob Gates, Franke Center’s executive director, said mixing video screenings and live performances will make for “a fun, dynamic and exciting night of entertainment.”
A Way to Honor Artists’ Hard Work on Videos: Phabies (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
While the inaugural 2022 awards attracted only 40 submissions, this year’s event boasts 92 music video entries – managed by FilmFreeway.com – covering a wide variety of genres. Submissions came from musical artists in communities across the state.
Bands with submitted entries range from Ann Arbor jazz manouche group Djangophonique and Traverse City alt-folk’s The Accidentals to Grand Rapids-area country band Prior Noon and rock’s Jack Droppers & The Best Intentions.
“Musicians wear so many hats and are balancing parts of themselves that aren’t always obvious to the listener,” said Laura Hobson of indie-rock’s Phabies, whose video for its song “OMG” – filmed and edited by Nick Buwalda – was selected for award consideration on Saturday.
“Many of us take on the roles of directors, set-builders, managers, actors, hair and makeup, film crew, painter, etc., because we don’t have the budget to hire it out. Acknowledging the work that goes into these short videos that often take months of preparation is a way to honor artists. This is a way to say, ‘I see you, I value you. Keep it up.’”
THIRTY-THREE VIDEOS MAKE FINAL CUT FOR THIS YEAR’S NOMINATIONS
Phabies will kick off the awards show by playing a few songs from its latest album, “Fire Seed,” on Saturday, while also looking forward to “meeting new people and maybe seeing some familiar faces.” Rose, Baker and, finally, Lokella will perform at various junctures during the evening prior to the final awards presentation.
Josiah C. Baker (Courtesy Photo)
Awards will be presented for best cinematography, best student video and video of the year, as well as an audience choice award (decided by audience text voting at the show) and best videos in various genres.
Videos are judged on a wide range of criteria, including originality, creativity, cinematography, direction, performance, production value, pacing, sound and overall entertainment value. Thirty-three videos made the cut as final nominees for awards.
The panel of judges includes musicians, filmmakers and Franke Center staff. One of last year’s winners, Ned Ingalls of Ingall Pictures (which won in 2022 for Grand Rapids band Hollow Front’s “The Price of Dreaming” video) also serves as a judge for 2023.
Saturday’s event will begin with a “pre-show red carpet mixer” featuring DJ Nervous Recs at 6:45 p.m. The awards show in the 260-capacity Franke Center begins at 8 p.m., with an after-party at the venue’s Downstage Club.
General admission tickets are $19, with $130 box seats also available online at thefranke.org.
Last year’s winners were for videos by Lipstick Jodi (best pop), Lakers (best R&B rap/best cinematography), Indigo Yaj (best student video), Grace Theisen (best Americana/audience choice), Wolves & Machines (best alternative/video of the year), No Resolve and Hollow Front (tie for best rock video).
MICHIGAN MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS 2023: THE NOMINEES
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