Here’s a list of the winners from last night’s Awards show:

Lifetime Achievement Awards — James Foxx, James McGill
Special Recognition — Al Gardner, NC Music Hall of Fame, Jared Stamey, Jody Sullivan, Julia Dixon
World Music Artist — Tsunami Wave Riders
Blues Showcase – Donna Duncan
Country Showcase – Jeff Luckadoo
R&B Showcase – Ida Divine
Hip Hip Showcase – McKeve
Breakout Band – Lyra Shines
Gospel Showcase – The Jones Brothers
Rock Band – Simplified
Jazz Band – Groove Masters
Female Vocalist – Julia Bullock (Lyra Shines)
Male Vocalist – Clee Laster (Simplified)
Music Publication – The Carolina Promoter
Radio DJ – Divakar
Producer’s Choice – Dre Money
Marching Band – Harding University High School
SonicBids Country – CiCi Jansen
SonicBids Pop – Matt Annecharico
SonicBids R&B – Cagle & Nash
SonicBids Jazz – Daniel D
Recording Studio – Studio East
Small Music Venue – Puckett’s Farm Equipment
Charlotte Festival – Blocktoberfest
Singer/songwriter – Bobby Ray
DJ- Club – Mike Soden
Junior Pop Artist – Jaz

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Here’s a list of the winners from last night’s CMA’s. (Is it CMAs or CMA Awards? Isn’t it Country Music Awards? Therefore, CMA Awards is Country Music Awards Awards? Or maybe it’s Country Music Association. Anyway….)

Single of the Year — “I Run to You” by Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year — “In Color” by Jamey Johnson
Vocal Group of the Year — Lady Antebellum
New Artist of the Year — Darius Rucker
Album of the Year — Fearless by Taylor Swift
Vocal Duo of the Year — Sugarland
Music Video of the Year — “Love Story” by Taylor Swift
Male Vocalist of the Year — Brad Paisley
Female Vocalist of the Year — Taylor Swift
Entertainer of the Year — Taylor Swift
Musical Event of the Year — Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
Musicians of the Year — Mac Macanally

Here’s a look at the monologue from last night:

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“I know that for some musicians, writing songs is like therapy and the way they get their emotions out,” says Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Robert Francis. “But for me it’s more than an outlet — it’s a way to keep me from completely losing my mind.”

Meet Robert Francis. When reading the above quote you might think that this is just another artist trying to sound good in an interview. Not this time. I had the opportunity to speak with Francis before his show in support of Noah and the Whale in Pontiac, Mich., and one thing is for sure – Robert Francis puts everything he has into his music, and he does it well. When speaking with him, I learned that he had just gotten out of the van after driving for six hours to the Michigan show. From there he would be off to Toronto, and then make the drive over to New York City for a 3-day gig. Let’s just say that’s a whole lot of van time.

The first thing you notice when talking with Robert is his humble, down-to-earth view on life and his career. Throughout the interview he repeatedly thanked me for my time and for the praise I gave him for his album Before Nightfall. When I asked him about the theme of the album, looking back on a failed relationship, Francis said, “It’s all about being comfortable in one ’s self. Accepting reality as it is, especially when you’ve been haunted by something for so long. This record puts all that to rest.”

Before Nightfall is Francis’ first major record label release (Atlantic), after his independent debut One-by-One. “With One-by-One, I really wanted to grow as an artist and really let the music grow,” he says. “I wanted to be comfortable and not feel contained by a label. With Before Nightfall the pieces came together at the right time. Atlantic understood that for me this is a long term thing – hopefully a career. I really wanted to take it to the next level with the new record and Atlantic helped me do that.”

With the tracks on the new album, Francis weaves a haunting tale of love lost, but at the same time offers hope for the future.

To be more comfortable in the studio, Francis tried to replicate his living room as much as possible, including using his sisters as backup singers. He brought his own furniture and posters to the studio to make the scene as real as possible.

When asked how it was to work on the album with his family, his answer shows what’s truly important in his life – “I love my sisters and owe them everything. They introduced me to great music at a young age and I’ve been performing with them since I was six. I couldn’t imagine doing this without them.” This might explain why that he has mentioned in other publications that he wanted to quit school and go on tour when he was only 10 (my bet is he would have made it work somehow).

When asked about what he hopes to leave one day as his music legacy, you again get the chance to see what he truly is about, and that quite simply is the music. “I spend a lot of time in a van driving back and forth across the country” he explains, “and it’s really obvious that a lot of people are struggling right now. What I hope is that somehow I can help someone with one of my songs. Give them hope, lift them up. One day look back and say that the songs I put together helped people feel better and maybe get them through a tough time. I don’t really need or care about the fame and fortune. I want this to be my career and one day settle down on a little piece of land with my dog and just relax. That’s it, I really don’t need much.”

And if a career in music is what he is looking for, at the ripe old age of 21 and with an album like Before Nightfall, he should have no problem doing just that – for as long as he wants.

P.S. Of course, the most important question of the day – when he might make an appearance in the land of Charlotte, Francis said he hoped to hit the road solo at the beginning of the year and Charlotte would be a definite destination – so be on the look-out!

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Mike Posner may be living the dream.

During the week, the J Records recording artist is a senior sociology major at Duke University, recording his debut album during free time and touring on weekends.

How many students can sit through a midterm one day then be in the studio with some surprisingly big names days later? It’s like the best of both worlds. Being inside the college bubble during the week and then having the opportunity to step out and be a star. What more could a 21-year old ask for?

Posner’s newest mixtape, One Foot Out The Door, features guest appearances by Kid Cudi, 3Oh!3, Bun B and Saigon, to name a few, and what’s even cooler is instead of searching blog sites trying to find a link to download the whole thing Duke University made the whole mixtape, and Posner’s previous one, available free to download on their iTunesU.

For those not familiar with iTunesU, it’s basically a university’s iTunes artist page. Some schools, like Stanford or Penn, put up videos lectures from their most popular classes, which allows you the chance to sit in classes and learn for free and minus the homework. Other schools, like Clemson closer to home, use the site to get freshman familiar with the university lifestyle and allows them to download things like the fight song and instructional videos of the traditions, how they go and what they mean.

Seeing Duke’s love affair and support of their student “star” makes me wonder what if my alma mater had done the same thing.

Then again, making tens of terrible mixtapes and uninventive albums available to the world probably wouldn’t have helped to raise our university profile whatsoever. Either way, it’s a good look by Duke and a great chance for everyone to get familiar with Posner.

Get Mike Posner’s mixtape and more info on him at www.mikeposner.com.

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The Pick Up The Phone Tour 2009, has been cancelled due to the hospitalization of Justin Furstenfeld, lead singer of the tour’s headlining band Blue October. The tour had a scheduled stop at The Fillmore on Oct. 23.

Furstenfeld is being treated for suffering from an extreme mental anxiety attack. His doctors have ordered that the tour — which was committed to reducing the stigma associated with mental health, depression, and suicide — be cancelled to allow for his recovery.

Tickets purchased for the Oct. 23 concert at The Fillmore Charlotte can be refunded at point of purchase starting Friday, Oct. 23. Tickets purchased via phone or online will be refunded automatically.

“Mental health diseases are unpredictable,” says Furstenfeld. “And on the eve of this tour in support of a cause that means the world to me, I am in need of time to heal from a setback in my own personal life, which is severe enough for me to seek hospitalization. I hope that my action to seek the strength and safety of treatment will inspire others that are suffering to do the same.”

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Lenny Kravitz has canceled his upcoming show at the Fillmore on Oct. 27 due to a vocal injury. Refunds will be given at point of purchase.

Said Lenny Kravitz in a press release – “I’m very sorry and disappointed to not be able to pay my fans in North Carolina a visit. I was looking forward to returning to Charlotte and perform for everyone there. I look forward to coming back when I head back out on the road in the US next year.”

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CL music contributor Mike McCray sat down with NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. before he jumped in the DJ Hero Chevy for the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Saturday. There was a free demo of the game, which drops Oct. 27, for fans as well as a DJ Hero showdown between Martin + Mike after their interview (Video tomorrow).

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Tuesday night during VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors, Def Jam, the legendary hip-hop label and event honoree, was referred to as the Motown of Hip-Hop.

A fitting description considering that both labels have been the face of black music for the last 50 years, placing it squarely in the forefront of American culture. Both championing the cause that ‘our music and our sound,’ can be financially viable.

After watching the history of Def Jam play out on stage Tuesday, I started to wonder which label had a stronger first 25 years? Not just who had the bigger impact, but which one was still the most relevant and successful after a quarter-century in business.

Both had to overcome unique issues, whether it was Motown having to solve the dilemma of the black artist in America and dealing with overt racism and discrimination in integrating the mainstream music industry. Or Def Jam’s less difficult fight to prove that what they were selling was actually music and not just noise.

But no one could deny that either label had talent. Just look at the rosters.

From 1959 to 1983, it’s hard to argue that anyone had a deeper stable of artists than Motown.

Def Jam started in 1984 and to it’s current status today, is a encyclopedia of mainstream hip-hop success.

So which label did a better job of building and expanding on its initial brand? I’d have to go Def Jam.

They’ve proven to be extremely adaptable to the music landscape and truly have a vision to impact more than music but culture.

Timing is everything though. Def Jam’s history seems to coincide with drastic changes to how we traditionally communicated and conducted business. The ’90s alone provided them more avenues to build their brand beyond just television, radio and tours, which Motown had to at their disposal decades ago.

Motown never had to the opportunity to legitimately brand themselves internationally or launch clothing lines, video games, etc.

Def Jam made an effort to make sure Def Jam wasn’t just a bunch of rebellious, New York people making noise. Instead of making artists come to them, Def Jam launched ventures like Def Jam South and more recently Def Jam Germany to say, we are the gold seal of hip-hop. We encompass all that is the music and culture under the Def Jam umbrella.

You could easily argue there is no Def Jam without Motown, because it’s true. Def Jam doesn’t exist without the model Motown created for what successful independent turned major labels should do but that doesn’t mean they haven’t taken that blueprint for success and made renovations for the better.

What do you think?

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Soul songstress N’dambi has been belting out tunes for years now — first as a background singer for Erykah Badu and then as a solo artist, releasing acclaimed CDs like Little Lost Girl Blues and her newest one, Pink Elephant, among many others. Despite her vast musical resume, however, she’s probably best known for sporting one of the biggest and coolest-looking Afros in the industry. Check her out when she hits Charlotte on Sat., Oct. 17 and you’ll get to hear her crisp-yet-funky vocal stylings — and catch a glimpse of her beautiful ’do, too. $20. 8 p.m. Utopia SoundStage, 10210 Berkeley Place Dr. 704-765-4131. www.thesolkitchen.com.

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Live Nation is offering a 2-for-1 ticket deal today only for a variety of shows coming to The Fillmore.

Among the shows are:

Oct. 15 — Blues Traveler, Simplified (rumored to be sold out)
Oct. 20 — Queensryche, Lita Ford
Oct. 23 — Blue October
Oct. 28 — KMFDM
Nov. 4 — Dethklok, Mastodon
Nov. 8 — Foreigner
Nov. 10 — Honor Society
Nov. 22 — Roger Daltrey
Nov. 23 — Megadeth, Machinehead
Dec. 6 — David Allan Coe
Dec. 10 — LMFAO, Shwayze
Dec. 17 — Dashboard Confessional
Jan. 19 — Anvil

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