Talk of the town
A look behind the scenes of a local awards show in its inaugural year.
I can’t remember who said it first, Otto von Bismarck or Jimmy Dean, but he was right when he first uttered the phrase, “if you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.” The same principle can also apply to local award shows.
After a one-year postponement, the second Eddies Awards will be streaming on May 2. Created and organized by Proctors Collaborative, the show honors local musicians, promoters, venues, videographers, lightand-sound crew, recording studios and media over a few dozen categories. As a nominee (for best local music journalist) and judge for both Eddies events, I can unequivocally state that it’s one of the most bizarre and culturally fascinating things I’ve had the good fortune to witness and participate in.
The 2019 Eddies was fairly straightforward in construct. A bunch of folks, myself included, received an email asking if we’d be willing to serve as judges. We were sent the categories and the respective nominees (as decided upon by Proctors), with links for reference, and cast our votes. Judges were instructed to skip categories that presented a conflict of interest. Judges and nominees were then invited to the actual show at Proctors, complete with a red carpet, drink vouchers and award ceremony hosted by Erin Harkes.
Local hip-hop acts made the most of their nominations and wisely used it as a promotional resource. Lighting and sound crews, the unsung heroes of events like Pearlpalooza and Albany Riverfront Jazz Fest, were given much-deserved acknowledgement. Cover artists, who are some of the most popular bands and singers in the 518, got attention they don’t otherwise receive. Most significantly, the creation of a local music hall of fame gave the fantastic Ruth Pelham (of an inaugural class which also included Kevin Mckrell) an opportunity to deliver a profoundly moving speech that brought many to tears.
Despite all the good, things did get a little weird.
“It’s just an honor to be nominated.” That’s what famous people say when they get nominated for a major award. It’s a safe stance, a way to acknowledge something without seeming too emotionally invested in the outcome. The mood around the Eddies seemed to be varying degrees of that, give or take a touch of enthusiasm or cynicism in either direction. People didn’t