The source of this information is an article written by Jon Bream in the Star Tribune, dated July 18, 1997. Only the winners were reported; information on nominees would be very welcome.
I apologize for any misspellings of anyone’s name; it could be from the source, or it could be from my typing. Please contact me if you need to have something corrected. Thanks!
For other years, see MINNESOTA MUSIC AWARDS.
DATE: July 17, 1997
PLACE: First Avenue
HOST: Robyne Robinson, news anchor for KMSP-TV
NOTES:
All but the Special Awards were selected by 200 members of the Minnesota Music Association.
16-year-old Jonny Lang won all five award for which he was nominated, and Lang’s keyboardist and songwriter Bruce McCabe won two, but the group was in Camden, New Jersey, so they were not able to attend. His mother, Marcia Langseth, accepted his awards. The band opened for Aerosmith the following night.
MAJOR AWARDS
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Barbara Cohen
MAJOR LABEL RECORDING: “Lie to Me,” Jonny Lang
INDIE RECORDING: “Detroit,” Detroit
SONG OF THE YEAR: “Lie to Me,” Jonny Lang
NEW ARTIST: Sukpatch
SONGWRITER: Bruce McCabe
MUSICIANS’ AWARDS
GUITAR: Dean Magraw
BASS: Steve York (Celebrators)
DRUMS/PERCUSSION: Noah Levy (Honeydogs)
KEYBOARDS/PIANO: Bruce McCabe (Jonny Lang Band)
HORNS: Rick O’Dell, Saxophone
FEMALE VOCALIST: Barbara Cohen
MALE VOCALIST: Jonny Lang
OTHER INSTRUMENTALIST: Joe Savage
AWARDS BY GENRE
BLUES GROUP/ARTIST: Jonny Lang
BLUES RECORDING: “Lie to Me,” Jonny Lang
BLUEGRASS GROUP/ARTIST: Kate MacKenzie
COUNTRY GROUP/ARTIST: Trailer Trash
COUNTRY RECORDING: “Hell It’s Xmas,” Trailer Trash
FOLK RECORDING: “One Foot in the Groove,” Koerner, Ray & Glover
GOSPEL GROUP/ARTIST: Sounds of Blackness
HIP-HOP GROUP/ARTIST: Phull Surklle
JAZZ GROUP/ARTIST: Strawdogs
JAZZ RECORDING: “Hank Mobley’s Sounds of Love,” Casino Royale
POLKA GROUP/ARTIST: Ruth Adams Band
POP GROUP/ARTIST: Detroit
POP RECORDING: “The Great Game,” Brother Sun Sister Moon
ROCK GROUP/ARTIST: Honeydogs
ROCK RECORDING: “Everything I Bet You,” Honeydogs
R&B GROUP/ARTIST: Greazy Meal
R&B RECORDING: “Emancipation,” Prince
TECHNICAL
MINNESOTA MUSIC RADIO SHOW: Mark Wheat, “Local Sound Department,” KFAI
TV-MUSIC PROGRAM: Robyne Robinson, “The Buzz,” KMSP
PRODUCER OR ENGINEER: John Strawberry Fields
ELECTRONICA RECORDING: Brother Sun Sister Moon, “The Great Game”
SPECIAL
PERPETUALLY OUTSTANDING PERFORMER: Eddie Berger, jazz saxophonist
CONNIE HECHTER AWARD: Doug Ackerman had worked in the local music distribution business for more than 25 years.