Dell’s presence at the Plug Awards is a great way to connect with the music community and help them realize the potential of technology and music coming together. It is a perfect way of celebrating the personal computer as the enabler of making, discovering, sharing and influencing music and enhancing an entertainment lifestyle. As a platform for independent artists, the Dell Lounge is supporting that independent spirit by becoming an integral part of the 2008 Plug Independent Music Awards this March.
OurStage is the only purely democratic online competition where fans decide who’s the best in emerging music, film and video. The OurStage mission is to help talented artists achieve critical exposure by solving the greatest challenge on the Internet today: sorting quality content from the sea of mediocrity online. OurStage provides a neutral, trusted, game-free platform, in which the true judgment of the fans drives the best content to the top. OurStage offers worthy artists real opportunities to actually launch their careers.
PLUG is also excited to announce their partnership with The Bowery Presents--New York City’s largest independent concert promoter. With a core business based around great music, The Bowery Presents’ mission is to bring the best bands to the NY metropolitan area and to provide the best concert experience for fans and artists, along with reasonable ticket prices. Promoting shows at New York’s leading venues for independent music including Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge, Terminal 5 and Music Hall Of Williamsburg, as well as concerts at other venues including Madison Square Garden, Keyspan Park and Randall’s Island, The Bowery Presents embodies the independent and creative spirit of the PLUG AWARDS.
PLUG 2008 is also proud to be working with these great organizations as well:
PLUG and OurStage are partnering to support the Grameen Foundation this year. PLUG invites all voters to join with us, OurStage and the Grameen Foundation in the fight against abject poverty . Grameen Foundation’s mission is to empower the poorest of the poor to lift themselves out of poverty through its support of microfinance, commonly known as "banking for the poor.” With tiny loans, savings and technology, the foundation helps the poorest of the poor, mostly women, start self-sustaining businesses, to escape poverty. As a borrower’s business grows, so does her self-esteem and her family’s well-being. Grameen Foundation was founded in 1997 by individuals inspired by Professor Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Professor Yunus is a founding and current board member of Grameen Foundation. Today, Grameen Foundation provides financing, technology and training to microfinance institutions that serve families across Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East (over 3.6 million families in 25 countries).
Thanks to our sponsors for making the PLUG 2007 Awards show and season a lot of fun and a huge success. Special thanks to: IMEEM, SESAC, The Orchard, MTV2, AOL, Red Bull, eMusic, Flavorpill, OurStage ManiaTV, Blu Hammock, Talent Clearing House, Evolvs Media and Jelly NYC.
A big thanks to all our sponsors this year: MySpace, Fader Magazine, SESAC, Fanatic
Promotion, Metroconcepts, iStockphoto (& photographers!), New York Noise, New York
Press, ManiaTV.com, Download.com, SuperAlright!, World’s Fair, Talent Clearing
House, SPEC Entertainment, Fringe Benefits, Savage Pictures, DRA.
“Big thanks also goes to the Evolvs crew - Bruce Livingstone, Mark Fleet, Mike Cook,
Ian Russell, Brad Ralph – as well as Christopher Weingarten, Kory Grow, Sean Ziebarth,
Daylen Dalrymple, John Moore, Sarah Weiss, Julia Chipouras, Paul Monahan, Louise
Zervas, Jane Kim, Steve Haugen & Mike Fox at Savage Pictures, Pitchfork,
Ohmyrockness.com, Insound, CMJ, Daniel Gill, Sara Newkirk, Dawn Barger, Euvin
Weeber, Sean Maxson...and of course to Duane and Russ for those early dreams.
And of course a very special thanks to AZIZ ANSARI, JAMES F!@#$%^ FRIEDMAN, THE
NATIONAL, CHAD VANGAALEN, CELEBRATION, BEANS w/ HOLY F**K, CAGE, MR. LIF &
AKROBATIK (THE PERCEPTIONISTS), EMILIANA TORRINI, MATISYAHU, VIC THRILL, TV
ON THE RADIO, EL-P, LAURA CANTRELL, ROB CROWE, C-RAYZ WALZ, BIG BEAR, GANG
GANG DANCE, CLAIRE & PATRICK (OhMyROCKNESS/INSOUND), NICK SYLVESTER &
AMANDA PETRUSICH (from PITCHFORK), STEVE CIABATTONI & JESSICA SUAREZ
(CMJ), all the nominees, winners and especially all the fans who made themselves heard
this year.
Thanks also goes to the Evolvs crew - Bruce Livingstone, Mark Fleet, Mike Cook- Christopher Weingarten, Sean Ziebarth, Andrew Nelson, Derek Brown, Daylen Dalrymple, Kelly Opdycke, John Moore, Sarah Weiss, Louise Zervas, Jane Kim, Steve Haugen & Mike Fox at Savage Pictures, GIANT STEP, Ohmyrockness.com, CMJ, XLR8R, WSOU, WNYU, WFMU, WRJU, WHRU, WRSU, Daniel Gill, Mahmood Shaikh & Flower Booking Agency, Tom Windish, Sandi Schaffer & Confidential Talent, Sara Newkirk , Amirah Noaman and Brian Manning, Rainer, Eric Levin, Rand Foster, Fat Beat... and of course to Duane and Russ for those early dreams.
Special Thanks to Saul Williams, RJD2, Aesop Rock, Sufjan Stevens, Ted Leo + The Pharmacists, Dillinger Escape Plan, Tim Sweeney, James Friedman – and Gray Kid.
And of course special thanks to the NOMINEES & WINNERS, the PLUG Cartel/Advisory Board, all those who voted this year.
