Platinum Music Awards

New Mexico Music Commission’s Platinum Music Awards

The 2020 Platinum Music Awards are temporarily suspended until further notice. Thank you.

The Platinum Music Awards (PMA) are the State of New Mexico’s highest honor for the music industry. Five “Platinums” are presented annually to living musicians and music supporters who have demonstrated lifetime achievement in their music genre or have made significant and distinguished contributions to New Mexico’s music industry. Nominations are invited from organizations and the public. A jury of music industry experts appointed by the Music Commission selects the honorees.

In conjunction with the Platinum Music Awards, the Lee Berk Foundation Award is selected and conferred by the officers of the New Mexico Music Commission Foundation (NMMCF). Please note the Lee Berk Foundation Award is not part of the Platinum Music Awards nomination and selection process.

Recipients are honored at a fully staged music variety show. The show celebrates New Mexico’s rich and diverse music industry and showcases some of the state’s top talent.

The 2019 (3rd annual) PMA show took place Friday, August 23, 2019, 7:30pm at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe. 2019 PMA honorees are Jim Bonnell, Bert Dalton, Noberta Fresquez, Robert Mirabal, and Cipriano Vigil. The Candyman Strings & Things received the the Lee Berk Foundation Award.

Origins

Award: The New Mexico Music Commission  is founder and owner of the Platinum Music Awards, including all PMA logos, trademarks, copyrights, art, media, or other materials created by its foundation or other entities on its behalf.

Show: The music commission entrusts the New Mexico Music Commission Foundation with raising the funds necessary to cover production costs of the annual awards show as a means of promoting the commission’s annual signature event and primary fund raiser. For information about the annual awards show, please visit platinummusicawards.org.

History

2012: The New Mexico Music Commission created the Platinum Achievement Award to honor lifetime achievement in the state’s music industry.

2013-2015: Four Platinum Achievement Awards honorees were selected by the music commission (see Honorees section below). Honorees were recognized at existing community events, such as the Clovis Music Festival and the FantaSe Fest.

2016: The Platinum Achievement Award was renamed the Platinum Music Award, at the suggestion of Felicity Broennan, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships with the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The music commission voted to create a Platinum Music Awards show and install it as their annual signature event and primary fund raiser, per their strategic plan adopted January 2016. The commission charged its foundation with production of the annual awards show. Commission chair David Schwartz resigned from the commission to resurrect the defunct New Mexico Music Commission Foundation, in order to raise funds to produce the Platinum Music Awards show.

2017: The Platinum Awards nomination criteria was devised by Thomas Goodrich, music commission administrator, and was loosely based on criteria used for the Governor’s Arts Awards. Thomas sought the advice of Loie Fecteau, Executive Director of New Mexico Arts, and Department of Cultural Affairs executive members Felicity Broennan and Deputy Secretary Mike Delello in shaping the nomination criteria to suit the unique requirements of a lifetime achievement award for the music industry. The Music Commission Foundation objected to the nomination criteria. They advocated for the public to submit names through the music commisison’s Facebook page with honorees selected by discussion among members of the commission and foundation. In early January, DCA’s legal counsel advised adoption of the nomination criteria and language proposed by Goodrich. Nominations were opened to the public shortly thereafter. Honorees were selected by a jury of 3 music commissioners, 1 member of the public, and 1 foundation member, and were announced to the public in April. Music Commission Foundation board members devised the PMA show format, modeled after the Kennedy Center Honors. The foundation partnered with Solace Crisis treatment center for the first annual Platinum Music Awards show which premiered July 21 at the Lensic in Santa Fe.

2018: Melissa Sanchez, acting chair of the commission, and Thomas Goodrich formalized criteria for selecting PMA judges and facilitation of the honoree selection process. Sanchez insisted equal numbers of commissioners and members of the public sector serve on the jury. Sanchez expressed concern of a (perceived) conflict of interest for members of the foundation to serve as jurors because of their role as producers of the awards show. Honorees were announced to the public in April and the second annual awards show took place in August. The PMA show production team consisted of members of the foundation and commission, with NMMCF President David Schwartz serving as executive producer.

2019: The foundation expressed concern the PMA nomination criteria was onerous and deterring the public from nominating. In response, the commission modified the nomination form, dropping the requirement that 3 letters of support be included with each nomination. Interesting to note all but 2 nominations received for the 2019 awards included letters of support. The foundation also expressed concern that PMA judges weren’t selecting honorees who were famous enough to generate ticket sales for the awards show at the Lensic in Santa Fe. In response, the commission turned over ownership and responsibility of its Lee Berk Award to the foundation, which allowed the foundation to hand pick the Berk honoree independent of the formal PMA nomination criteria and selection process established by the State. The Berk was rebranded as a foundation award, essentially a producers award. Sanchez increased the size of the selection committee from 5 to 9 members, 4 music commissioners, 4 members of the public, and 1 foundation member. Honorees were announced in April and the 2019 show took place in August at the Lensic in Santa Fe.

Timeline

February	nominations accepted
mid-March	nomination deadline
April	honorees announced
August	awards ceremony & show

Eligibility

Performers: solo artists, bands or performance ensembles of any musical genre

Individuals: educators, producers, promoters, conductors, engineers, patrons, managers, etc.

Organizations: businesses, charities, non-profits, foundations, venues, and volunteer or professional organizations

demonstrating lifetime achievement in New Mexico’s music industry.

Ineligibility

New Mexico Music Commissioners, Music Commission Foundation members, employees of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, or anyone related to members of these organizations. Posthumous awards are not given.

Here is the late Bonnie Hearne, the late George Adelo, and Bill Hearne at the 2017 Platinum Music Awards dinner and awards ceremony at the Palace Restaurant in Santa Fe prior to the awards show at the Lensic. Bill and Bonnie were honorees at the 2017 Platinum Music Awards. George Adelo served as a beloved Music Commissioner until his passing in October of 2017.

Nomination Requirements

Complete a nomination form, which includes the following four (4) sections:

1. Nominee and Nominator information
2. Nominator Questions: a. What is your relationship to the nominee (i.e., fan, friend, family, colleague, etc.)? Explain. b. What are the nominee’s major contributions to New Mexico’s music industry? c. Why do you believe the nominee merits receiving this award?
3. Nominee’s detailed bio or curriculum vitae
4. Three (3) samples of the nominee’s work that highlight their contributions to New Mexico’s music industry: official music videos, studio recordings, or live performances; social media presence; notable previous awards, accolades, or distinctions; industry reviews, articles, or publications; letter(s) of support from people familiar with the nominee’s work, such as colleagues, managers, students, mentors, producers, etc.

2020 nominations will open February, 2020.

Submit Nomination

Choose one of the following delivery options:

• Email: Thomas.Goodrich@state.nm.us preferred
  
• Fax: 505-827-6043, Attention: New Mexico Music Commission
• Mail or in person: New Mexico Music Commission, 407Galisteo St., Suite 270, Santa Fe, NM 87501

All complete nominations remain active for three (3) years. Incomplete or illegible nominations will not be considered.

Honoree Recognition

Platinum Music Award honorees are recognized several ways:

• Press Release and Public Announcement: In the spring, the Music Commission and its Foundation make a formal announcement of the selected honorees through a widely distributed press release and with a public reveal ceremony.  (Honorees do not attend this event, as it would spoil the surprise!) The 2018 “big reveal” was held at The Candyman Strings & Things and the 2019 reveal at Prescott Studios.
• Medallion Ceremony and Awards Show: Honorees are bestowed medallions and a certificate signed by Governor Lujan Grisham and Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary Garcia y Griego in a brief awards ceremony. The ceremony is followed by a spectacular music variety showcase featuring some of New Mexico’s top talent performing for the honorees. During the show, each honoree is celebrated with a short video biopic of their life and career and a live music performance in their honor. The evening is a glowing tribute to the honorees and to the unique and diverse New Mexico music industry. It is quickly becoming one of the top music events of the year and is not to be missed! The awards show was held at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
• After Party: Honorees, musicians, and production staff are treated to appetizers at an after party at Taberna following the awards show. Chef James Campbell Caruso sponsored and hosted the after party in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
• Online Hall of Fame: Honorees are inducted into the Music Commission’s online hall of fame with a permanent profile containing their head shot, bio, and PMA tribute video.
• Facebook Feature: Honorees are featured on the Music Commission’s Facebook page and, if they are an active performer, the commission makes every effort to advertise their upcoming performances.

Primary Contacts

Nominations: contact Thomas Goodrich if you have questions about eligibility, the nomination process, nomination form, required nomination materials, adjudication, the awards timeline, or if you need assistance with your nomination.

Ceremony and Show: contact David Schwartz if you have questions about the medallion ceremony or show or if you would like to volunteer, sponsor, or donate to these events. The Music Commission Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and your donations are tax deductible.

Proceeds

Proceeds of the Platinum Music Awards show benefit education initiatives of the New Mexico Music Commission and its Foundation, most notably their Music in Schools and Art2Art programs.

Music in Schools

Art2Art

The Music Commission’s Art2Art program promotes New Mexico-based musicians and visual artists in an “eduformance” setting. The artist and musician improvise in a collaborative performance in front of a live audience. Following the performance, the artists are interviewed on stage, delving into their process, inspiration, and technique. The audience is invited to ask questions following the interview. The work of visual art created during the performance is sold, with proceeds funding future Art2Art programming and the host venue. The New Mexico Music Commission provides the venue with a pre-packaged Art2Art program complete with musician, artist, emcee, script, and production notes that is fully modifiable to the venue’s needs. The venue may also suggest their own artists. Art2Art works well in concert settings, community spaces, entertainment at meetings, conferences, or workshops, and with students in an assembly or classroom. The Commission is interested in bringing Art2Art to all parts of New Mexico and would like to feature local musicians and visual artists as well as our Platinum Music Awards honorees, when appropriate. Click here to learn more about the Art2Art program.

Here is a beautiful image from the 2018 Platinum Music Awards Show at the Lensic. Jazz great Doug Lawrence performed a solo music tribute to honoree Tom Guralnick. During the awards show, each honoree is celebrated with a short tribute speech, a 3-minute video biopic, and a live music performance.

Honorees

Recipients of the New Mexico Music Commission’s Platinum Music Award

2019

Jim Bonnell ~ Alamogordo | Albuquerue

Bert Dalton ~ Santa Fe

Noberta Fresquez ~ Deming | Albuquerque

Robert Mirabal ~ Taos Pueblo

Cipriano Vigil ~ Chamisal | El Rito

2018 Antonia Apodaca ~ Rociada | Las Vegas Dr. William Clark ~ Las Cruces Tom Guralnick ~ Albuquerque Nacha Mendez ~ La Union | Santa Fe Malcom Yepa ~ Walatowa (Jemez Pueblo)

2017 Arlen Asher ~ Albuquerque Fernando Cellicion ~ Zuni Pueblo Bill and Bonnie Hearne ~ Santa Fe Al Hurricane ~ Dixon | Albuquerque Dr. Dale E. Kempter ~ Albuquerque

Recipients of the Lee Berk Foundation Award

The Lee Berk Foundation Award is selected and awarded by the NMMC Foundation Board. Named after the influential music advocate and educator, Lee Berk, one (1) Berk is awarded annually in conjunction with five (5) Platinum Music Awards.

Lee Berk is the namesake of the Berklee College of Music in Boston and served as its president from 1979 to 2004. Lee was appointed the inaugural chair of the New Mexico Music Commission by Governor Richardson in 2005. Berk subsequently created the New Mexico Music Commission Foundation in 2012 to garner private sector support for music commission initiatives.

2019

The Candyman Strings & Things ~ Santa Fe

2018 Hummingbird Music Camp ~ Jemez Springs

2017 Catherine Oppenheimer ~ Santa Fe

above: Highlights of the 2nd Annual Platinum Music Award show at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe, August 23, 2018.

Above: Highlights of the 1st annual Platinum Music Awards show at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, July 2017.

Platinum Achievement Awards {precursor to the Platinum Music Awards}

2015

• Jerry Lopez

Jerry Lopez (right) recipient of the 2015 Platinum Achievement Award. Jerry was honored at the Fanta Se Fest in DeVargas Park, sponsored by Creative Santa Fe. Pictured with Jerry (left to right) Fred Sandoval – National Latino Behavioral Health Association (Fred nominated Jerry for the award), the late George Adelo – Music Commissioner, David Schwartz – Music Commission Foundation President, and Joy Gutierrez – retired Music Commissioner.

2014

• “Bumblebee” Bob Weil ~ Santa Fe
• Herb Jeffries

2013

• Kenneth Broad ~ Portales | Clovis

Photo Credit

All photos ©2017-2019 Daniel Quat Photography unless otherwise noted.

For more information about the Platinum Music Awards ceremony and show

www.platinummusicawards.org